Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The not so Happy meal.....

In complete honesty I was somewhat shocked when I read this article about banning toys from kids meals. I am all for kids eating healthy and what not but I also think the responsibility for an obese child should fall directly on that child's parents. Taking away a toy is not going to stop lazy parents from feeding their kids fatty meals morning, noon and night. I am a full time working mother who probably once a month stops by the drive thru of the golden arches and gets my kids a happy meal because I'm either too exhausted to cook or I don't have anything defrosted. My kids are perfectly proportioned due to the fact that I do make sure they eat healthy meals but once in a while I think I deserve a break and they deserve a treat. Most fast food places have choices in terms of drinks and sides that can be substituted for fries and soda. My children typically get one Happy Meal to share (my youngest is only 1) that is one hamburger, a chocolate or regular milk (depending on my oldest's mood) and whatever the fruit selection is. They are both extremely active children who eat well every other meal. Taking away a toy is not going to make for less obese children it's just going to upset some that they can't have a toy.

1 comment:

missybear97 said...

That is so dumb! I wouldn't stop buying "happy meals" or any other children's fast food meal just because they don't come with a toy! I will admit my kids enjoy the toys but what's next...get rid of the unsanitary indoor play systems too? I agree with you that it is ultimately the responsibility of the parent to provide healthy meals to the children and throwing out the toy isn't reducing the calorie count or the appeal of a fast meal for busy working parents! Those people probably don't have kids who make those decisions!