It is no secret that I'm not a fan of the Happy Meal or any other kid's meal at a fast food restaurant with a toy. Do my kids get them every now and then? Sure, but it is pretty rare. Would my kids like to get Happy Meals more often? Of course, they are normal kids who see commercials and here/see what other kids have. Do they know WHY we don't get Happy Meals often? ABSOLUTELY! And to me, this is the key.
Yesterday, a
Santa Clara county in California voted to ban toys with fast food meals. While I appreciate the message that we shouldn't teach our kids to associate fattening foods with rewards, I don't like the government making more decisions for parents than they already do. Parents should be allowed to make their own decisions (within legal reason, of course) regarding their children and their diets. If the government starts controlling diets, where will the line be drawn? How will people ever learn what is good for them and what isn't?
If the government wants to get involved in the diets of our children, they should start with education. Teach children in school what is good for them and what isn't and why. Give parents resources to learn more about how to feed their children properly. Don't just start banning foods and business concepts.
There is my rant for the day. :)
The government can do what they want, sure. But it is the parents who are the breadwinners and they are the one's buying the kids the meal. Regardless if there is a toy are not, there's something about getting a meal in a box that drives kids crazy!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that it doesn't stop with a toy in a box does it?
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The government is already telling kids what to eat each day if they are buying a school lunch in a public school. It isn't healthy either.
When I was a kid and I wanted all those barbies from the McDonalds happy meals, but my parents knew that fast food was not real food. So, my mom would just stop at McDonalds on her way home from work and buy the toys for me. They sell them separatly (at least they used to). I was just as happy :)
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