Children and the Sex Shop

While walking to work today I passed the downtown civic center where The Nutcracker is playing. There were children everywhere. I chuckled to myself as I walked across the street to open the store. I'm pretty sure that sometime during the show I'm going to get a parent who sneaked away in order to buy some sex stuff.

Anyways. Children. Our store is 18+ (duh) but there are some times when we do let children in the store. Not in a creepy way or to sell them anything, but there are certain situations where kids are allowed in, or at least, times where I have interacted with them in terms of the shop.

The most common situation which I have come across is when a couple, or a pair of friends, shop together and they take turns coming into the store. One will wait outside with the children, and the other will scope around. Then they switch off. If it is a couple, usually the second person who comes in buys things.

Another option is the parent bringing their child in with them. Here I have a very specific rule. If they are not old enough to recognize where they are, are not going to grab things, then it's okay. Usually this means less than a year old, where the parent brings a stroller or carries them in their arms. If the child can run around, they are probably too old to be in here. It also makes the other customers uncomfortable to have a toddler around when they are shopping for sex. Or so I assume. Parents use their own judgement, I've never actually told anyone yet to leave due to them bringing their kids in.

The only awkward situation I get into with kids is when they wander in. The location of our store is the prime area where festivals happen, and where there are festivals, there is lots of kids running around away from supervision. Sometimes children wander into our store, on accident or on purpose. I then have to politely shoo them out. I need to make sure not to be mean, but have them leave the store as quickly as possible. I make sure to be polite and not touch them. Sometimes parents come in after them, horrified, but I make sure to be sweet and unalarmed. After all, no one likes a freaked out parent.

At Halloween one year I stood outside with candy for the downtown trick or treating. It may sound weird on paper that a sex shop worker stood outside her work with a basket of candy to give to children, but it wasn't. Parents actually really liked it, especially that I stood outside for four hours just to give out candy.