Boycotting McDonald's Playgrounds

Post written by VegBlogger. Follow me on Twitter.

Did you know that fast food burger joints have over 11,000 indoor play places for 
children? It's true! But why do they and should you take your kids to use them?

While the answers to those questions may be debated, for me it is a resounding no. Not a chance, actually. My kids have never stepped foot in a McDonald's, and if I had it my way, they never will.

Not only does McDonald's, and most places like it, not offer vegetarian food (even the fries are laced with cow fat), they also have a history of lying to people about what is in their food (such as being sued for having cow fat in their fries and hash browns and not disclosing such information). But they also stand for something else... billions... of animals killed. Plus, the vast majority of people fail to understand the high cost of cheap fast food, or that the happy meal is really not so happy, after all.

So what about taking them to play on the indoor playground, even though we are not noshing on the food? Still not a chance! Here's a few reasons why I have never taken them to play there, despite play groups setting up play dates there, and never will:

1. McDonald's food is unhealthy. There is nothing there that I would want my kids to eat and by taking them in there they would want to eat because others around them would be doing so. It's a restaurant. You go to restaurants to eat, not play.

2. I never want my children to associate "fun" or happiness with a place like that, one who's sole purpose is to dish up unhealthy food that takes the lives of billions of animals. And again, there is nothing happy about a "happy meal."

3. Childhood obesity is reaching an alarming rate and yet parents take their kids to dine and play at one of the places that is helping to fuel this trend. You cannot teach your children to eat healthy by dining at places like McDonald's.

4. Because McDonald's only has these playgrounds to pull you in and make customers out of your youngsters. The old saying in the advertising agency is "cradle to the grave." These large corporations try to find ways to get a customer from the time they are born, and keep them until death. This is one way they are doing that. Others include having a clown spokesperson, offering toys with the food, and advertising during the cartoons. They know that if the kids have fun, they will pester you to take them there. Their mission is to reach you, through your children.

5. Because there is nothing my child can gain from taking them to play at a place like that. Nothing. There is not one positive to it.

I'm saddened that I come across so many parents that take the bait and have no problem taking their children there to play (or eat!). McDonald's spends billions each year advertising, which indeed pays off in billions more earned. But this stretches beyond just McDonald's and includes other restaurants that provide indoor playgrounds, such as Burger King and Chick-fil-A, among others.

Before taking your kids to play at places like this, even if you are not going to dine, give it some serious consideration and see if it really sends the messages to your children that you want them receiving. Whether you realize it or not, just taking them there, or not, says a lot about how you feel about the establishment, what they serve, and if you approve of their business model and actions. Either way, your children will pick up on these endorsments, or lack thereof, whether implied or not. And that will help build the foundation of how they view such companies.

McDonald's.... I'm so not lovin' it.

(Not long ago I wrote an article on this topic, you can read it here.)

Comments

[Vibeke Vale]

Hey! I used to take my kids to McDonalds to play with other kids in the summer time when it was unbearably hot everywhere else, including our house. I would get a coffee and sit and chat with a friend and my kids would play. That was as recent as last summer.

Now, however, I know better; I am better educated than I was then. There is no way I would repeat that behaviour ever again and I strongly encourage others not to do it either.

[Jacqueline]

Vibeke, I'm glad you have seen the error of your ways! LOL. 'Tis not a place one should take their kids to play. :)