Baby eating McDonalds - would you say anything?

[DLA]

I hate the term "healthy". There are two sides to everything. Eating McDonalds everyday is probably not good for your body (one extreme) but living on celery isn't good for you either (the other extreme). Yes obesity is a problem but so are eating disorders (others than obesity). Teaching kids to label foods as "bad" or "forbidden" can be a slippery slope. Parents need to be aware of the message (even unintended sometimes) they're sending to their kids. There is nothing wrong with eating McDonalds in moderation. I don't want my child to grow up thinking he can never have fast food because it's "bad" or "unhealthy" just as I don't want him binging on fast food all the time and missing out on the other foods that are nutritionally dense. There's a balance to everything.

Also I find it difficult now to cook every single night and my baby isn't even here yet. I imagine producing a homecooked meal every night with kids is nothing short of challenging. Criticizing someone for feeding their child fast food once a week seems unfair. That's a very high standerd mothers are being held to.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I wouldn't give my child a mcdonalds, no, unless it was literally the only thing I could find to feed her at a particular time, but let's face it, that's highly unlikely ever to be the case. But I would no way say something.

 

[bellablue]

yeah i guess you're right, it's not really my business so i won't say anything. It's just that there's so much obesity in this country and mcdonald's is already part of this child's regular routine, not just an occasional thing - i'm a little surprised by the replies, and how most don't see anything wrong. I do wish people would give their little ones a bit of time to decide for themselves whether they want to jump on the fast food/obesity wagon. But to each their own i guess.

wow, judgemental much?

Fast food from time to time does not cause obesity. If a child eats healthily 80 percent of the time the other 20 percent isn't going to make them overweight. And if they get plenty of exercise, they'll be fine.

Abby doesn't actually like mcdonalds. I won't give her the chips because of the salt they put on them, but on the rare occasions she's tried a burger from there she hasn't liked it. Personally i wouldn't give my child mcdonalds once a week, but then, we don't eat there once a week either. I couldn't care less what other parents do, nor if they see it as a problem or not.

The uk's problems with obesity have little to do with mcdonalds, they are because people don't think they have the time, money or skill to cook healthy meals and children spend less time playing outside and too much time in front of tv and video games. Of course some parents need more education and maybe your "overweight" friend doesn't know much about balanced diets but i will say this, my husband and i are overweight and we know how to feed a child healthily. We are keen not to get abby into the bad habits we have.

i agree to many kids have computers n games they are on all day when i was a kid we played hide n go seek man hunt all those games i was a twig! And eat mcdonalds! Lol my family is on the thin side to so genes play a role to -- i cook everyday healthy meals but if i was running around and we were hungry i would let my 2 yearold have a chicken nugget once in a while - And i am still skinny today we cant blame everything on fast foods! But dont say anything not ur concern not like shes abusing her baby

 

[ttc_lolly]

I've seen this "macdonalds" argument raised in many parts of the forum but never in baby club from someone who hasn't yet had a baby and I'm wondering if u were either looking for everyone to say "wow what a terrible mother ur collegue is" or wether u just wanted to start an argument.jugding by ur last post u obviously didn't get the reaction u wanted and u have started being bitchy towards us.alot of us started making light of this topic to keep it friendly but I can see that's clearly not what u want.so when u do have ur baby and only ever feed him/her organic fruit and veg until they are 18 u may then come back and tell everyone how much of a better mother u r.but let's hope they take others opinions and comments better than u do and respect others around them.

Sorry for the rant ladies but I think we are all a friendly bunch in here and often have a giggle and we respect the advice and opinions of eachother.wow it's not like me to get wound up over the Internet and I'm still not sure why I am really lol ...I'm off for a mcflurry to calm down xx

i don't think this is a very fair response. baby club is open to all to comment in - not just people with children.

OP could be lttc for all you know... just seems a bit harsh and unneccessary this post is the sort to cause arguements and tension

 

[mummy2lola]

Saying "when u do have ur baby" I thought she was pregnant not ttc so it wasn't meant like that at all.I was ttc for 3 years with troubles along the way and now don't know if I can ever get pregnant again so wouldn't ever try and make someone feel bad when ttc So sorry if it came across that way as I genuinely thought she was pregnant and trying to cause a stir as we were all being nice and she came in with really harsh comments towards people in here.I won't comment again in this thread xx

 

[tina3747]

I have to talk my 12 yr old into having fast food, all my friends think it's hilarious!! They still try and trick him by offering sweets and a banana and he'll still have the fruit! He has sweets, mac ds, pizza but I think we've done a good job in the way we've brought him up . 90% of his baby food was home made and we've always let him order off the adult menu and asked them to halve the portion. The menus for kids these days are alot better Now, we only ever saw nuggets sausages chips as options. He's always had a balance of food but also discussed when old enough the downsides to eating alot ofthe child friendly food. I think I took him once a month to mac ds and it's obviosly not had any I'll effect on him. Moderation and balance and common sense should always come first in parenting and judging someone who is eating a mac ds is pretty wrong..
Saying that, when I was having driving lessons many many years ago my instructor always bought his toddler who was strapped into the car seat in the back. 9/10 she would have a happy meal (this is the gods honest truth!) I've seen him since (his nick name known to everyone is fat Gary) and alishia, now 17 I would guess is the size of a house!!! No shit Sherlock!!

 

[Mya209]

I hate Macdonalds and will never ever give it to my child! I haven't been into one since I was a student and didn't when I was a child. However, that's my choice, you can't and shouldnt tell other people what to do with their child!

 

[tu123]

am i the only person that wants to avoid mcdonalds all together! i hate the place!

No! You may as well eat a pound of butter! I cant bear the look of those grey burgers that look like a flattened cat turd.

But serioulsy, their "meals" are so expensive it is cheaper to go to a cafe/bistro and get a yummy lunch!

 

[aliss]

Gosh I remember McD's used to be so cheap, now it's outrageous!!!

 

[cat lover]

Am I the only one who fancies a Big Mac having read this thread?!

 

[Blah11]

I've seen this "macdonalds" argument raised in many parts of the forum but never in baby club from someone who hasn't yet had a baby and I'm wondering if u were either looking for everyone to say "wow what a terrible mother ur collegue is" or wether u just wanted to start an argument.jugding by ur last post u obviously didn't get the reaction u wanted and u have started being bitchy towards us.alot of us started making light of this topic to keep it friendly but I can see that's clearly not what u want.so when u do have ur baby and only ever feed him/her organic fruit and veg until they are 18 u may then come back and tell everyone how much of a better mother u r.but let's hope they take others opinions and comments better than u do and respect others around them.

Sorry for the rant ladies but I think we are all a friendly bunch in here and often have a giggle and we respect the advice and opinions of eachother.wow it's not like me to get wound up over the Internet and I'm still not sure why I am really lol ...I'm off for a mcflurry to calm down xx

i don't think this is a very fair response. baby club is open to all to comment in - not just people with children.

OP could be lttc for all you know... just seems a bit harsh and unneccessary this post is the sort to cause arguements and tension

I dont think the comment was that bad tbh. I know what the poster means, opinions on how you're going to parent before you get pregnant, and when you actually have the baby change quite drastically. i was never going to cosleep, no sweets, no junk, homemade food every meal from scratch etc.. heh.

 

[aliss]

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OIEr3iCwa2g/TNgi4ONQYBI/AAAAAAAAAWM/ZT9CYQi2f9s/s1600/Big+Mac+Baby+-+C%C3%B3pia+%282%29.jpg

 

[Foogirl]

fabulous

 

[AP]

I'm lovin it....

 

[ellismum]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Must admit thought, I'm a BK fan!!!

 

[DanielleM]

Well thanks to this thread I have just eaten about 1,000 calories in my local McD's!!! Couldn't stop thinking about it all last night!!

 

[cissyhope]

am i the only person that wants to avoid mcdonalds all together! i hate the place!

you're not the only one! I can't really stand the place

Slightly off topic but another reason to hate the place, they purchase their pork from Smithfields who still use the archaic and torturious gestation crates for their pigs (think battery farming for pigs) which other big brands refuse to use, makes me sick to the stomach now after reading about it.

Hurray!! other people that think the same was beginning to despair i was the only one that hates it! also the meat has been pumped full antibiotics and growth hormones, Hadley a treat eh? and i wont go into KFC

 

[Blah11]

I prefer BK too. nothing beats a whopper with cheese meal MMMM

 

[Foogirl]

i don't think this is a very fair response. baby club is open to all to comment in - not just people with children.

OP could be lttc for all you know... just seems a bit harsh and unneccessary this post is the sort to cause arguements and tension

Ticker says 4 weeks

I think she made a very good point - ie. if you must judge, first walk in somebody's shoes.

I'm sure we all had some firm ideas of what we would and wouldn't do before our LOs came along. Then reality hits and you discover there are worse things you can do and life isn't always as simple as you though they would be.

Of course non parents can have an opinion and can even share it, but the whole tone of the post was, the woman is overweight herself and clearly doesn't know how to feed a child. That's not opinion, that is judgement.

 

[Foogirl]

I wouldn't give my child a mcdonalds, no, unless it was literally the only thing I could find to feed her at a particular time, but let's face it, that's highly unlikely ever to be the case. But I would no way say something.

Well, not really unlikely. We've been in that very situation. Travelling to my parents house 200 miles away, we timed dinner for our usual stopping point. Unbeknown to us there was some sort of event on close to the restaurant and there was a 50 minute wait for a table. Apart from the fact Abby's dinner waits for no man, we still had 90 minutes travel after dinner and would have meant Abby not getting to bed until very late. The only options close by were a petrol station or a Mickey d's. So crisps or nuggets for dinner. We chose nuggets and she had those, some apple and half a burger bun. Not ideal but it was the best we could do.

It is one of my bugbears when travelling that there are few healthy type places to stop for food. Even when I travel alone it is a problem.