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[quote=DewDropInn;18618487]I do. That chiseling sound is the Constitution and our civil rights as Americans being chipped away at.
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Hey, I don't mean any disrespect but this is exactly what my kid brings up whenever I restrict him in some things... This is a FREE COUNTRY! You can't tell me what to do!!
But, we live in society, and that means restricting SOME freedoms for the greater good, imho. Some things, clearly, have to be done - sooner then later. I am glad they have thought of this, at least.
[quote=HappyNewMe;18619493][quote=DewDropInn;18618487]I do. That chiseling sound is the Constitution and our civil rights as Americans being chipped away at.
Quote:
Hey, I don't mean any disrespect but this is exactly what my kid brings up whenever I restrict him in some things... This is a FREE COUNTRY! You can't tell me what to do!!
But, we live in society, and that means restricting SOME freedoms for the greater good, imho. Some things, clearly, have to be done - sooner then later. I am glad they have thought of this, at least.
Where do you draw the line though?
Where does having a belief turn into forcing it upon others?
There are always going to be two groups for every issue, one group that is for and one against.
There are some people against pre-marital sex, should we outlaw that too?
There are some people who are against video games, mature rated material, should we abolish anything and everything that offends anyone?
Should we set laws on people because they can't control how much they eat?
They'd all be victimless crimes, its all self inflicted, they made a choice, they deal with it themselves.
Its not necessarily what the government wants to ban next, its the principle behind the matter, pretty soon we're going to lose the freedom to choose for ourselves and that's what this country is built on, the freedom of choice,the right to choose for yourself and not be dictated by our government.
Your kids being over dramatic when he says that but in the real world its true. This is a FREE COUNTRY and we should have the right to choose to be however fat we want, it is good for us? No its not but you can't tell society what to do just because some people don't agree with it.
We as a county and as the different type of people in this country have spent years to fight for their rights, women, african americans, because we should be free to make decisions for ourselves and not be oppressed by others who feel differently.
Its doesn't matter how big the issue, cheese burger or womens rights, its all principle, you start diminishing and chiseling away at that and soon enough it'll be soviet america, and in soviet america goverment control you..
Look, the toys WERE put there for a reason, and that reason was to attact children more!! While I agree that parents should be able to say "no" to kids, etc. but psychologically, just cutting out that allure and incentive of free toys with going to junk-food places, IS good idea! So that they will have less reasons to grow up already thinking that MC is a great place!
Sorry, I just don't buy into the psycho dribble that having toys leads kids to associate McDonalds with happy things so that they become an ingrained customer for life. On the occasion I actually eat at McDonalds I don't bite into my burger and become magically transported to a happier time in my life when my parents took me to McDonalds and I got a toy.
Besides, it's the parents who take their child to McDonalds the first time. It's the parents who choose to buy the Happy Meal. It's the parents who decide what goes in that Happy Meal. It's the parents who drive their child there and pay for it when it's asked for.
Also, I somehow seriously doubt that a severely obese child got that way becuase there is .20 cents worth of plastic in their Happy Meal box. Childhood obesity is caused by long term poor choices and is most influenced by the health and perspective of the parents themselves.
Besides, it's the parents who take their child to McDonalds the first time. It's the parents who choose to buy the Happy Meal. It's the parents who decide what goes in that Happy Meal. It's the parents who drive their child there and pay for it when it's asked for.
A humorous anecdote: My DH and I had decided not to feed our kids fast food (for the first few years at least.) Then one day when DS#1 was about 2 1/2 we're drivng by a McDonalds and he starts screaming, "McDonalds! McDonalds!" And I'm thinking, "Wow. He can read! I've got a budding genius back there in his car seat."
And for a week every time we went by a McD's he'd go off. Finally I said, "How do you know about McDonalds?" Then the magic words: "Grandma takes me!"
So I asked my mom (who knew the "no fast food" rule) about it and she said, "What my grandson and I do is our business." She's was laughing because she knew the secret was out, so I asked her to just make sure he didn't eat all his fries and please get him a milk not a Coke. (Which she was already doing.) As of today, none of my son's will eat at a McDonalds. Crunchy granola health food types.
A humorous anecdote: My DH and I had decided not to feed our kids fast food (for the first few years at least.) Then one day when DS#1 was about 2 1/2 we're drivng by a McDonalds and he starts screaming, "McDonalds! McDonalds!" And I'm thinking, "Wow. He can read! I've got a budding genius back there in his car seat."
And for a week every time we went by a McD's he'd go off. Finally I said, "How do you know about McDonalds?" Then the magic words: "Grandma takes me!"
So I asked my mom (who knew the "no fast food" rule) about it and she said, "What my grandson and I do is our business." She's was laughing because she knew the secret was out, so I asked her to just make sure he didn't eat all his fries and please get him a milk not a Coke. (Which she was already doing.) As of today, none of my son's will eat at a McDonalds. Crunchy granola health food types.
Ah grandparents, undermining parental authority and decision making since the dawn of time....lol.
Our "grandma takes me" moments are usually tied to trips to the toy store and the sudden appearance of previously banned Nerf weaponry.
Wow. What a bunch of wet blankets those New York folks are. Everything in moderation.
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Originally Posted by FinsterRufus
I personally wish the fast food joints would find another way to reel in their customers for life.
Oh, yeah? You just try prying my c. 1975 Grimace glass from my hands ... Hmmm, wait, did I just prove your point? LOL I quit eating at McDonald's after the last round of Animaniacs toys. When was that ... 15 years ago?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJGOAT
Ah grandparents, undermining parental authority and decision making since the dawn of time....lol.
And aunts, too! Not that I would know anything about that ... Although my sister was with me when I purchased Nerf weaponry for her 12-year-old son. She approved; our mother was the one who was outraged! LOL
What I want to know is, where are all these obese children? We hear about childhood obesity all the time, Michelle Obama has made combating it her mission, etc. But when I go to my almost 5 year old's preschool, I am not seeing all these obese children. I can think of one child who has a weight problem, and that child's parent's are also obese. The rest of the kids are typical, skinny little kids. Where are all these obese children we are always hearing about?
And on the subject of McDonalds, I really don't need the government dictating whether or not I can buy my child a Happy Meal as a treat. I highly doubt the kids who are obese got that way solely because of McDonalds. I'm sure there is a lot more going on to cause it than a Happy Meal.
What I want to know is, where are all these obese children? We hear about childhood obesity all the time, Michelle Obama has made combating it her mission, etc. But when I go to my almost 5 year old's preschool, I am not seeing all these obese children. I can think of one child who has a weight problem, and that child's parent's are also obese. The rest of the kids are typical, skinny little kids. Where are all these obese children we are always hearing about?
Ahem.. they are just in different areas and different neighborhoods... where parents are not so conscious about fast-food and obesity problems.
Of course, there are a lot more going on then toy attraction, but they ARE out there, and many more then ever... that means that a hell lot of parents can not (don't want to?) say "no" to kids because of having themselves ingrained it for a long time as part of their culture and lifestyle
You are just lucky to be where there are none.... means you live in a good area My son's preschool also didn't have any kids overweight, and neither did his school... but, come to Walmart after work or drive around town - a whole other picture we see!!!
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You can't tell me what to do!! 
Hmmm, wait, did I just prove your point? LOL I quit eating at McDonald's after the last round of Animaniacs toys. 
My son's preschool also didn't have any kids overweight, and neither did his school... but, come to Walmart after work or drive around town - a whole other picture we see!!!
