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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU or is this unusual?

134 replies

Mushroomflumps · 28/10/2010 18:54

I'm not judging any one else's parenting - I am not saying my parenting style is right and others are wrong.

I took out some children for lunch, said 'Who wants to go to McDonalds?', expecting a 'Yay' for a treat, and got from one of the children 'What's Mcdonalds?'

I wouldn't of been surprised if any child ever said to me 'I'm not allowed Mcdonalds', or 'Never been to McDonalds'.

But not 'what's mcdonalds?'

AIBU to think this is unusual, or is this common, and just not for my common kids

OP posts:

asdx2 · 28/10/2010 20:26

Dd now 7 would know what it is but wouldn't want to go.She's a bit strange though as we walk past Mcd's so that she can eat in the library cafe

thesecondcoming · 28/10/2010 20:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MoralDefective · 28/10/2010 21:00

I have never taken my DCS to MacDonalds.
I have never been in a MacDonalds.
I will never go in a MacDonalds.
My older DCS have been to MacDonalds but don't like it
Or so they say.......>

Rosieeo · 28/10/2010 21:04

DD wouldn't know what it was either. I hate the stuff and we never go there.

However, she'll shout 'Are we having a chippy tea?' if we pass the local fish shop, so I never feel too smug.

Original poster

Mushroomflumps · 28/10/2010 21:17

I am still amazed that there are all these children that don't know what McDonalds is. Only due to the number of golden arches there are around, haven't your kids ever asked what that is.

Not saying asked you to go, but along the lines of 'Mum what does that yellow sign stand for?'

Along the same lines my child knows Lidl's I've never stepped foot in side of one, nor do I believe have they (unless a friend's mum has taken them ) but they still know what Lidl's is.

I was thinking of all those Mcdonalds tv adverts, but can't recall seeing any recently have they been banned?

OP posts:

Smithagain · 28/10/2010 21:21

I don't see why they would particularly have asked about McDonalds' logo, as opposed to any of the other thousand or so logos they see on a regular basis.

I think my two would have known what McDonalds is. They've been a couple of times, but they are not keen on burgers or salty chips, so it's not regarded as a treat. More like a desperate measure.

Pizza Hut, on the other hand, would have had them whooping for joy.

Original poster

Mushroomflumps · 28/10/2010 21:26

Maybe my children are just very nosey observant, I would say that the majority of logos you put in front of them, they could tell you what it stood for. Especially if they are high frequency occurring ones.

To not see it as a treat is one thing, like I said in the opening if one child said 'not allowed', 'never been', and could add 'don't like it'. I would not of batted an eyelid. To not know what it is, I was surprised.

I take it there are children out there then if i said 'who's wants coca cola?' they would of said 'what's that?' Now my children have never drunk coca cola, but they know what it is.

OP posts:

PfftTheMildySpookyDragon · 28/10/2010 21:35

DS knows the name McDonalds, but not what it is. He's never been in one.

lborolass · 28/10/2010 22:19

I think its very odd that a 9/10 year old doesn't know, surely if you attend school and have a fairly normal childhood involving friends, TV and general conversation you can't get to that age without being aware of McDonalds.

Are you on some far flung corner of the country Mushroom ?

PaisleyPumpkin · 28/10/2010 22:30

My 6 yr old only found out about McDonalds in this last year, but she doesn't like it.
I guess we're so saturated with logos that they're not interesting. She never asked about the golden arches, the same as she never asked about B&Q.

xwitch · 28/10/2010 22:35

It is unusual, at least these days. I didn't know what Macdonalds was until I was at least 7/8 but my excuse is I grew up in a small town and Macdonalds took a while to reach us (well still hasn't really).

My friend's neice didn't know what a bag of chips were which I found very strange because her parents owned a chippie.

piscesmoon · 28/10/2010 22:36

I think that good thing about it was that they didn't know-it wasn't as if the parent had made them see it as the work of the devil! I expect that he hadn't got older siblings. DS1 was 8 when DS2 was born and older when DS3 was born so they always knew. It was never a big deal and they don't choose to go now-it was never forbidden fruits. (if I hadn't had an older one I would have kept them in ignorance for as long as possible).

TrillianSlasher · 28/10/2010 22:36

I imagine most 9/10 year old would have walked past one in town or driven past one (notdriven personally, but have been driven by a responsible adult with a drivind licence) or seen an advert on tv and observed that it was a fast food restaurant of some description.

piscesmoon · 28/10/2010 22:38

At 9 or 10 they need to be a bit streetwise for their own good.

igetmorelovefromthecat · 28/10/2010 22:42

My DD is 6 and won't go near McDonalds. I took her a few times when she was younger but she never really liked it. I'm not judgey or posh though...I quite often go there on my own when DD is at school and I'm in town shopping :)

But yes, most odd that 10 year olds have never heard of it. It's advertised on TV all the time for a start.

wodalingpengwin · 28/10/2010 22:44

Mine wouldn't know. If you said Burger King it would be a different matter though.

Pan · 28/10/2010 22:45

Took dd (10) into one today!! Stuck in traffic and both hungry and miles from home. dd not really a foodie and is unphased by good/bad stuff. She knew of McD when she was about 3-4 but doesn't see it as a treat - just somewhere to stop being hungry! Such a little problem-solver that one.

Pan · 28/10/2010 22:47

used t ouse them as a hangover cure..( before dd obv.. Quarter-pounder with cheese and a strawberry milkshake. I weren't being classy when even my eyelashes ached.

NormalityBites · 28/10/2010 22:52

DD would not know but she is only 4. Probably she will know in five years, but I highly doubt she'll have been - as oft said on this thread, not somewhere I go, no judgement.

thehairybabysmum · 28/10/2010 23:02

My DS thinks that the Macdonalds M is for Morrisons. He's said this a couple of times recently and i have said 'no it's Macdonalds' but he has no idea what this is (yet). He is only 4 though.

MumBarTheDoorZombiesAreComing · 28/10/2010 23:19

I'm not really surprised, purely as DS knows what MCD's is and will ask to eat there everytime we pass one - he's not fussy as long as it's food. We have eaten at BK once or twice but I know he would say 'whats that' if its suggested as its not familiar to him. And he is a child that wants to know what every shop, building etc we pass is called and whats its used for.

Hr's 6 btw.

DioneTheDiabolist · 28/10/2010 23:21

My DS loves going to McD's. He loves the HappyMeal toy and the experience, but won't eat the food.[hconfused]

SweetnessAndShite · 28/10/2010 23:28

We use Mcdonalds as a treat for after a hospital appt or something. DS1 5.6 loves it but not really that keen on the food - just wants the toy! DS2 2.9 calls it Old Mcdonalds!

YANBU to be suprised they didn't know what it was. My Mum hated the place and we never went as kids but we certainly knew what it was as we had to hear about her go on about how awful the place was every time we went near one!

piscesmoon · 29/10/2010 07:50

I don't know how they can be so unobservant. One of the popular scouting songs, sung with Beavers is the 'McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut' one with actions-one of their favourites and no one has ever mentioned not knowing what it was about. You don't have to go in to know what it is-merely walk up any High Street.

NotanOtter · 29/10/2010 21:58

ds sings that song but doesn't know what is is

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