To want to faint in McDonalds?

[TheLowestFlyer]

DH has slowly introduced a regime of positive reinforcement that, for a wide range of reasons, means I have to take the DC to McDonalds once a month for a sit down meal. This produces a physical response in me that makes me want to, first, gag and then faint. I assume it must be the vaporised oil in the air, the terrible food odours and weird and discoloured plastic decor (and the hyperactive and frankly unappealing toddlers screaming around whenever we go?). Whatever it is, it triggers a really intense response from me and I basically dread these scheduled outings and have to choke back vomiting for the whole meal.

Unfortunately the DC have become really emotionally invested in these going to MacDonalds (to what I think is a really unhealthy level) and DH's schedule means that I am unquestionably the only one who can take then. How do I extricate myself from going to McDonalds? Has anyone else weaned their DC from depending fast food? They genuinely love it, especially the earth-killing toys they abandon minutes after leaving

Yeah they can be very warm, try sandals next time.

:P

Get it delivered?

I don't understand how an autonomous parenting style (is that a real thing?) means one parent gets to decide what the other parent does? Surely autonomous means you each do your own thing?

To me this is quite straight forward. "Mummy doesn't enjoy McDs we're going somewhere else this time". I don't think either DH or DC get to dictate this to you.

However, I also think your reaction to going is extreme.

Wimpy sounds more up your street. Clue is in the name.

But I do slightly agree... I felt faint in McDonald's waiting for my 20 chicken nuggies and choccy milk.

Just do not go. Simple.

Autonomous doesn't mean what you think it does OP.

Autonomous parenting decision would be your DH making a parenting decision and then going out and doing it without getting agreement from you.

It doesn't mean him setting up a reward structure and the insisting you do it and refusing to do it himself.
That is just bog standard bullying behavior.

Find a reward you want to give, that your dc would like as much and autonomously decide to implement that instead.

If he refuses to do it on a weekend then you need to grow a pair and refuse to do it, yourself. How does his decision fit in with your supposedly autonomous parenting?

Wimpy sounds more up your street. Clue is in the name.

He can take to McDonalds if he wants to. Same goes for you.

I’m in the States perhaps 110km from Boston. McDonald’s hasn’t had sit down dining in over a year; it’s takeout only.

Pizza Hut is not real pizza. They are headquartered in Kansas, where they can’t even conceive Italian influenced food.
KFC and Taco Bello both smell unpleasant.

Once a month? I do stuff I dislike ALL the time for my DC. Get a grip 😂😂😂

@GoryGilmore
Yes, we all do stuff we dislike for our kids, but this is different. Firstly, the op has a rather extreme dislike of it. Secondly, there are other options available. Thirdly, the husband has declared it must be done whilst refusing himself.

So, something we do for our kids that we don't like might be taking them to a park for example. But, I'm guessing we do that because it's good for them, not that bad for us, and we weren't forced to by our partners.

This is apparently a 'treat'. Of which there are hundreds of options.

I can't just not take them any more - it would be absolutely crushing as they've become so dependent on it and they would see me as the villain. Framing your partner as the enemy isn't part of the Autonomous Parenting strategy, and I'm not sure they would blame him even if I explained the situation to them.

Autonomous parenting is involving them in the decision, not where they get to MAKE the decisions. Just stop taking them, if they are dependent then you need to stop it for their own sakes.

Seems like Dad is making all these wonderful ideas and OP is left to time manage them.

Misread title as 'fart'

@DustOnTheWind

How do you feel about The Sistine Chapel?

Brilliant!!

@SeaTurtles92

Wimpy sounds more up your street. Clue is in the name.

I found the same when I used to take mine to Harrod's sushi bar.

Time to give it up what about a chippy instead or a picnic, or stop rewarding with food. Though in the uk they are changing the toys to paper that can’t be recycled so less planet killing.

Can you order ahead on an app? Costa and cafe Nero offer this, very successfully. You can then just drop the kids at the door and wait for them in your car.

Or, extreme, go in and faint. The kids will be so traumatised by the association that they'll not want to go into a fast food place ever again. Winner.

Or, as numerous other posters have suggested, tell DH to take them because it makes you feel ill to go there. No husband would expect you to suffer like that, surely?

Its natural and quite common for people to have gag reflexes to different environments. Don't feel bad and don't heed the posts that criticise you for being different. I have worked with people with phobias about smells and sounds. I get the same sensation at McD during their breakfast times. Something about the smell of burnt muffins and sausage fat fumes.
For some people its nails on the blackboard, or the sensation of wet cloth or others the aroma of perfumes and scents. Its normal. Read up on Autism too, as it is more common there.

Am I supposed to have a parenting style? Why didn't I know about this? Was there a leaflet?

No one is dependent on McD’s. If you don’t like it, don’t go there. It’s irrelevant whether your DC’s like it - they don’t always get to go to where they like. Chose somewhere else to go to.