AIBU- 8 year old has never been to McDonald's?

[early30smum]

This is not a stealth boast. She has been to plenty of other places like Byron, GBK, pizza express, Nando's, Wagamama etc and I'm under no illusion that they're any better and actually some are probably worse for her. She's happened never to go to a party where the food bit has been at McDonald's. DH likes it and if he's grabbing food after work he might get a burger on the way home. I'm not fussed on it. DD (and DS but he's only 4) have never really been bothered about it, like if we stop at services they've never asked and like going into M&S instead and picking up picnic type stuff on car journeys. So the 'need' to take her has never arisen. But a few of my friends are a bit that she's never gone. AIBU to think it's not a huge deal?!

I never was in McD's until I started working in one at 14. My DCs, given the opportunity for junk food, tend to choose other places. They both prefer cheese and fruit, so we don't do a ton of fast food.

Not a huge deal in my mind.

Why is KFC a 'treat'?

Dont get this!

My 4yo has never been but keeps asking to go. I know she's not interested in the food though, just the toy she'd get in a happy meal

I hardly went as a child. However, once I got to my teens and out with my friends we would always go to Mcd's! My children have eaten in there and I don't care about people who care about the fact my children have a McDonalds every now and then.....My 10 year only drinks water, his choice but I don't go around informing everyone.

As far as I can tell Subway is a youth club posing as a sandwich shop. It seems to be full of teenage boys and girls giggling at one another.

I've eaten in Byron once a couple of years ago but I will never eat there again following their shopping of their staff to immigration last year. McDonald's probably have better ethics than that shifty group of bastards.

Why is KFC, Mac Donald's or Subway a 'treat'? They are all Junk food?
What has happened to real food?

'It's the sandwich equivalent of carrot cake- stranded in nutritional no mans land'

Beautiful analogy

As far as I can tell Subway is a youth club posing as a sandwich shop. It seems to be full of teenage boys and girls giggling at one another.

We have Ikea for that. Heaven forbid you actually want to buy a sofa because you have to throw 4 teenagers off before you can actually look at it

I'm sure 'real food' is consumed too but sometimes a bit of junk is just the ticket. And if said junk is only eaten once in a blue moon well then it stands to reason it's regarded as a treat.

I think it's such the opposite of a big deal (a tiny deal?) that I have no idea why a thread about it was at all necessary.

DD 8 is coeliac so has never eaten in one (or subway or KFC etc). She could eat in McDs in certain countries on the continent, bit she wouldn't as she has no interest in hamburgers.

However one of her friends mums has excluded her from many things as she is obsessed with taking hers there 3-4 times a week! So she doesn't have to cook for them..... and that pisses me off

I didn't have McDonald's till I was 19.

I didn't go to McDs until I was 11.

I now go (and take the DC) most weeks.

If this isn't a humblebrag, what is it?

Were you genuinely seeking reassurance that it isn't "weird" and your children won't be social pariahs? Somehow I doubt it.

Bloody love a quarter pounder myself. And I never had a once a week habit pre-children...

My kids haven't been. I don't like it. They can go when they are teenagers...

Maccers should do what Pizza Express did and sell the sauce in bottles to MC people who are too embarrassed to go there but who crave that gherkin infused yumminess.

I promise this post wasn't meant to be a stealth boast or humble brag. As I type she's watching some rubbish on YouTube eating a fruit pastille ice lolly. To those who said what was the point of the thread, firstly, I think the same about loads of threads on this board, so don't bother posting... secondly, it was to ask, is it unusual for an 8 yr old not to have gone to McDonald's?

DGS 9yo loves "2 cheeseburgers and an orange juice" on the way home from an energetic activity. So glad he's grown out of crappy happy meals and the bloody toy.

Oh I love those fruit pastille ice lollies. There's hope for her yet OP

We live in a fairly rural area but two MacDonalds within 3 miles and we drive past them just about anywhere we go so no chance of avoiding the issue

YANBU.
We only end up in MacDonalds at motorway services but sometimes take own food so doesn't happen v often. It does the job when you're starving but really don't see the appeal of it being somewhere to go for fun. Not snobby, just not fussed by it. DC not bothered either.

DS was about 10 first time he went to McDonalds I think, it's not that odd, he just really loved KFC so went there for treats instead. He's 13 now and practically lives in McDonalds. Neither me or my kids have ever been to Byron, GBK, Nando's, subway or Wagamama, DD(8) has been to pizza express once, DS hasn't.

I by the way was 23 before I had ever had burger king (I'm 29 now) and had my first takeaway on my 21st birthday.

Point is its not really something to be surprised about, I'm sure most people have a chain place they've never been.

Oh it makes me laugh so much when people say stuff like "why feel the need to start a thread about it" and "would you like a medal?" And so on.
The whole tone of your OP is definitely NOT smug early but people will persist in casting you in the role if smug person, stealth boaster and so on, just because your choices don't agree with theirs.

Why WOULD anyone take their children to McD's if they give a fuck about animal welfare, junk food, aren't on a very tight budget, enjoy a total sensory overload when all they want is a bite to eat, etc?

That should be don't enjoy a complete sensory overload of course