I almost didn’t do this video.
I honestly thought it would be too wacky and out of the box for some readers to handle.
My change of heart occurred when one of my children said, “Mom, you HAVE to do that video”.
Out of the mouths of babes.
So here I am posting a video about the best trick I know for teaching your kids about the dangers of fast food and hopefully keeping them far far away from it forever – even once they are out of the house and making their own decisions.
While this trick won’t work for older children, if your kids are still quite young, it should work well.  My three kids want absolutely nothing to do with fast food and that includes my teenager who has more freedom away from his parents and has the opportunity to indulge if he chose to.
So here it is.   What do you think? Too wacky or totally on target?
Mom Versus Fast Food (Mom Wins)
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
I thought it was great! Our method was to rename them all. McSick, Booger King, Taco Hell, Junkin’ Donuts, etc. And we never made an exception since they were little. We just do not go to those places.
this is great Leslie…..love your rebrands!
I do the same thing with my daughter- and she actually tells her dad no when he says they are gonna have some fast food!!!!
you are the mother…. you teach them what you do believe. keep up the good work.
But isn’t the TOY how advertisers target our kids? Wouldn’t it be more of a valuable lesson to explain to them the concept of misleading advertising?
I love the imprint you gave your kids. Words backed up by an awesome visual. This is exactly how advertisers target our kids and very successfully I might add. This lesson was definately worth a couple of bucks!
I do agree that children are never too young to learn. But TALK to them about decision making so when they are older they know HOW and WHY they do things. My daughter is 3 and if she sees chocolate or lollies at the shops she will say (and tell anyone around her) that they are yucky for your brain and tummy. She tells her dad that his cereal tastes yummy but it makes his brain go funny and she won’t eat it. I’m also proud to say that she does actually know what these Frankenstein Foods taste like BUT she is educated enough (yes, at age 3) to overcome the chemical flavor enhancers and addiction causing toxins to KNOW and CHOOSE not to have these foods for herself. It’s actually quite fun to go shopping with her most of the time! I have never needed to buy a cheap toy, or support an industry I don’t want to to teach her these lessons. Does she make the right decision every single time? No, but that’s why I’m here. Do I let her make a wrong choice on the odd occasion? Yep! Because that’s how she learns. And because you actually asked – NO, I DON’T AGREE WITH YOUR ‘TRICK’. In my opinion it is teaching your kids all kinds of wrong things.
So you just gave money to a business that you are trying to keep your kids away from? You want to teach others (by way of this video) to give these corporations more revenue to spend on misleading advertising and technologies that will one day entice the kids back? You just wasted food (I know it’s not real food but it still took valuable resources to produce) to get a crap piece of plastic that supports slave labour? Why not go and spend that $3 at a cheap store and get more than 1 crap toy? OR BETTER YET, save the $15 you would spend on doing this ‘trick’ 5 times and go buy the kids a decent quality, fair trade toy made from natural rescources! Something that will last more than 10 minutes and something that IS actually supporting an industry you want to support!
Yeah, why financially support them? And the toys are toxic anyway, so… No, it’s not overkill, but definitely unnecessary for our family. Repeatedly modeling good choices and having an ongoing dialogue is a more effective approach for us.
It is NEVER too early to “HATE” fast food. It is not even food. :(((( Our bodies nee unprocessed wholesome foods in the most natural form possible.
I didn’t see it as controversial cuz I believe fast food is crap, myself. Tasty crap I buy sometimes cuz I don’t always have the money. Lol. I don’t think my children would have bought this idea but I’ll never know cuz they’ve already had a taste for the garbage more often than Id like. It’s a tad exaggerated that I’ll somehow have to buy antibiotics and medication because of their fast food eating. My youngest has never needed or taken an antibiotic. I *know* it’s by the grace of God because I haven’t fed them as healthy as I want to. My oldest has taken antibiotics for 2 uti’s and after surgeries (to correct congenital hip defects and yes I know Weston A Price people would have a field day with that one). I’m not saying that defensively; hopefully this is read just as calmly as I typed it on my phone. 😉 My children would eat healthy if I always fed them healthy. They can’t drive to McD themselves so all Id have to do is not go anymore. My life has just been too crazy for several years now. I don’t plan enough so that when I leave the house we are well fed or that I prepare healthy snacks to carry with me.