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PiscesFast Food and Kids: A Do or a Don't?
Georgie Hockett: I've always vowed to never feed my child a Happy Meal. But when do you bend your vows for convenience? Does that me a bad person, giving my child a twisty cone?
When you're single -- or married without children -- it's easy to be a good parent.
"I'd never give my child a hamburger!" you might say, watching the latest E. coli breakout roll out in front of you on the local news. But much like everything in life, everything changes.
OK, I haven't given my two year old a hamburger -- yet. But I remember going to McDonald's as a kid and it was just about the biggest treat on the planet; because we didn't go there everyday. Who am I to deprive my child of fast food memories? What harm could come from one chocolate milkshake?
When I was a kid I was practically addicted to catsup but hated tomatoes. And even us, as adults, tend to get a little weak around French fries. What self control is a 2-year-old, 4-year-old, or a 6-year-old supposed to have under the same salty temptation? I'm all about bartering with children --"You do this and you can have whatever." Right now my bartering tools include books, watching TinkerBell, and oranges, but I know this bliss won't last for long.
There's nothing wrong with a little indulgence every now again, is there? A Happy Meal on a birthday, a Saturday night, or out with Grandma and Grandpa isn't the end of the world.
 | Georgie Hockett is the co-founder (and original bride!) of A Grand Wedding.com, the only online resource featuring wedding vendors with a service or product under a thousand dollars. Georgie is also the author of two chick-lit novels. Mom of one. |
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- 5 Comments
Its great that fast food places are offering healthier choices these days. My girls often choose fruit over French fries at Chick-fil-A. Sometimes its a must when you’re in the car, running late after dance class and there just isn’t time for a home cooked meal. Lets give ourselves a break. No mommy guilt here…
My kid’s vegan, but I don’t mind the occasional splurge on vegan fast food (yes it does exist) as long as they remember that healthy is important.
Occasional fast food is certainly not going to hurt your kids. By banning it and making it a ‘bad food’, you’re doing MORE damage to your kids. EVERYTHING is fine in moderation. A happy meal one day on rare occasion is perfectly fine.
l1tDmZ comment2 ,
as long as his core nutrition is good, it’s not going to hurt him. By making it a special occasion treat you teach him that it’s fun to eat junk every once in a while but it’s not for everyday. You can also try ordering the healthier items like the apples and milk if you’re really concerned.