Taking children to McDonalds, is it child cruelty?

Taking children to McDonalds, is it child cruelty?

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Discussion

vixen1700

Original Poster:

22,668 posts

269 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Everynow and again if I have a stinking hangover I may venture into the Duxford McDonalds for a filty Big Mac or chicken sandwich. I gobble it all up and feel slightly dirty about myself. frown

But it's my choice to perform such an act.

When I visit that McDonalds I see parents with very young children buying it for them and making them eat it, surely at that age they can't make informed decisions about that food. confused

The first one I went to was at the age of twelve, our noncey looking form teacher took us on an ice-skating trip and the eveing was rounded off by visiting the new fangled McDonalds in the West End near the ice-rink. Gherkins in burgers seemed odd and alien to us.

But at 12 at least we seemed old enough to just say no, unlike some of the youngsters I've seen recently. frown


Spanna

3,732 posts

175 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
I don't see what's wrong with the odd McDonald's every now and then for a child. It's a treat.

When the parent is giving it the child every other night, then it's a problem.

TheHeretic

73,668 posts

254 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
No. Moderation is the key.

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
When I'm lazy and skint, I sometimes take my kids to Maccy Ds. Works out to around once, maybe twice a month.

My 6 year old had a mate around during the summer holidays. I took them out to the park, booked a tennis court for half an hour as they both have lessons and let them have a play, finally a game of hide and seek and then the shopping centre for MacDonalds.

My son's friend was over the moon but didn't really eat much of it.

When his mum came to pick him up and he told her about lunch she had this fixed grin but looked concerned. I asked what was wrong and she said that it didn't matter but they never took their kids to MacDonalds.

Felt pretty guilty after that, as if I had forced a Muslim to eat bacon.

vixen1700

Original Poster:

22,668 posts

269 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Spanna said:
I don't see what's wrong with the odd McDonald's every now and then for a child. It's a treat.

When the parent is giving it the child every other night, then it's a problem.
A treat? I've missed the point of when it becomes a treat, maybe that's the problem.

prand

5,910 posts

195 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Says more about your guilt at having a Mcdonalds!

I'd say they aren't as bad as some food you can give kids (cheese spaghetti string, WTF?!), and is Pizza Express - the middle class families favourite round my way, better for you than burger & chips?


My kids seem to like it, it's a neatly packaged easy treat every now and then.

Everything in moderation, and you'll be fine.

stephen300o

15,464 posts

227 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
It's meat and veg in bread, get over yourself.

P-Jay

10,551 posts

190 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Of course not,

Taking them everyday would be cruel, as well as lazy and stupid, making your kids live a life completely free of all of life's little pleasures would be crueler.

I take my son 1-3 times a month, usually when we've been cycling, 2 hours on a bike and a fatty happy meal isn't going to damage his health.

V8mate

45,899 posts

188 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
croyde said:
When I'm lazy and skint, I sometimes take my kids to Maccy Ds. Works out to around once, maybe twice a month.
I don't understand why poverty would make McDonalds a good idea. You could make a veritable gourmet three-course meal with fresh ingredients for the price of one adult and two child meals.

whoami

13,151 posts

239 months

Friday 5th October 2012
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stephen300o said:
It's meat and veg in bread, get over yourself.
Quite.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 5th October 2012
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Wonder how many get a proper meal at home (sans packet and nuked).

Moderation I suppose. I like burger once in a while... well..... every so often.... oh go on then, the greasy spoon is my favourite joint when on the road.

monthefish

20,439 posts

230 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
stephen300o said:
It's meat and veg in bread, get over yourself.
Nicely put!


I think the OP should, in detail, explain exactly what his problem with McDonalds is.

Galileo

3,145 posts

217 months

Friday 5th October 2012
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stephen300o said:
It's meat and veg in bread, get over yourself.
Agreed. It's a damned sight more nutritional than any local chinese takeaway.

Kateg28

1,352 posts

162 months

Friday 5th October 2012
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We do treat the kids sometimes. However I cannot understand how my step son hates burgers and mince, hates tomatoes, hates plastic cheese, refuses to eat crusts on his bread but wolfs down a cheeseburger.

The only thing he professes to love that is in a cheeseburger is ketchup. He even tried to put ketchup when I cooked him a roast. furious. He only ever asked the once. tongue out

McDonalds has it's place when we are in a rush maybe once every couple of months but my son much prefers a full home cooked dinner (I created a problem with insisting on cooking proper food rolleyes)

tommy vercetti

11,486 posts

162 months

Friday 5th October 2012
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V8mate said:
croyde said:
When I'm lazy and skint, I sometimes take my kids to Maccy Ds. Works out to around once, maybe twice a month.
I don't understand why poverty would make McDonalds a good idea. You could make a veritable gourmet three-course meal with fresh ingredients for the price of one adult and two child meals.
Well he did write when he is lazy

V8mate

45,899 posts

188 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
tommy vercetti said:
Well he did write when he is lazy
I don't recall challenging that.

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
tommy vercetti said:
V8mate said:
croyde said:
When I'm lazy and skint, I sometimes take my kids to Maccy Ds. Works out to around once, maybe twice a month.
I don't understand why poverty would make McDonalds a good idea. You could make a veritable gourmet three-course meal with fresh ingredients for the price of one adult and two child meals.
Well he did write when he is lazy
When I am lazy and loaded, I take them to Chez Bruce biggrin

vixen1700

Original Poster:

22,668 posts

269 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
monthefish said:
I think the OP should, in detail, explain exactly what his problem with McDonalds is.
biggrin Thread isn't entirely serious if you read it, but I'll bite.

Look at obesity, people are calling it a treat, you can eat better/healthier for the money, I don't like the McDonalds corporation and their targeting at a really early age, kids are being sujected to this 'treat' at an early age. 'Treats' replacing healthy diets.

/waits for all the parents to start screaming at me. biggrin


Edited by vixen1700 on Friday 5th October 14:13

Road2Ruin

5,166 posts

215 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
McDonalds, along with all other fast food establishments, should have narrow doors with a sign next to them saying if you can't fit through this door.....

However on topic I also see a lot of this going on at the local McDs. Often it is over weight parents and podgy children ramming burger and chips down there throat like no tomorrow. Do they not know what they are doing to their kids health??????

Changedmyname

12,543 posts

180 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
V8mate said:
croyde said:
When I'm lazy and skint, I sometimes take my kids to Maccy Ds. Works out to around once, maybe twice a month.
I don't understand why poverty would make McDonalds a good idea. You could make a veritable gourmet three-course meal with fresh ingredients for the price of one adult and two child meals.
I can see both points here,I once was in the same place as the fist poster,but when you live in a bedsit without peoper cooking facilaties (sp) you have to look else where to feed the little mites.