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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU about kids food

27 replies

Anothergreentomato · 22/04/2018 18:14

DD is a toddler, and like most kids that age just starting to fall in love with various characters on TV and just starting to realise the wonders of sugar in all its glorious forms. AIBU to be pissed off by the annoying (for me at least) incessant combination of the two? Why does it always seem to be unhealthy food that is made to look appealing for kids. Until recently she was happy with plain old Greek yoghurt, but not now she's seen the sugar laden alternatives for kids in the supermarket which are lovely and colourful, or featuring a favourite character. Of course she wants those now and it becomes more and more difficult to give the boring healthy stuff.

I'm not anti sugar, or tv in moderation but it seems daft that our kids face this subliminal pressure from such an early age. I mean why doesn't Peppa pig endorse some Greek yoghurt for a change, or how about a 'bing' bag of carrots? Even without tv tie ins the difference in packaging is huge, just look at coco pops vs alpen. It's so prolific though I feel like I must be one of few who get annoyed?

OP posts:

goingatlast · 22/04/2018 18:23

Make your own labels and stick them on the ordinary yogurt.

Mamagin · 22/04/2018 18:29

Just don't buy them, if she doesn't taste them, she won't know.

UnimaginativeUsername · 22/04/2018 18:30

Buy a small peppa pig bowl to put the yogurt into.

Mominatrix · 22/04/2018 18:35

YABU. At toddler age, you are in absolute control over screen time and grocery purchases. If screen time can't be limited and you can't say no to your child or don't want to deal with their demanding items you don't wish to purchase, then just do your shopping on line.

UnimaginativeUsername · 22/04/2018 18:41

Also do an online shop. That way you don’t have to go to the supermarket at all.

Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 22/04/2018 18:47

I know what you mean miminatrix, we are in control, for now. When at home we have v. limited screen time and don't buy the branded sweet stuff, she has treats sometimes of course but not the characters. But grandparents indulge both things (that's another thread) and I guess that's my point, you can only keep them in a protected bubble for so long, and though it's only a mild annoyance now I can see it being a total pain when she's older. The marketing will always win out. I just wonder why that marketing is only on the less healthy options.

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Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 22/04/2018 18:48

mominatrix sorry, autocorrect

OP posts:

Pengggwn · 22/04/2018 18:50

My DD is nearly that age and she doesn't get to see all that stuff. I don't wave Peppa Pig branded food round under her nose telling her she can't have it. I just give her what I want her to eat. When she is old enough to express a preference, I will still decide.

BellyBean · 22/04/2018 19:00

Because the profit is on the teeny yoghurts for £££ not the huge pot of yoghurt for £ do that's where they spend money on the character tie-in.

You wouldn't pay 50% extra for carrots with Bing on the bag.

Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 22/04/2018 19:03

Penggwyn I agree with you, I don't wave the food under her nose but she does see her cousins and others having it which is outside of my control really and she questions why she doesn't get it at home. That's ok, I can deal with it, and explain different rules. But it still pisses me off in principle that large multinationals only seem to want to sell less healthy stuff to kids. That's more the point I was trying to make, it's not the impact on DD now but more the wider impact it has. No one can deny that kids are drawn in by the marketing, and parents then under pressure to buy. At 2 or 3 it's easy to control and say no, at 8 or 9 I'm guessing less so as those rules gradually become more eroded.

But it does sound from the responses like IABU in being annoyed.

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Mominatrix · 22/04/2018 19:10

Why does it get you angry? Just explain and educate your children ad infinitum. Not an easy solution, but I really do believe that we need to prepare our children to live in a world full of harmful things which are out of their control - branded, over-processed junk as toddlers, and social media led distortions as they enter their teens, not to mention the obesogenic culture which surrounds us.

Don't get angry, just do your bit to curb the demand for such products - it will be a far more useful way of equipping your toddler for the world s/he is growing up in.

greathat · 22/04/2018 19:55

Shop online then you control what is seen

Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 22/04/2018 20:40

Mominatrix it just gets me a bit angry because I see the influence these brands can have and just wish it could be used a bit more positively for a change.

You are totally right though, it's our job to prepare our kids for the big wide world. I think I was quietly hoping for just a few more years in our little bubble, totally unrealistic and unreasonable!

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Anxiouschild · 22/04/2018 21:47

YANBU to be annoyed about it OP, it's frustrating.
I like food shopping (and really dislike online shopping) and we go for a 'divide and conquer' tactic with the DCs on Saturdays, so I usually have my 3yo with me at the supermarket. She rarely asks for the character branded stuff now, but she used to constantly. I told her no and when she asked why explained "they only put Peppa on it so they can charge you double for some thing that's not as good and half the size of the other product". I'm not sure if I've managed to instil a quantity of marketing cynicism in her, or she's just given up asking as it gets her no where! I suspect the latter I hope by 8 or 9yo she will be able to see through it a little.

GreenTulips · 22/04/2018 21:57

Mine are early teens and the 'No' it's twice the price etc has paid off.

They don't do brands apart from the occasional shoes or tshirt. Which I have no issues with.

Food wise they know the local pizza place is nicer than mass produced 'other stores'

It's a battle you can win - however I understand what you are saying about big combines taking more responsibility!!

Look at the plastic waste from thes little pots and go green!

Pigleteer · 22/04/2018 22:05

I shop online so don’t face supermarket pressure - not the reason I do so but it seems a good bonus

The law has recently changed and foods which are HFSS are no longer allowed to be marketed with children’s characters. Although some get around this is Frosties say Tony the Tiger is an adult character....

carefreeeee · 22/04/2018 22:14

It's a good point Op. I can't see why they can't do Peppa pig branded bananas or mini Greek yoghurt pots. Marketing has a huge effect and also some parents are bound to think the endorsement means the product is healthy.

lils888 · 22/04/2018 22:30

You are not BU. Of course you can control what you buy, you're not stupid. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a huge problem with marketing aimed at children.

I've never liked Jamie Oliver since he stole my beloved turkey twizzlers but he makes many good points regarding advertising unhealthy crap to children.

The approved by mums, made with real milk kinder chocolates are a great example of all that is wrong with advertising.

Obviously your child will see these and want them, it's annoying and your not BU to think you shouldn't be put in that position.

People on here love to act all high and mighty when it comes to parenting when in real life they probably get your frustration

FASH84 · 22/04/2018 23:00

Get her a bowl/cup/plate with her favourite character. We also make healthy fruit jelly in character moulds (they look awful and a bit deformed to me but DN loves them -if you use sparkling water they set fizzy so feel like a bit of a treat too), also shaped ice cube trays with fruit juice Peppa pigs etc are a bit of a treat but not too unhealthy. The other thing DN loves is the garden, her parents aren't really into it so at ours she has her own corner with paw patrol and Peppa buckets/tubs and her own mini gardening gloves and tools, we grow tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, and a few other bits seasonally and she goes mad for it because they are 'chase's strawberries' etc

vandrew4 · 22/04/2018 23:45

just don't buy it. i'm confused as to why this is annoying you? I don't like marketed overpriced stuff so don't buy it. DC know I won't buy it so have never questioned it. not really a problem is it?

TawnyPort · 22/04/2018 23:47

You just say no. I don't see the problem.

Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 23/04/2018 02:15

vandrew4 I find it annoying as it's another thing to say 'no' to, and though it's of course possible to say 'no' on a bigger level it causes problems. To me it's similar to ads for fast food during kids tv, or putting sweets by the till Designed to make kids want it and pester. Parents can say no, but it's done for good reason, it works, and it's why the tv advertising at least was banned. It's the insidious messaging of 'hey kids put down those vegetables you used to eat with no problem, kids don't like them, here's a shiny wonderful thing you should have instead that's just for kids, your favourite character who you idolize loves them'. Often like someone else says there's then some similarly dubious marketing to parents too that it contains 'added vitamins' totally missing out all the sugar it has. A lot of perfectly sensible parents don't realise the added sugar in these products, or, even if they do,when busy doing a supermarket shop with kids in tow get ground down by saying no to a whining kid. I was just wondering if healthier food could be marketed in the same way, to upset the way of doing things a bit. Thanks for the info pigleteer i didn't realise there had been a change in the law.

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Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 23/04/2018 02:16

FASH84 I love the idea of a law patrol grow your own!

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Beansonapost · 23/04/2018 02:24

Perhaps you should start explaining to your child the meaning of "no".

Original poster

Anothergreentomato · 23/04/2018 08:11

Beansonapost perfectly happy to be told IABU for being annoyed with it as I've said, and it looks like I'm in the minority so that's fine.

However, there's no need for slightly snippy comments about my parenting. DD is 2, she is learning many things, including the meaning of no. As you'll have read earlier in the thread I have set boundaries and do say no. It would be a much nicer place if parents didn't judge one another so easily (and on the basis of no information to support your assertion).

I merely started this thread as I was frustrated at the status quo that means that kids are bombarded with messages which make them want to challenge those boundaries. I was interested in whether others felt the same way. But I accept I'm in the minority here and just need to get on with it.

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