At what age did...............................................................................................

Question

At what age did you first allow your children fast food? I remember as a child I never had fast food until I was in 5th grade and it was a Happy Meal from McDonalds. My mother didnt buy it for me my friend Linda's mom did. That being said I am the mother of a 14yr old and a 14 month old a step mother to a 7 yr old and I raised my two nephews ages 17 and soon to be 16. My husband takes his 7yr old daughter to McDonalds atleast once a week as her mother feeds her nothing but fast food and she begins to have withdrawals from it. My 14yr old has only had fast food once or twice in her life due to medical condition. I myself do not consume it unless its subway or a salad. Anyhow he brought home a Chicken Nugget happy meal to our 14 month old son. All I could think about was the fat in the food and removed the coating and allowed him to eat the meat as well as the apples. My 7yr old SD and my husband think I am weird for removing the breading does anyone else do this? Also when was the first

time you allowed your children to have Kool Aid? I allow my children flavored bottled water, and 100% fruit juices watered down. No soda at all and am courious as to when other parents allow their toddlers to consume sugared drinks. No I am not asking permission just courious.

okay before any of you think I am to controlling I believe that it is our jobs as parents to teach our children to eat properly as it does affect their health as a child and as an adult. My 7yr old SD is 4' tall and 90 pounds as a result of fast food. I want my children to make good food choices and when they are older and I do not prepair all their meals (like my 16&17 yr old nephews) they can consume what they want outside of my home. Even my nephews will not eat more then one fast food meal a month and I am proud of them for it.

This is my last edit (i think) my son gets bottled water, as well as tap his teeth are fine and pretty as can be, he if given the choice between chocolate cake and fresh fruit both placed on his highchair tray he will play w the cake but eat the fruit so I think what I am doin has made an impact on him because my SD reachs for the cake several times a day and will even have my husband sneak her some into the house because I do not allow calorie packed foods with no nutritional value in our home. Yes my SD is being sent up for health problems as well as weight problems as an adult and metabolic problems I personally took her to a DR due to her weight and thats what he told me. She knows we need to watch what she eats but as a child she really lacks the control that is needed. I do NOT want my son growing up with weight or health issues as a result of my choices.

Answer 1

I applaud you! Starting healthy eating habits while they're young is so important. There is absolutely no reason for kids these days to be living on fast food the way they do. There is nothing wrong with removing the greasy coating!

I was strapped for time and options in between two dr. appts. a few weeks back. McD's was my only choice. I got my 14 mos. old his 1st burger and felt like an abusive mother!!! Needless to say my pediatrician thought that was hysterical!

He only gets milk and water. I don't even like giving him juice ~ I'd rather see him eat the fruit. Lucky for me it does't agree with him anyway!

Answer 2

Kool-aid...NEVER, too sugary. Fast food, my kids don't like it! I think when my oldest was about 13 months old we went for something because we were in a hurry, and he wouldn't eat any of it. Not even the fries. Since then we've only tried a handfull of times and got the same result from all the kids, so we never did again, and all our kids are just fine. Probably healthier than most in fact. The thing is, it's okay to eat a little of it every now and then. The only reason I ever really tried was when my kids were younger I needed a place to let them play when it would rain for days on end and they have playgrounds in fast food resturaunts, so I'd feel obligated to buy something so the kids could play. I only did this when I got desperate and it would rain for days on end, and the indoors activities were running slim. Anyway, I've actually seen kids as young as 8-9 months eating chicken nuggets (no joke) so I don't think they will hurt you 14 month old. However, just don't make it a habit, and when your step daughter and husband make fun of you and call you weird, just say that you want him to be as healty as possible!

Oh, by the way, when I was a kid (actually I think I was 14 or so), I saw this news story where this woman was turning 100 year old, and she told everyone that in her 100 years she had never eaten fast food, and on her birthday she wanted to have her fist happy meal (this is true, stop laughing!). Anyway, I think she got it and enjoyed it or whatever. But what I'll remember the most is the newscaster made some remark similar to this: "It's probably because she never ate fast food that she lived so long....why would she want to ruin that with a greasy hamburger" Anyway, he was probably right. She ate well and lived a long time. The footage of her at McD's for the first time, I woudn't have guessed she was 100, she looked good. Eat right, and stay healty!

Answer 3

My children eat fast food every once in a while-they are just as content with chicken nuggets and french fries baked at home though. I usually do it out of convenience. I say it's a good thing that you don't feed your children it regularly, that is your choice! As a child my parents NEVER gave us fast food, pizza, Kool aid and candy only on holidays and it was usually tootsie roll and lifesavers. I can see why you would think this could help control their weight, but like I said my siblings and I ate "healthy" and 3 of 4 of us are overweight! When we became teenagers and could get our own food we went straight for the nearest McDonald's, because it had been such a forbidden, withheld thing! Even as adults, we adopted the "no one can tell me what to eat" thinking. So, do what you feel is right and in their best interest, but when they're older, you won't really have much say. Teaching moderation and control is what I teach my kids-treats are OK, but they are "sometime" foods! My children do not drink Kool aid either.

Answer 4

My little one is about 20 mos old right now and when we eat out at a fast food restaurant, I order him chicken nuggets. I peel the skin off them and feed him the meat. He doesn't get fries. I've have fed him little drops of pop here and there just because it's cute. But I don't pour it in his sippy cup and let him drink it all day. We, as a family, don't eat out that much either. Probably 2 times a month and then sometimes it's a 2-3 month stretch were we don't eat out at all because it's too expensive. One of the answers I read further up said that when he was young his family ate out a lot because they were poor....huh? Why do families do this? You don't have the money for good food because you are plunking down $20.00 every day or every other day at a fast food joint, when you should be taking that money and getting some real food.
At home we don't buy kool-aid, pop, or lemonaide. We drink water, milk, or tea(parents). I'm not saying that I have absolutely no pop. There's a liter that just got finished up because we had a bbq and bought it especially for guests. But pop and kool aide is not on my shopping list at all.
I applaud you for your choices and wanting to provide a better standard for your children. Here's a big pat on the back and a big warm hug.
God Bless you!!

Answer 5

Fast food is a convenience that I use mostly when there is too much going on around a meal time. Busy moms still need to feed their families. In other words, running too late in the AM, the kids still need breakfast, or if baseball practice is at dinner time. On average twice a month, which I don't feel the least bit guilty about; my children are very healthy. I NEVER use it as a reward. That is what will create a problem in the kid's lives. Seeing the fast food as a treat or reward. Totally forbidding it will create a desire which could lead to problems. Teach healthy and moderation and it will be fine. Stop peeling the breading off the nuggets. Fat is brain food for little ones, it tastes good, and won't harm them at all.

Answer 6

I was young, but that was 15 years ago. things are different now than they were before. People are more health conscious than they were 15-20 years ago. I am currently 10 1/2 weeks pregnant, and i do indulge in fast food once in a while. Once my child is born, however, i will be more careful with my children. I do not want my children to be unhealthy. once in a while i will treat them. In respect to koolaid, i drink it a lot because i dont want to drink a lot of pop. Most of the time I drink water or juice. I think your husbands daughter, is going to have health problems if she continues to eat so much fast food to the point that she has withdrawals. Thats a bit much. I dont think that you are taking it too far by removing the bread, if you dont want your youngest eating fast food, tell your husband that.

Answer 7

Somewhere between 18 months & 2yrs my daughter ate fast food for the first time, but she doesn't eat it all the time & she eats very healthy the rest of the time. I personally think it's a little bit overboard to never let your kid have fast food & designate it to a certain age but to each their own because I don't let my kids drink soda.

Hey, I wasn't knocking you. Everyone has their own parenting style & if that's your thing then more power to you. I disagree with any kid eating fast food all the time but I let my youngest eat fast food every now & then as a treat because she eats great the rest of the time, she loves veggies & all that good stuff. I have two step daughters as well & their eating habits are pretty bad too. I think my daughter has probably tried gatorade? but she doesn't drink koolaid & soda because it's empty calories, it's horrible for her teeth, & it's just all the way around bad for her. My daughter drinks milk with sugar-free strawberry syrup & water with a little bit of apple juice just to flavor it & that's pretty much it. Too much straight juice isn't really good for kids either.

Answer 8

I think it's good that you are concerned with heathly choices for your children. I wish I would have been that concerned. We used to have fast food often but then I had to have surgery and I can't any more. Fast food is very bad for you and I think you may be right. The fat content in those foods are very very high! I just had surgery 3 weeks ago and I've lost 19 pounds. I had gall bladder surgery. I think if I would have watched what I ate better I would not have had to have that surgery. I am glad to see someone who thinks it's important to watch what you eat. When you teach your kids to eat healthy they will grow up to eat healthy too. It shocks me that they sell soda and junk food in school. I think you are doing a good thing.

I just wanted to add that I think you should NEVER use food as an award for good behaviour. It just sets up all kind of bad ideas and possibly food adiction. I know, I live with it every day. I'm 40 years old and I have to re-train my thinking when it comes to food. I never used food as an award for my kids though. It's just a bad idea to me.

Answer 9

I will never give my daughter Kool aid or soda. There is no nutritional value in the tow. But an occasional meal at mcdonalds wont harm a kid and it is food after all. Unless there are health or weight concerns I think you should lighten up.

Answer 10

My kids ages 7, 5, and 1 1/2 all eat Happy Meals. I used to peel the chicken nuggets skin off for my little one to eat but not anymore. They only get it maybe once a week though. The older 2 drink pop and koolaid and my youngest drinks mostly watered down Juicy Juice, but also has the occasional pop and/or koolaid. I don't see that it hurts them in anyway. They are all healthy.