to think that the McKids toy is absolutely outrageous?!!

[RGPargy]

This is the ultimate piss take.

Tonight we popped into Toys R Us and while we were looking around, we came across the toy shops and tills section. In there was a toy called "McKids". It had toy fries, burgers, shakes etc as well as the usual till. DP and I (and an absolute stranger who heard our comments) were absolutely disgusted at this toy! Surely it's giving out the completely wrong message to mckids?!!

AIBU to think that this toy should be taken off the shelves?? I mean, WT f*cking F!!!!!!

?????????

Dont you see anything wrong with it?!!

I saw that last time i was in, MIL and I were in stitches pretending to read it
'Ooh, look, comes with BMI adjuster and free heart attack'

Personally I wouldn't buy it as I think it's shite but I bet its a real moneyspinner for them!

PMSL @ Chirpy!

We were really shocked at seeing such a heart attack inducing toy in any toy shop! No wonder we have pretty much the highest rate of obesity in Europe!

I have seen one of these at a P&T group: branded McDOnalds till with pics of burgers on.
I am not thrilled with the concept either.

Staff were not so amused though.
The problem is that some fuckwits will think it is genius idea and buy it, and until they stop you won't get them to do anythign about it.

Solid - blimey, i cant believe they had one at your P&T group!!! you'd have thought they'd be encouraging healthy eating!

Chirpy - i think there will be a certain "type" of person who will be buying it but honestly, it's absolutely shocking isn't it?!

If I had my way it would be put in teh aisle with Bratz toys and their ilk and set alight....

dd had one yonks ago.
she still loves her veg.

Absolutely!
along with 3rd world debt, child poverty, human trafficink and human rights abuses.. this toy is an OUTRAGE !

I haven't seen it but am assuming it's plastic play food for kids. No different to other play food is it?

I would say it was very different from other play food. I would imagine that it's encouraging children to think that it's normal to eat McD's all the time???

Putting it another way, there's no way i'd buy it for my DD!

I think High School Musical is bad for one's health too...

Thankfully i have never seen it, but from the ads i have seen, it's a load of tripe!!

I love McFlurries, and a few years ago somebody bought me the make your own McFlurry at home McD's toy. Needless to say it remained unopened. Think it got carbooted at some point

Anyway, our playfood already includes chips and burgers etc. If we had the McD's set, I don't think it would make them think that eating McD's every day was normal, because they know in real life that it's not. However, I think it would increase the pester power about going to McD's, which is already bad enough as we have to drive past one to get to the main road. As it is, I try to distract them as we drive in that area, and they don't otherwise think about McD's as they don't usually watch TV which has adverts.

I think YABU. It is just a toy. I don't think it will make children think McDonalds is an every day meal at all. They use their imagination when they play, games are not all about real life.

Invest your energies elsewhere.

My son cut his foot quite badly and had to go to the local A&E for stitches.

After it was done, the nurse gave him a printed McDonald's 'certificate of bravery' with a free happy meal voucher. He had cried his eyes out having the stitches done and really kicked off when I said we had to go straight home and couldn't go to McD's. I had to relent, carrying him in on my back because he couldn't put his foot down.

Couldn't believe a hospital would be handing out these vouchers

someone call SS now and report ToysRUs! Seriously - ok it's crass commercialisation BUT the strong branding can cut both ways - (speaking as parent to a kid with language related SN) kids with some types of SN may be more encouraged to engage with pretend play because of the strong branding/similarity to an experience in their lives.

malovitt - I agree, I think that happy meal vouchers being given out by hospitals is completely objectionable.

This is nothing new. My Mum has a toy McD's shop at her house. It was my eldest niece's toy so is getting on for 20 years old.

Every one of her grandchildren has played with it over the years, including now my dd. My dd's never been in a McD's so she just thinks it's a pretend shop.

It's just a toy.
Perhaps all the children who play with one will turn into spotty youths who work in McDonalds.
Perhaps they will become dangerously obese because there was np mcbrocolli in the set.
Perhaps not.

OK, I don't think it's giving out the best message to children and I won't be running out to buy one for my kids, but I do not think this in itself is going to create a society of obese children.

Obviously subliminal marketing may contribute to children thinking it is 'OK' to eat junk BUT I don't think any child who is brought up in a family where healthy food is the norm and where eating together is an enjoyable ritual is going to suddenly start sneaking off to MacDonalds and filling up on their burgers.

Am I abnormal? - my son who is 8 has had exactly four macDonalds and two burger king meals in his life. This isn't because I have a particular moral stance about them, it's purely because because we never go there. I personally LOVE Big Macs but just can't be bothered with the effort! Back to the subject though, I think I would rather purchase a toy like that if it was well made and may instigate a talk about food than some cheap plastic rubbish which would fall apart in five minutes. But, maybe I am a bit wierd!

it is just a toy......same as they sell toy dysons (didn;t make my children think me abnormal for not having a dyson, altho we did get one cos I liked the pretty colours about 3yrs back........the toy dyson was a pressie for DD1 when she was 2!).

My DD2 had a barbie till, and her cousin had the McKids till.........DD2 was most miffed.....the McKids till came with more bits with it.

and guess what.......DS1 has a hotwheels toy with a McDonalds stand attached.....does not make him think he needs burgers everyday.

Almost everything in life comes in toy version now, and it is just a toy. My children certainly know that, and every child I know also think the same.

The only thing I would say about it is that having a branded toy prevent the child imagining themselves as something esle.....ie, with a McKids till, it is always a McKids till......it can never be a Tesco till, or a Boots counter.......................or even a WAITROSE till...