California votes to ban toys in happy meals

[Cherrim]

As a Parent myself I can say that I'm honestly laughing at how some of the people in this thread are going to be in for a helluva surprise when their kids come. It's not that easy, guys. When your kid wants something because all of his friends are getting it and it's on TV all the time, you kinda have to either get it for them, or be the bad guy. Statistically, upsetting your kid like that that frequently will also lead into some child issues INCLUDING obesity so that's obviously not a solution. Turning off the tv? Family time? Yeah, just let me know how that goes when you have a kid. You'd have to throw out the TV until they are 16 in order for that to work, then they have their friends in school making fun of them for it.

Those suggestions don't work.


This law is a great one though and I will support it for my area. It's a great idea, and will help prevent kids from wanting these unhealthy meals so greatly.

Um, sometimes you do have to be the bad guy. Upsetting a kid for all of 3 hours before they're distracted by something else is just something you have to do, isn't it? Not a parent and I never plan to be one, but I still know it's necessary for parents to be able to firmly tell their child that, no, they can't always get what they want.

:/ If a kid gets untolerably upset over something like a Happy Meal Toy, what the heck would one do at Christmastime or their birthday when the kid wants every single toy on the market? If you can say no then, I don't see why saying no to a Happy Meal is much different. Yeah, "all the other kids" may have it, but I doubt there would ever be lasting resentment over a cheap toy from a fast food restaurant. @_@ The only time I think "other kids have/can do it!" is even an excuse is in the case of huge fads (which McD's toys never are) and even then, once the fad is over, the kid won't care anymore. It might come up much later in life (ie "Do you remember Furbies??" "No, my parents never got me one!" "Man, that sucks!") but seriously, a well-raised child will either be old enough to understand that they can't have absolutely everything or they will learn that process and respect it.

I still say blaming the toy for obese children is just an excuse for bad parenting and will not solve the problem.

 

[donavannj]

As a Parent myself I can say that I'm honestly laughing at how some of the people in this thread are going to be in for a helluva surprise when their kids come. It's not that easy, guys. When your kid wants something because all of his friends are getting it and it's on TV all the time, you kinda have to either get it for them, or be the bad guy. Statistically, upsetting your kid like that that frequently will also lead into some child issues INCLUDING obesity so that's obviously not a solution. Turning off the tv? Family time? Yeah, just let me know how that goes when you have a kid. You'd have to throw out the TV until they are 16 in order for that to work, then they have their friends in school making fun of them for it.

Those suggestions don't work.

It's actually pretty easy to not have kids whining for McDonald's. Introduce them to a healthier chain like Subway instead while they are young, and eat home-cooked meals as often as possible, rarely eating out, and even less frequently dropping by McDonald's.

And playing the bad guy is a core part of helping a child learn discipline and self-control in the long run, even if it doesn't seem so in the short term.

Also, playing outside with your child is a great way to counter obesity in both yourself and your child. It's an all-around enriching experience. You also need to limit their TV time those first four years of life. (b'-')b

 

[Pass!on]

I remember a couple times when the toy made me go to the restaurant. But its not like I ever overate fast food because of a toy. Most of the time when I went to a fast food place (which was rare for my family), I wanted to go because of the food.
When you are gaining weight from overeating, chances are its because you want to eat, not for a stupid little toy. So I doubt this will really do anything to combat child obesity.