So those of you who really object to MaccD's... would you allow DC to go to a party there?

[Clary]

This is hypothetical as she's going, but just wondered really.

I really don't like McDonald's (no offence to anyone who does) and hardly ever take the kids there. In fact don't think I have ever taken DS2 who is 4. I object to it for a number of reasons (won't bore you) as do some on MN I know.

Sooooo DD is invited to a party there - one of her best and nicest pals - I just thought, why am I sending her there when I dislike it and the food it serves etc?

So would you?

Have never taken either dc there as I also think it is crap for a number of reasons but think I would allow it for Childrens party as would not want them to miss out on being with friends for a celebration

I do agree bout McDonalds. I am not normally bothered about crap food for kids, (I take the view that they've enough youth to get over it), but I really don't like the branding, the taste, the whole thing about McDonalds.

My ds has never been in there with me, but I know that dh takes him on occasion.

This is a rhetorical question from you - and fair play. She's going, because you'd look like a freak if you didn't allow her

Of course she should go. She'll have a great time. The only thing you can do to make your protest is to ensure (as you have done) and you never take her there!

I'd definitely let her go - going once isn't nearly the same as going every week and for the sake of one meal she gets some very important socialising.

Ahem, that should have read that you never take her there!

I know, I know.

She is going of course (it's tomorrow anyway). I don't want her to miss seeing pals.

Agree with you desiderata, it's not the food so much as the branding and the toys and the whole you must collect the set and come back here every day, and oh look, her's some nutritional information and look, we sell fresh fruit now (but the grapes are halved so covered in preservative presumably) etc etc...

(sigh)

Yep, Clary. They're crap.

But not worth being an evangelist about .. and you've not been.

Well handled, but

We know they're shit. And any children of ours will eventually come to the same conclusion

Thanks all

I wouldn't hold a party there but would be a bit suspicious of a party there now, apparently they stopped doing parties there.

I think Ronald MacDonald is the antichrist, but I let ds1 go to a birthday party there. I also schooled him in NOT being rude about what other people were eating. I think on balance friendship/kindness/being socially accommodating and gregarious is more important than keeping one's body free of saturated fats

As it's a party, you can be safe in the knowledge that someone else is paying for it, so you will not personally be swelling the coffers of the MuccyCorporation.

Maybe you can steer her towards the least offensive options on the menu.

Let her know it's a one-off and I'm sure she'll not be demanding cheeseburgers and small plastic pieces of crap on a regular occasion.

of course you should let her go, but you are so I don't need to say that!

A great opportunity for her start learning about these kind of places. I've never stopped my kids going but I've pointed out the failings, so they now know that they don't really like the food, the toy in the Happy Meal is actually a marketing tool, the menus are printed small and placed high up on the wall so you can't see them, while the so called "Menu's" are lit up in bright colours over your head to make you think you must have a gigantic COKE with everything.

We don't have a problem offending parents so crap that they frequent McD's.
We see McDs users as defective people, sad dregs who don't know better. These values have been absorbed by our kids. At 6, DC1 would not want to go to McD, but if he did, it is not our place to tell him not to.

Wow, I'm a 'defective person' because I take my kids to a fast food restaurant. Are you for real?

I have to say (and I'd like to get other US mumsnetters opinions on this) that the whole 'anti-fast food' culture is something I haven't really come across here at all. At least once or twice a month we will meet with my ds's peers at a fast food restaurant of our choosing to eat, play and socialise a little. You will be pleased to hear that he doesn't seem to be displaying any signs of becoming a 'defective child' because of this.

We are not 'crap parents'. There are many things that make you a crap parent but the occasional chicken nugget and fries meal with a plastic toy accompaniment imho does not.

Maybe you are being deliberately extreme in your choice of words to provoke us mcdonalds frequenters into an arguement?

Anyway, you can still get those delicious chocolate sundae ice-creams in the US which they stopped selling years ago in the UK. Maybe all of you UK people would enjoy going there more if you could get a decent dessert

Yes, I would, even though I have never taken him there myself.

tinpot we have better quality "fast food" restaurants here in the USA too thought don't we like chick-fil-a for instance and we had a drive-thru for dinner tonight can't say I got to McD as there are far nicer places here in Colorado and I don't like the food. But I believe that a little something "not quite so healthy" doesn't do anyone any harm. I'd rather my children were aware of what's out there and make informed choices than go "crazy" at a later stage in life.

I choose not to take my children to McD's KFC Pizza Hut or any fast food restaurant but if they were invited to a party at one of them I would not object.

For me it's all about the branding etc and also because DH and I don't really like burgers or pizzas that's all.

Clary, I think it's wise to pick your battles. It's enough that you don't take her there. If she gets taken once and awhile by someone else, it won't kill her. Personaly can't stand mcD's, but I let dh take the kids every so often because they all enjoy it and eat wonderfully varied and healthy diet the rest of the time. The reality is, in your case, that the c**p they serve at most birthday parties isn't much better than what they have a McD's.
Hey tinpot, I think you'll find that things vary from State to State. Here in California there is definitely a certain level of looking down on McD's because of the unhealthy food. Also, as Alipiggle said, here you can get really yummy healthy affordable fast food at a variety of places so McD's is really pretty far down the list for a variety of reasons.

I'd love it - it's about the only place that will tell you exactly what they put in their food. And then we can choose something that our allergic ds can eat from there. So for us it's safer than fruit kebabs.

I am currently in the black books of all the mother's at ds's kindy that want sweets banned on birthdays, for saying that I would not support them. If they don't want to swap the nasty sweets for white marshmallows or some naturally coloured sweets or even (God forbid) chocolate then they should deal with the resulting tantrum.

So in short I would ignore me, as I have strange attitudes.

Wot Greeny said.

I don't like McDs, but I would let my DSes go to a party there, I guess. DS1 has been to Burger King once (hungry after a movie, in the middle of nowhere). And they've both been to Nandos a fair bit, and to other fast food chains. But not McDs, so far.

(DS1 calls it 'Old Macdonalds' for no reason I can work out.)

Certainly there is a good "forbidden fruit" argument for not absolutely banning crap like McDs.
One thing that has worked for us, is to let the kids see McD users. It's remarkable how few of them look happy, and that's a good message to get across.

I don;t like mcdonalds and to honestI can't imagine anyone inviting dd to a party there but i would let her go.

I tend to have very strong views on where we buy our food and clothes but accept that if I want dd to get on with her friends and feel normal I can't make other people keep to them.