AIBU to think letting your kids eat McDonald's with you at least 4 times a week is disgusting?

[FourEyedFreak13]

Just that basically. I've recently noticed since lockdown has been lifted a neighbour heading out almost every night (sometimes afternoon) with their kids and coming back a short time later with McDonald's. It's been at least 4 times this week that I've. Noticed, I only noticed cause our dog is always sitting on the back of the sofa looking out the window and barks when the neighbours leave/come back. The kids are in and around the age of 7/8 (or there abouts) they did this pre-lockdown too, though.

I will add I am under no circumstances a Saint or healthy eater, I do eat takeaways, McDonald's etc. And feel bad judging but I feel like this is an awful way to feed your young kids especially at 9pm at night. So yeah AIBU? Happy to be called a judgmental bitch here.

My sister takes my nephew to McDonald's at least 3 times a week. He is autistic and very underweight. She does try to get him to eat her home cooking but he will sometimes eat absolutely nothing for days and during lockdown she really struggled to get him to eat anything

Addressing the nutrition I mean

Appreciate that with SEN children you wouldn't mind the cost as long as they will eat

It's terrible . But who knows what situation the family are in to either need to do this or not know not to .

Let's try be nice , but it's still not in any way an appropriate diet . Let's hope it's short term

It sounds grim but really you should try and get another hobby to distract you.

@ArthurMorgan

They're probably a hard up and taking advantage of the eat out deal. Don't be so judgy.

Well they're not because you have to eat in for that and OP has said they've been doing it since the beginning of lockdown.

I agree, I do think you've touched a nerve here OP. I guess we have an answer to why we have an obesity crisis on our hands if people think feeding your kids McDonalds complete with McFlurry every other day is perfectly fine

Utter snobbery

@makingmammaries

Personally I think McDonalds is crap food, but there are plenty of worse things to worry about.

What could be worse to worry about that health?
Whole lives are affected by being unhealthy. Health should be ones greatest concern: physical health affects mental health. Everything else in life is pointless if you can’t enjoy it due to poor health. It’s unfair on the kids being fed such shit 4 times a week. And in my opinion it’s neglectful and verging abuse.

There’s also a middle ground between Mac Ds 4 times a week and avocado and salmon! 🙄

Lazy parenting maybe but we don't know the family circumstances. Not good for kids u less they have fruit and veg at other times.

None of your business @FourEyedFreak13 is it?

@threesecrets oh so only people in rough areas are nosey and bitchy?

@Crumpets111 no because eating Md often seems like quite a rough thing to do! Nothing to do with being nosey.

@Crumpets111

It kind of is her business when lots of our NI is going towards totally avoidable illnesses caused by excessive eating of junk food

People are saying maybe the kids are autistic though and won't eat anything else. Autism isn't a new thing, it's just got a name now, it's been around for centuries. What did parents do even 30-40 years ago if their child would only eat one thing? They didn't let the kid starve. But they didn't go to mcdonalds 4 times a week either.

Four times a month would be bad enough. I resent my taxes subsidising their food under the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which should have been limited to small businesses only.

Can someone explain why people are talking about autism? I know a bit about autism through my degrees but I don't understand the link? I'm not being goady, genuine question

They gave them what they would eat I imagine @KeepingPlain ,my child has severe autism and learning disabilities,his diet isn't to bad in comparison to a lot of children with autism ,he likes a lot of strong flavours ,bacon ,garlic bread, onion rings etc also plain pasta ,rice noodles he tends to graze throughout the day rather than eat full meals ,but some children have very restricted diets and they will literally only eat one or two things ,it must be incredibly hard for the parents .

Obviously eating McDonald’s 4 times a week, if it was was every week, would not be a particularly healthy diet. You didn’t really need to post and ask that did you? Seems you just want to enjoy a bit of a bitch about them.

Some people with autism have very restricted diets ,it can be a sensory and texture thing see my above post @Soberret .

KeepingPlain autistic children in the past probably either didn't eat and became ill or died, or forced fed and suffered because of that. Or ate one food item like bread and butter or plain potato.

Because in a middle class area they would put the McDonald's containers inside a Waitrose freezer bag and sneak it inside without their neighbours realising. Or eat it in the car and fly tip the wrappers whilst preaching the benefits of recycling to anyone who will listen.

When my cooker broke once I had to wait until pay day to get a new one. Three weeks of Chinese and fried chicken before I could cook again. You really don't know people's circumstances. Families living in emergency accommodation often don't have cooking facilities so would have to rely on take away foods/microwave meals. Then there are food desserts, the food in the freezer section of a small convenience store is not going to be much better than McDonalds , in fact it may be worse these days as McDonald's have done a lot of work on improving the nutritional value of their food. There freezer or oven might be broken, they might have no cash money but lots of vouchers to use, they might just enjoy the food. You don't know what people's circumstances are. I knew a family once where the Dad had terrible OCD and wouldn't let anyone cook in the house so it was for show really, and basic food like cereal and hot drinks. Not for cooking healthy meals. She left with the kids in the end, but they were used to eating that food so it wasn't easy to break the chicken nugget habit.

@Janaih

Sounds like your dog wants some mcnuggets.

This thread is quite hilarious considering the standard Mumsnet answer for what gift to buy for some you don't know that well is 'a nice bottle of wine'.
Wine (or gin) according to Mumsnet = perfectly fine and acceptable. I mean the thought of going to a wedding/party that doesn't have alcohol causes traditional Mumsnet pearl clutching.
However...
McDonalds = evil evil
I eat McDonalds. I don't drink alcohol. Neither of them are particularly 'healthy'.

Buying wine for a present and drinking 4 bottles of it a week are not the same thing 😂😂

ds 3 won't eat Mcdonalds.
dd 13 did pop into Mcdonalds regularly after school at least 3 times a week with friends. Schools next door to McDonalds so loads of them would go after school.
I would hate living on your street please tell us where it is so we don't move anywhere near it.