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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

238 replies

early30smum · 03/08/2017 20:12

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 Hmm that she's never gone. AIBU to think it's not a huge deal?!

OP posts:
sobeyondthehills · 03/08/2017 21:10

DS is 5, never been to a burger king, have just checked with DP and he agrees that there isn't one in miles.

KFC maybe 3 times and Macdonalds maybe 10, for us its just the ease to get somewhere, we have a fish and chip shop within walking distance. So that is probably what we would have.

I remember my mum taking me to Macdonalds on the way home from gymnastics, DS does swimming, which again we can walk to and we don't pass anything except houses.

BluePheasant · 03/08/2017 21:11

DH used to work at a school that was a 40 min drive from the nearest MacDonalds and it was fairly common for some of the parents to pick their kids up and announce they were going there for tea on a regular basis. Not eating after an activity or anything, an 80min round trip just for a burger and fries Confused

Fatrascals · 03/08/2017 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at request of author

Witsender · 03/08/2017 21:13

Not a big deal. Mine have been a handful of times now at 7 and 5. They have sweets of their choice on a Saturday, an ice cream most days in the summer etc. Despite being pretty lax on that sort of thing I don't buy cereal or anything with sugar added like that.

grendel · 03/08/2017 21:13

DD is 17 and has never been to McDonalds. We don't eat shit food ourselves so why would we feed it to her? She's welcome to go with her friends if she really wants, but she's never chosen to do so.

I've eaten at McDonalds exactly twice in my entire life and have no desire to ever do so again. And I've never had a KFC, can't say that I feel deprived.

Fresh8008 · 03/08/2017 21:14

is it unusual for an 8 yr old not to have gone to McDonald's?

No it most certainly is not!

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 03/08/2017 21:14

YANBU. My DC used to go once a week on DD's club night or they'd have been late for bed, then a massive Sainsbury's with a café opened on our doorstep, so we go there, also because DD has sensory issues around greasy food, although she seems to be growing out of that now.

coddiwomple · 03/08/2017 21:14

Absolutely not a big deal, and no, you don't look smug.

I would have taken her once myself, just to show her what it is, as most kids tend to know the place. My own kids don't like McDonalds. Not a stealth boast either, the youngest ones love the toys, but take barely 2 bites of a burger and half a french fry and refuse to eat anything else. I am surely not pushing them to finish a box full of junk food, so there's absolutely no point of going there.

They don't like Krispy Kreme either. My kids are weird.

Witsender · 03/08/2017 21:15

But where we are there isn't access to many fast food places. Unless we want to catch a ferry there is: 1 drive thru maccyds about 30 mins away, 1 KFC drive thru about 15 mins away.

That's it...no burger king etc etc.

We get fish and chips etc sometimes

Notcontent · 03/08/2017 21:17

It's no big deal. I think it's a bit of a myth that all kids love Mc Donalds, KFC, etc. MY 11 year old dd has had it a few times when travelling, at airports, etc when there hasn't been anything else, but doesn't like it at all.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 03/08/2017 21:18

We are exactly the same. It has never crossed my mind to go to MD's, although I'd have no problem letting my kids attend for parties or whatever. Two of mine are now teens and have both been to MD a grand total of three times. They hated it!

peachlimeorange · 03/08/2017 21:18

Mine have been on long drives where weve gone through the drive thru.

I am wary about banning junk food altogether.

AlternativeTentacle · 03/08/2017 21:19

I'm 49 and have only been once, and that was for a glass of ice cold water at Niagra Falls in the 70s.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 03/08/2017 21:21

Yes it's a myth that all children like MDs. Mine actively hate their burgers and breaded items. Chips are just about passable. I find it quite funny as my kids are far from fussy

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 03/08/2017 21:23

Oh, we do go for breakfast the day before they go back to school, the same time we'd have breakfast on a school day. It used to be the place of their choice, now it always seems to be McDonald's, because of the bacon rolls.

Ojoj1974 · 03/08/2017 21:26

My kids have been quite a few times, I don't want to stop them however...They hate it, leave the fries and won't eat more than half a burger. They only order water and ask for a fruit bag.

Chatoyant · 03/08/2017 21:26

I don't think it's that odd if you don't like McDonald's yourself. I wouldn't take my children for lunch somewhere that I didn't fancy eating.
I love McDonald's Grin we live basically opposite one and when I was pregnant 2am fries were a regular occurrence!

Chatoyant · 03/08/2017 21:29

Didn't finish posting. Should have said my children aren't too fussed on it so we don't go their too often bloody kids

YouRat · 03/08/2017 21:32

its no big deal, Take them.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 03/08/2017 21:38

My question is why, just why MCds have put tablets on tables. They grim, eat food whilst touching screen everybody has. They never clean them.

Parents love them; they keep the kids distracted. And teenagers love them too for entertainment. As for not being cleaned, they get cleaned several times a day in my store.

I don't think people do McDonalds parties anymore.

A lot of McDonalds don't hold parties because it costs £3000 to get a party licence and trainer to train staff in how to run parties. So they just don't bother.

TheLuminaries · 03/08/2017 21:38

No big deal. We have never taken our kids to Burger King, MacDonalds, KFC or any of that crap, we are veggie & do not like that stuff. We've done plenty of pizza and fish & chip places so we aren't saints & I think they may have been once or twice with friends over the course of their lives but it just isn't our cultural 'norm' & they don't expect it or seem bothered by it. It really is not an essential part of childhood Grin

Seniorcitizen1 · 03/08/2017 21:43

I am 60 and never been to macdonalds kfc bk etc - whats your point

Genghi · 03/08/2017 21:43

My kids haven't either. Whenever we're at service stations they want full on hot meals (bangers and mash usually) & so we usually go to the cafeteria bit if available, or the nearest pub.

Bandicoots · 03/08/2017 21:46

My children have had many Mcdonalds. Not as many as me when I was on a mad work period I had one nearly every day for about 2 months. Grin

Dozyoldtwonk · 03/08/2017 21:48

DH passes through the drive thru pretty well every time we go out & are heading a certain way - always for a coffee; and 9 times out of 10 if we have DD with us we'll order her a melon bag, she loves them Grin I haven't eaten McDonalds in about 15 years, since my early 20's & have absolutey no desire to - I remember it as tasteless crap that doesn't fill the hole Grin however I wouldn't be adverse to the DC having the odd happy meal; there are worse things they could be eating I guess.

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