Parents let their kids eat trash?

victoriavoodoo

Uhhhhh just saying to everyone who says these people probably don't eat like this often; I worked in a Cici's pizza buffet and there were tons of regulars, like 3 times a week some of them. Almost all of the regulars come in with very young children, and half the kids are too picky for pepperoni and stuff so they eat like a slice of cheese pizza and 8 cinnamon rolls. More than once a week.

I've also seen many many babies that are barey old enough for solid food be fed cut up pizza for their meals and you can't tell me those kids asked for it because they can't talk yet.

So while you might be good parents here on this forum, which makes sense because you are on a health forum and therefor care about health and read about health and would of course also want your kids to be healthy(the occasional fun restaurant meal aside), assuming all the parents at junk restaurants are like you and feed their kids well at home is probably a bad assumption to make.

Shmeelady

My son is two and a half years old, I have always been very strict on what I gave him.
I was an extremely overweight kid, my parent's did not care what they fed us. My sisters and I suffered from this. When my son was born I made it my mission to keep him from sugar as long as possible. I made all of his baby food, he did not get things like juice, cookies, french fries or other things. When he was old enough to eat solids he ate off of my plate. He will eat any vegetable you put in front of him, but oddly enough does not like meat so we substitute tofu and other soy products. He is happy and healthy, because I kept him away from those foods for as long as possible he has no interest in them. My grandmother gave him a pudding cup, he took one bite and pushed it to the side. Didn't like it!!

Bridgetthegre

Because if we let them eat trash they'll stop whining for 5 minutes.

My son is 5'6" and 95 pounds. A box of Twinkies occasionally won't hurt him. Yeah, I said it, a BOX. (o.k., not at once, usually over a couple of days)

I remind him to eat meals. I refuse to let him have any junk unless he actually eats dinner. But he's already so friggin' skinny that a sugar bomb here and there can't make it any worse.

Other than that, on the rare occasions we have fried chicken I've seen him scarf down 5 pieces. Clearly I'm the worst mother ever. :-)

RoadsterGirlie

Guess it's a good thing I'm not a parent. I would not allow my children to eat chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, or 90% of what I see on kid's menus. I would be too strict about food and diet and perhaps this is because I was brought up on fast food and TV dinners and became obese. I am a real stickler for feeding children healthily since I was an overweight kid myself and know the pain it causes. I cringe when family tries to load up my 3 year old niece with soda and candy. I can't imagine how I'd react were it my own child.

I feel the same way. I don't have kids either, and I know getting them to eat right isn't always easy. However, if I did have them, if it's not good enough for me to eat (hello chicken nuggets), it wouldn't be good enough for my kid to eat either.

My mom brought me up on a healthy diet, with no talk whatsoever regarding weight. As a result, I was pretty skinny as a kid. It wasn't until after the house I got fat. The only thing I wish she would have done different was to talk to me about calories and why I was eating the things she fed me. I know it can be a touchy subject especially with girls and body image, but that's just my personal feelings. Had I really known, I wouldn't have been overweight for ten years.

iaminspired127

My son only drink water, milk or fresh pressed Juice from our Juicer. We have a vegetable garden at home and he only eats healthy foods but you can be sure that when we go out to eat. My son gets a Shirley Temple and whatever he wants within reason as long as he has been well behaved. He eats 80% healthy and 20% not healthy mixed with tons of exercise (a.k.a. Jumping on the trampoline) daily. My daughter is still a little small for full meals but her diet mostly consists of fruits and vegetables, along with milk, beans, fresh juice and whole grains although it has been fun to see her reaction to fries and ice cream.

I think your judgement is clouded, your only seeing one aspect of the child's life and not observing them over a longer period of time to see the other choices they are making or that the parents are making for them.

cluhman

I have 5 children, 4 under the age of 5 and one who is 10, my husband travels quite often for work, so many nights I am left by myself to take care of them, and run them to all of their activities. While many might say that they do it because it is convenient, or that is what the kids like, that is not the case for me. Personally I just like to put my kids into a good food coma. After being called stupid, and cleaning up pee for the 497th time, getting kicked in the face, or hit in the head with a matchbox car, I just really need a break. Fill'em up with corndogs and french fries, or better yet pancakes with syrup, and the become pretty docile. Want them to be awake and lively? Just load them up with some red dye #40. Works like a charm. gotta run, my two year old just dumped a box of lucky charms on the living room floor...I gotta get to the marshmallows before he does!

MusicBizMom

okay, okay...I have to chime in....first thing. YES, it is true that you can't assume that just because someone of any age is eating something unhealthy (or healthy for that matter) that they eat that way all the time. But seriously people, in general, we have GOT to feed our kids better. And it is hard. And I am unpopular when I tell Grandmom that NO my kids can't eat the bright orange crackers and NO they cannot got to McDonalds and YES they actually do like the taste of vegetables because that is what grew up eating. (At family dinners, my kids commonly eat salad and baked chicken, while their cousin with ADD eats mac-n-chz and chx nuggets, go figure.) Processed food, fast food, sugars...we need to keep this crap away from our kids so that they don't develop an addiction or prefer the taste of that stuff over real, whole food. And finally, YES, of course, in moderation! I don't want them going ape-**** on junk food when they are old enough to make their own decisions so we talk about healthy foods and "special treats" and how those things need to be eaten in small quantities and ONLY if they've eaten healthy the rest of the day.

Bridgetthegre

You forgot frozen chicken nuggets dipped in some particularly nasty, sugary, preservative laden concoction. That's even better than corn dogs!

Sorry, I guess I've fallen down on the job. Mr.Skinny is balefully eating a banana because I told him he can't have any more fruit snacks unless he actually eats some FRUIT.

Bridgetthegre

ADD isn't caused by fake orange food. And sugar doesn't actually make kids hyper. Not that either item is loaded with nutrition, but they have nothing to do with hyperactivity.

MusicBizMom

AMEN AMEN!!!! I am so sick of being judged as "harsh" for not letting my kids eat crap...they actually LIKE fruits and vegetables and beans and brown rice and whole wheat pasta!!!!! uggggghhhhh..

BinaryPulsar

Trash?

chandanista

gastlysmom

WTF

And I thought I was bad for letting them have happy meals

i just ate one myself after being traumatized by the people at walmart !! lost all self control

gastlysmom

Between Instagram and people-watching at restaurants, I notice that parents will make healthy decisions for themselves, but order deep-friend/fatty foods for their own kids. Why is that?

i think you got your answer.. last i looked there were 397 responses. one of them should be what you are looking for.

JanaBRoberts

My son LOVES fresh veggies and fruit. However, if he has an awesome report at school at the end of the week, I don't deny him a Mighty Kids Meal. He is super active as well.

I think ALOT of parent's forget the active part of it. Your child can eat a near perfect diet, but if he/she never gets out from in front of the television, it's not much different than a fatty/greasy mess of a diet.

JenAndSome

I may not always feed my kids the best food, but I don't usually allow them to eat out of the trash can. I mean if it's something sitting right on top and they can easily brush off the dirt I don't usually say much, but other than that I prefer they avoid the garbage.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Whatever. My daughter eats nuggets, mac and cheese, hot dogs, and chocolate -- pretty much any type of treat she asks for. Why don't I do better for her? WHY OH WHY CAN'T I JUST BE A BETTER PARENT?!

Because she also asks to eats a variety if fruits and veggies and is insanely active --- why do I need to encourage my healthy weight 3 year old to be neurotic about food? I don't. Food is food and if you don't act like certain things are terrible, off limits or "special" kids won't either. Since her dad and I have been at a healthy weights for a long time, I think our approach to food works.

peachfigs

From this question, I surmise that you do not have children, right?

Not all children eat junk. If they aren't introduced to it, they won't crave it. My mother would always puree some veggies and fruits for me, and I still like to eat veggies now.

NatureChik1985

I don't have kids, but if I did I would teach them moderation Why? I was able to completely regain my health and lose weight with moderation. I would want my children to have the best chance of growing into healthy adults who have a good relationship with food.

My brother and I were brought up to eat clean. My parents were very strict about it. It wasn't untill high school that we had fast food for the first time. Even with being a clean eater I was sick and obese and this happened without eating junk. I actually lost weight learning moderation and portion control (and adding "junk"food on occasion as opposed to eating clean). For me I was able to lean how to have a healthy relationship with food and use it as fuel for my body. I no longer veiw foods as good or bad which is how I was brought up.

My brother on the other hand was slim and active as a child, but my parents failed to teach us moderation. When my brother got a taste of fast food he went crazy with it. In a way I think he resented the fact that we were so restricted so once he was able to go and do on his own, he made up for lost time. Now his diet is heavily processed and he is obese. I have tried to talk to him about moderation, but he is not at point where he will actually listen. I think it would be easier to teach a child moderation rather than an adult. I feel that our parents should have taught us moderation instead of which foods were good and which were bad.

I will be teaching my child moderation!

rachseby

Ahh let me say it...

Dear Parents,
Thank you for allowing your child to have that fried greasy piece of chicken heaven...because I surely don't want to sit in a restaurant for 1hr listening to them scream over why he/she has to eat another bite of peas & carrots....just sayin CHEERS! let them enjoy! and be KIDS!

Actually, any kids that act like that in ANY public place should be taken out immediately. No reason they have to act like baboons, or be permitted to annoy others.

Pretty sure there was some sarcasm in there.

Actually no sarcasm intended...just the thought of trying to have a nice quiet restaurant dinner (NOT in a fast food place) with somebody's obnoxious kids screaming about what they will or won't eat.

When kids in restaurants are screaming for whatever reason usually as their already embarrassed parents usher them out of earshot, it is because they are learning the rules, don't have a good handle on their emotions yet, and etc. When grown women are whining on the internet about everything all the time in the most negative and obnoxious ways repeatedly and calling little kids who are still in the learning curve "obnoxious" it is because they are :devil: .

Bam! Last I checked, most restaurants where people bring kids are not quiet... the Olive Garden is about the nicest place we would take our kids to, and am pretty sure that they welcome families.