Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to give ill DS who wont eat a McDonalds?

127 replies

streakyfalsetan · 06/04/2012 09:47

thats it really, ear infection, bad cough, high temp. Not eaten properly for nearly a week. Out of desperation I bought him a Happy Meal (usually has them as a treat maybe once a month) in the week and he ate about half of it.

Not really eaten properly since then, am so desperate for him to eat something Im edging towards getting him another McDs today for his dinner. One part of me thinks if he is that hungry he should eat whatever I make him but I keep thinking that when Im ill there are only certain things I fancy so why should a 3 year old be any different?

I wouldnt even eat two in a week but AIBU to do it just this once just so he has eaten something?

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 06/04/2012 11:24

Muffins also often contain more fat and cals than big mac.

CockyPants · 06/04/2012 11:28

I was veggie. Til I got up the duff and ate lots of Tesco finest cottage pies for 2 size...in June 2006...when it was 30 in the shade...
The things kids make us do, hey?

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 06/04/2012 11:31

Well, I never said I wouldn't give my two fast food, but as it happens we've got them to 6 and 8 years old without trying MacDs, KFC or BK, it hasn't been a conscious decision, even though DH and I do eat them ourselves from time to time (DH when he's working late, me if I'm travelling). We don't have any of them in our town, the DCs have never been invited to a party at one of them, it just hasn't come on the radar. Also DS doesn't like chips. We go to Pizza Hut occasionally but that's been it. It certainly isn't forbidden, if and when they want to try it they will be able to.

In this circumstance I would definitely let the poorly DC have it, high carb, easily digestible and salty is just what they need.

bettybat · 06/04/2012 11:37

I guess I do mean most high street chains and ready meals - where the quality is very low, the fats are addictive and the high levels of salt and sugar are crazy.

I'm not saying a high fat, carby diet is wrong. But we hardly ever eat anything from a high street chain - and part of me does think it doesn't feel like any great hardship because we don't crave it because there's so much in that stuff that's addictive. So Starbucks et al, Macdonalds et al, Pizza Express et al - you get the picture. I don't think we've eaten a ready meal in about five years.

God this sounds so preachy :( I don't mean to be. It just happened gradually with us. Neither of us ate Macdonalds and their ilk because we just didn't - and they're the really obvious "culprits". Then - I dunno - we just gradually started reading more and reducing consumption of mass produced food.

We both work full time, we cook masses of food, somethings came from being a bit broke - like not having a Nero coffee and bringing our own to work, somethings were a conscious choice. Muffins are just terrible - like what, 600 calories or something? I was very upset the day I found that out, haha.

Of course, we eat out occasionally but we're also lucky to live in and hang out in areas of London that make these dietary points their unique selling point. Grass-fed meat, food cooked in quality oils etc. If you saw my diet you'd point your finger and say - ha! You have LOADS of fat in your diet. But I would never say a high fat diet is wrong - we're made up of a lot of fat, we need it to function, fat is good. It's just really about the quality of it.

Dustinthewind · 06/04/2012 11:41

All sounds perfectly reasonable betty, but the OP is talking about a 3 year old child on ABs and with a high temperature and an ear infection who isn't eating.
So it's not about a permanent lifestyle choice, this is an emergency.

bettybat · 06/04/2012 11:42

I'm definitely going to ask my parents what they did - they must have had similar circumstances!

MyDogShitsShoes · 06/04/2012 11:43

Same as another pp I had horrendous HG throughout my pg.

The dieticien (sp) actually recommended ff to me.

I'd not kept more than the odd mouthful down for weeks and had been in hospital on a drip for almost 2 weeks but was still dehydrated and had dangerously low potassium levels.

She told me to eat whatever I fancied as anything was better than nothing. Also that the body knows what it's doing when it craves this sort of thing. It wants the quick hit of refined carbs, sugars and fats which are very quickly digested and go straight into the blood stream. (Incidentally that's why you're hungry half an hour later!)

You will probably find that it gives him the little energy boost he needs to start eating properly again which will then kick-start his recovery.

(just to add that normally I can't bear the stuff, hadn't touched it for years and haven't since)

Hope he is better soon.

Dustinthewind · 06/04/2012 11:45

My parents used to give me whiskey on a spoon, jelly, soup and plain bread when I was ill. This was in the 60s.

giraffesCantDonateBoneMarrow · 06/04/2012 11:45

pavlov I remember well you being preg and having HG. How old is ds2 now?

YouBrokeMySmoulder · 06/04/2012 11:45

betty - I think lots of us were like that before we had dc because you have the freedom and time to make and eat high quality food. It is much harder when you have a few dc as well because the restaurant selling the lovely grass fed burger may not be so dc-friendly and so you retreat to the pizza express or whatever.

If you look at the time you will have to cook if you both work full time with dc it becomes much harder - its not impossible with organization but it is hard - we will now have fish and chips from the chippy on friday night and enjoy it as a family and I now let them eat crappy cereals in the morning just because it is better then them having no breakfast at all.

Be open to compromise when you have your own dc - you may not have to but if you do then its not the end of the world.

And you may not find yourselves living in that area of London forever anyway with dc as the burgers may be organic and grassfed but the schools may be shite.

CockyPants · 06/04/2012 12:12

Giggles at the school bit, smoulder....

Hardly think a question re sick child eating a mcdo is going to lead us all to hell with no grass fed cows in a hand cart...

Hope OPs DC is scoffing his happy meal. It's pirates gifts in it this week. Anyone want a queen Victoria? I've got a spare one..

MorrisZapp · 06/04/2012 12:30

Daft question, but can anybody buy a happy meal? Or are they only available to kids?

If I'm having a my twice yearly McDs craving, a kids portion would hit the spot nicely.

Having said that, I'll never forget when DS was v small and my MIL came to stay overnight, ushering us out and telling us to take advantage of the break.

I have no idea how we ended up in the carpark of McDs, in a dodgy area, silently scoffing McFlurries.

It just happened...

RhinosDontEatEasterEggs · 06/04/2012 12:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blubberyboo · 06/04/2012 13:02

on one of the rare occasions i had to take my son to the doc when he was ill and not eating , his advice was - "important to keep the fluids up but on these occasions often junk food and comfort food is the ticket - ie buns, crisps and chips etc"

so there you are ...on doctor's advice

when you are ill you want something tasty as a comfort is good to replace lost salts

Original poster
streakyfalsetan · 06/04/2012 13:12

just got back from the hell that is Tescos (Dp was here with the kids), not read all posts but just want to update as everyone has been great Smile

DS doesnt want his McD's, hes had a couple of chips but at leats hes drank his healthy pure orange juice fruitshoot , he must be really ill. Am going to see how he gets on today and take him to emergency walk in centre tomorrow if he doesnt improve, as hes now been on his ABs since Tuesday.

DS2 (6 months) is also ill and not feeding properly (he has the same thing and also green poo (!!!) might go and post in the BF topic in a sec to see what the hell that is), DP is "man down" aswell. Im the last woman standing. If I get whatever everyone else has got thats it, we're all DOOMED I tell you!!!

OP posts:
blubberyboo · 06/04/2012 13:26

i have went to mcds around midnight after a night out
one time i wasn't that hungry so asked for a happy meal - they politely explained that happy meals' aren't available after a certain time (can't remember)
so i had to make do with a 99p cheeseburger, fries and small drink - no toy for me!
so it seems happy meals have a watershed Wink

CockyPants · 06/04/2012 13:27

Silently scoffing mcflurries. It just happened!

Love this...

blubberyboo · 06/04/2012 13:29

green poo in bf can just mean that baby is only getting foremilk and not enough hindmilk...maybe if he is ill he isn't feeding long enough - should be ok as long as he is getting fluids

Original poster
streakyfalsetan · 06/04/2012 13:35

thanks blubbery, will start feeding him off the same boob that he finished on to see if that helps. Just a bit alarmed to see it was a lovely alien green colour!

DS1 asleep now, my poorly little boy, he looks terrible. Will definitely take him to the walk in centre tomorrow first thing if he doesnt start improving.

Am now going to see how much will power I have, his McDs is just sitting there calling out to me but am going to leave it incase he wants it a bit later. Must........not........eat......it

OP posts:
seeker · 06/04/2012 13:41

Sounds as though you ate a mcdOnalds when you had a tummy bug, Betty.

hightrees · 06/04/2012 13:59

Betty I'm with you. I have an almost 2yo and he has never had any fast food, mostly eats organic and has also only watched about 10 mins of TV in his life.
Oh dear.
BUT he's only little, and an only child, so you're right, you can still guide them at this age. If you don't go to those places, how can s/he? Suspect I'll still be as careful mean when he's older, aside from parties and such like.
But then again this post is about an ill kid. And you do whatever works. Betty you'll be delighted to know that for my kid that wld be organic avocado. [bugrin] Make that a PFB [bugrin]. Actually, no, his big easy to eat treat wld probably be cake. There you go, even for a (clearly) lentil weaver such as me.
So to the OP, go for it, with double milkshake on the side. In fact, I quite fancy one now. And delighted in the organic beef status ;)

hightrees · 06/04/2012 14:01

Oh OP just read thing about how he doesn't want his mcDs!
Cake?? Good luck !!

mummmsy · 06/04/2012 14:04

no not u at all, however his appetite will return when he's better - so i wouldn't be that concerned he hasn't eaten for a week either

seeker · 06/04/2012 14:07

Oh I'm not a mc donald's fan either- and for a short term illness I don't think you need to worry about them not eating-bodies are very good at knowing what's good for them. I was just amused at a system so delicate and refined that it rejects fast food like poison!

Ilovedaintynuts · 06/04/2012 14:11

I love mcDonalds and quarterpounders with cheese and fries make me feel bloody fantastic Grin
Yes I would let a child who was Ill eat it.
I believe in moderation.