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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to refuse....

227 replies

thenightwalker · 10/02/2011 13:58

To let my child eat fast food!

My daugter has a party this week and the mother has decided to get all the kids there amcdonalds happy meal.

All the other mums have agreed.

My daugter is just about to turn 2 and i think this is just unacceptable food fo a child that ytoung.

I wont let her be having it.

I dont feel like im being unreasonable.

Would you let yours? Even if it is just a one off?

OP posts:
HecateQueenOfWitches · 10/02/2011 14:17

one teaspoon of salt on every 500 grams of chips? I didn't know that.

saffy85 · 10/02/2011 14:17

YABU dear god how rude must you be?! Shock

Sorry to say but if the mum of a child made a fuss like this about the sodding party food at my DD's party and brought her own food that child would not be invited back for the forseeable future.

A happy meal once in a while isn't an issue really is it? Anyway I doubt a happy meal is any worse in terms of salt content and fat than most other party food.

ifancyashandy · 10/02/2011 14:17

I can understand where the OP is coming from but then I hate McD's / KFC / Burger King type food and can't see why feeding anyone shite is seen as a treat.

But I wouldn't take own food and would go for the fish finger / carrots option.

Cazza72 · 10/02/2011 14:17

sorry that should have read "Both little monsters used to binge on the stuff until they literally (and on more than one occasion I mean literally) threw up! *when she wasn't there!

expatinscotland · 10/02/2011 14:17

God, just don't go! It's best the parents find out now you're a freak and stop wasting their invites.

Bubblerapped · 10/02/2011 14:18

You do realise you are instilling eating disorders into your child by never allowing her to have any treats?

What exactly do you think will happen if she occasionaly has a chip or a crisp?

Burgers can be healthy.. lean meat, grilled..

BettyCash · 10/02/2011 14:19

PFB Biscuit

FindingStuffToChuckOut · 10/02/2011 14:19

it's a party not a lifestyle - lighten up!

diddl · 10/02/2011 14:19

Well it´s only one meal.

But seems a bit sad to take a load of 2yr olds to McDs-but as Hecate says-maybe party food at home isn´t much better.

LisasCat · 10/02/2011 14:20

Hec my DD actually went to a birthday party a few weeks ago where they all had carrot and cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes, rye crackers, wholemeal bread sandwiches with low fat spread and celery sticks. DD was one of the most vocal but almost every child there (around the 3-4 yr old age range) loudly said "where's the party food?"

I pretended to be mortified but was inwardly PMSL.

Can I have my I'm-a-terrible-mummy-and-I-give-children-sweets-at-parties badge?

HecateQueenOfWitches · 10/02/2011 14:20

thenightwalker - are you reading the posts where people are telling you that the fishfingers are worse?

Look, get her milk, a fruit bag and carrot sticks.

She is very little and probably won't care that the others have chips and nuggets and a milkshake.

At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter that most of us think you are making too much of it - it's your daughter. It's not worth a homemadehummusandpittedolives bunfight because it actually doesn't matter to any of us what you choose to do.

FindingStuffToChuckOut · 10/02/2011 14:21

oh & it's only a treat if you call it that. DD has McD's occassionally at other kids parties etc, but I don't call it a treat and she doesn't see it as a treat.

Bubblerapped · 10/02/2011 14:21

Perhaps the other mums have all agreed because they know what a nutter you are and are secretly hoping you dont go Grin

Original poster
thenightwalker · 10/02/2011 14:22

haha im a freak for not wanting my child to eat a mcdonalds at 22 months old?

ok

I do let her have treats i just dont like the idea of a macdonals because of the high salt content.

She wont be bothered that i bvring her own meal thereare going to be babies of all ages there who wont be eating the macdonalds.

Just the older toddlers whos mums will be letting them have theirs.

OP posts:
diddl · 10/02/2011 14:23

"where they all had carrot and cucumber sticks, cherry tomatoes,"

We always had that, & pepper-& it was always popular.

But we always had the usual crisps, jelly & ice cream etc!

FreddyTeddy · 10/02/2011 14:23

Exactly, diddl, I wouldn't personally plan a McD's meal for kids of that age but if invited I would be pleased to be invited and would just make the best choice.

Thenightwalker I think you have a lot of stress ahead of you if you overthink things like this. I know we have been able to control everything for the last 2 years, but they aren't babies anymore. Of course you want to provide a healthy diet but be careful not to make food into a 'big deal' for her, that way trouble lies...

getoffme · 10/02/2011 14:25

tnw, you are not a freak, perhaps go for the polite option of asking for fruit and water and don't let her touch the fries, 22 months is far too young for mcdonalds food, imo, surely there will be other treats, and presents to open and some entertaiment, watch what she has to eat and let her have a good time, it won't cause her an eating disorder..

expatinscotland · 10/02/2011 14:26

Okay, thenightwalker, you do whatever you want.

Hmm
Original poster
thenightwalker · 10/02/2011 14:26

yeah i se what you mean freddyteddy.

Im not a freak, or a nutter. I just dont like her having shitty food.

I get it that its a party and i dont mind her having a treat i just wont let her have nuggets and chips.

Dind realise they did a healty option.

Get over it now

OP posts:
BringOnTheGoat · 10/02/2011 14:27

OP - I don't think you're a freak or nutter for being concerned - don't know why being concerned about what your very young child eats is getting such a hostile response Confused

LisasCat · 10/02/2011 14:27

diddl exactly, I do veg sticks at parties, and DD absolutely loves them. She'd nibble on carrots all day long if I let her. But she recognises that, when it's a party, there's party food.

Besides, I love making vast quantities of cupcakes for her birthday parties, for the adults as well as the children. They're the most fun you can have in a kitchen (alone).

Original poster
thenightwalker · 10/02/2011 14:29

Thankyou bringonthegoat

Im not asking her to cook a whole different meal for my 'precious child' i just thought id take something id normally give her intead of her having a happy meal.

I think 22 motnhs old is far to young to be eating fast food.

OP posts:
undercovamutha · 10/02/2011 14:30

My DD (4.5yo) has only ever had one McD's happy meal. She didn't like it, so we haven't bothered going again!

However, at every party she has attended (excepting maybe 1st bday parties) there was a choice of the following:

Cakes
Crisps
Biscuits
Jam sandwiches
Chocolates etc

Or at soft play parties:

Chips
Beans
Sausages
Fishfingers etc

So unless you intend to always take a packed lunch for your DC for every party you go to, then at some stage she will eat something you probably disapprove of.

I think you need to chill out!

tanmu82 · 10/02/2011 14:30

I prefer to let my kids eat whatever's going at a party, knowing that it is a one off. It's really all about balance, and if you outright ban certain foods now, you are almost certainly creating future food issues with your child. Ever heard a 6 yr old refuse a few crisps that they secretly want because they say it'll make them fat? Saddest thing I ever heard - and it was my DS. They healthy food message at school was being pushed a little too hard......

No food is out of bounds in my house, we just eat certain things much less frequently. The majority of the time we eat freshly prepared food which I cook from scratch. It took a good few weeks to re-educate my son that a few crisps now and then wouldn't harm him.

Gemsy83 · 10/02/2011 14:32

Tbh most over anal parents who say 'I dont want my child having this shite- its not a treat!' find their children when they do get the chance to have it LOVE it- and DO see it as a treat! Tbh not many kids dont like having the odd Mcdonalds. Get over it, let them enjoy being a child dont let the control freak in you stop them enjoying a party treat!

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