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AIBU?

To be perplexed at why people feel the need to be ashamed of giving their DC fast food?

79 replies

speedymama · 03/08/2007 15:31

This morning, I was in the children's section of the library with my DTS and there was a woman who was with her son who was between 3 and 4yo. She spoke with a very posh accent which I overheard as she and her DS were deciding which books to borrow. After choosing the books, as they were going to the counter,her DS said on top of his voice

"Are we going to McDonald's now?"

She bent down quickly, said "Hush, we don't say that in public", looked around furtively and then scurried to the counter with a rather crimson face.

I just thought that it was really sad that she would feel ashamed of something as trivial as that. So what if she takes her DS to McD? She was very slim and her DS had rosy skin so on the outside, they looked healthy.

My attitude is that as long as you eat healthily most of the time, the occasional fast food is no big deal. My parents use to treat us to fish and chips about once a month and we are all healthy! I admit that I don't buy the DTS McD (I don't personally like it) but we occasionally have KFC or fish & chips.

Is this an indictment of the over-judgment of parents in our society? I wonder how many people who knock fast food drink copious amounts of wine which contains nothing but empty calories?

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LucyJones · 03/08/2007 15:34

I think it's more an indictment of the amount of health warnings there are at the moment due to the nation getting fatter and fatter. I think it's awful she felt so embarassed but on the other hand I guess the message is getting through.

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Rantmum · 03/08/2007 15:35

Yes, but some people are puritans. And most puritans are hypocrits in my experience.

You are right about over-judgement of parents, though speedymama - or maybe misplaced judgement - after all it is correct that we are concerned about the vulnerable in our society including children - it is just the things that we concern ourselves with, may not always be the most helpful!

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peggotty · 03/08/2007 15:35

'We don't say that in public'!?! Good grief that is ridiculous. There are a myriad of things you shouldn't say in public, but that has to be way down on the list! And lets face it, the drinking of wine has a more acceptable 'reputation' than eating a maccyD's, but as you say, is prob just as bad for people.

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greensleeves · 03/08/2007 15:37

It's not really analogous with drinking wine though, it's analogous with giving your "child" wine to drink when there are several more appropriate alternatives available just as easily

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FioFio · 03/08/2007 15:38

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OrmIrian · 03/08/2007 15:38

Well I share your opinions re fast food - assuming it's in moderation. But I don't understand your perplexity TBH. You only have to be on here for a while to understand the origin of MacDonalds-related guilt After I started coming here I unilaterally changed the name of the place to' MacDonalds-but-we-only-go-there-sometimes-of-course'. Pathetic really.

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speedymama · 03/08/2007 15:39

GS, like Fruitshoots?

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greensleeves · 03/08/2007 15:39

Yes, exactly like fruitshoots

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speedymama · 03/08/2007 15:41

True Ormrian?

I had not even heard of Fruitshoots until I came on MN. Also, until I came on MN, I did not realise that giving a child a sausage roll to eat whilst it was in a pram warranted 10 lashes.

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Theclosetpagan · 03/08/2007 15:42

Can I say loudly and publicly here and now?

My DS has eaten McDonalds Happy Meals (usually after a 2 hour session running madly around the local soft play centre) and - horror of horrors - has even sampled Fruit Shoots. I DO limit these things though but as long as there's a balance I really don't see what the fuss is about.

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FioFio · 03/08/2007 15:43

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Manictigger · 03/08/2007 15:44

Perhaps she's a MNer and was worried about being judged by other MNers in the vicinity? Did she quickly shove a fruitshoot out of sight into her bag? I agree with you, I have no problem with fast food occasionally (sometimes after going walking I make DH stop outside the local chippy and we share a portion of chips in the car - yum) To not do the same with dd when she's older would be so hypocritcal. But I suppose parents these days worry (because of programmes like 'Honey we're killing the kids') that if you are seen taking them to McD etc, people will assume you feed them on it every day and therefore you are BAD PARENTS.

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Lizzylou · 03/08/2007 15:44

Quavers? I thought they were OK?!

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expatinscotland · 03/08/2007 15:45

That's fighting talk, Fio! The posse will soon be after you.

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Twiglett · 03/08/2007 15:45

I get embarrassed if the DC's ever mention McDonalds (which we tend to go to when travelling up and down the motorway) or that they got a toy in McDonalds

I know exactly why I'm embarrassed by it though

its because I've been a mumsnetter for humpty-dumpty years

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DaisyMOO · 03/08/2007 15:46

The woman was probably a mnetter and was worried she'd find a thread entitled 'am I being unreasonable for thinking that it's pointless taking your child to the library if you then ruin it by having lunch at McDonalds'

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stressteddy · 03/08/2007 15:46

What I love about this is that she was embarrased about him saying it but yet she was still taking him there
Was she going to send him in with a fiver and hide in dark glasses around the corner until he came out??!!

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Twiglett · 03/08/2007 15:47

I get slightly less embarrassed by Burger King though .. dunno why? maybe because its less disgusting food? (not talking about the contents which I don't know, just talking about the taste and after-the-fact regret quotient)

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speedymama · 03/08/2007 15:47

You have to laugh really!

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greensleeves · 03/08/2007 15:47

Plenty of middle class kids have shit diets too. Often middle class parents can afford to throw money away on Dairylea Lunchables and multipacks of fruitshoots, rather than buying basics orange juice, flour at 16p per bag, unwashed carrots etc, and actially making a bit of effort.

I think the class thing is a smokescreen. It's a not-very-subtle statutory defence - if you point out the folly of feeding children nutritionally devoid chemical-laden pap, you're dissing The Working Class. It's not a class issue. It's a food issue.

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SueBaroo · 03/08/2007 15:48

I thought it was obligatory to give your child a sausage roll when in the buggy? How else do you expect to get the bar at the front greasy?

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expatinscotland · 03/08/2007 15:50

When they go to school and use their dinner money to buy sausage suppers and curry chips, you'll be none the wiser.

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OrmIrian · 03/08/2007 15:50

No of course not stressteddy. What she was worried about was that the kind of people she thought would dissaprove of MaccieD's were more likely to frequent the library. They won't be actually in the godforsaken place now would they? And those were in there aren't going to think anything of it... She can quite blatant there

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Rantmum · 03/08/2007 15:53

We have just been at Great-Grandma's and ds has eaten:

pasta in a tomato and basil sauce
(fine & healthy)
2 helpings of cream trifle
(hmmmmm)
1 donut
(hmmmmm)
1 twix
(hmmmmm)

As they read this MNers are fainting in shock and despair at this gross and unnecessary sugar indulgence.

Blame the parents? I blame the Great-grandparents .

Unfortunately, I can't take along the most virulent of the MN food police to back me up at Grandmas, and the woman has a strong will. So cyberspace opinions have their limitations in RL .

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peggotty · 03/08/2007 15:56

ooh curry chips, mmmmm! SOmetimes you can't escape your roots, mine are west coast of scotland, land of the deep fried pizza, followed by deep fried mars bars. I do try to feed my dd healthy stuff, but she is very partial to sausages. Have never given her a sausage roll though, so that's ok isn't it?

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