Oh the horror! We must protect the children!!!

[thebug]

And if people learned how to cook when you took your kids to fast food they'd take one bite and say "dad, this stuff is bad!"

 

 

I am a very good cook. Kids like french fries. (and playland)

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

One of my cousins when he was younger would only eat hot dogs and McDonalds french fries. So my idiot uncle and aunt would have to go to McDonalds every day for an order of fries instead of just making him eat what they would serve.

 

Very simple solution to this. The kid doesn't eat until he agrees to eat some healthy. He'll learn his lesson in less than a day when his stomach starts screaming at him. But I suppose that would be child abuse or something

[The Dean]

Very simple solution to this. The kid doesn't eat until he agrees to eat some healthy. He'll learn his lesson in less than a day when his stomach starts screaming at him. But I suppose that would be child abuse or something

 

 

I was a very picky eater...still am to a degree. My parents rarely forced me to eat stuff I didn't want, but didn't make it easy for me, either (like preparing me a different meal). I could eat what I wanted, if there was nothing I wanted I didn't eat. It actually helped me to become a decent cook.

 

A couple of times my Dad decided I was GOING to eat something. One classic was when he decided I was going to eat a sweet potato at a family holiday dinner. Projectile vomiting on the table can change parental behavior fairly quickly, I found.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I was a very picky eater...still am to a degree. My parents rarely forced me to eat stuff I didn't want, but didn't make it easy for me, either (like preparing me a different meal). I could eat what I wanted, if there was nothing I wanted I didn't eat. It actually helped me to become a decent cook.

 

A couple of times my Dad decided I was GOING to eat something. One classic was when he decided I was going to eat a sweet potato at a family holiday dinner. Projectile vomiting on the table can change parental behavior fairly quickly, I found.

 

I wasn't commenting on the kid being picky (though being overly picky isn't great for a kid because they limit their experiences), I was commenting on how he wouldn't eat anything except hot dogs and McDonalds' fries. Unless your objective is to spoil your child while simultaneously making sure he's dead by the age of 40, this is about as irresponsible as it gets when it comes to parenting.

 

It's not bad for a kid to have a few options, but those options shouldn't include hot dogs or fries any more than about once per month IMO.

[The Dean]

I wasn't commenting on the kid being picky (though being overly picky isn't great for a kid because they limit their experiences), I was commenting on how he wouldn't eat anything except hot dogs and McDonalds' fries. Unless your objective is to spoil your child while simultaneously making sure he's dead by the age of 40, this is about as irresponsible as it gets when it comes to parenting.

 

It's not bad for a kid to have a few options, but those options shouldn't include hot dogs or fries any more than about once per month IMO.

 

Oh, I'm with you on that. I have a couple of nephews that eat chicken fingers and such every meal. They're healthy (at least outwardly) kids, involved in soccer, baseball, etc. They'll probably grow out of it, but it does concern me a bit.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Oh, I'm with you on that. I have a couple of nephews that eat chicken fingers and such every meal. They're healthy (at least outwardly) kids, involved in soccer, baseball, etc. They'll probably grow out of it, but it does concern me a bit.

 

It sounds like they're young enough that their metabolism hasn't caught up with them. Sometimes this doesn't happen until a person's in their 30's, but it's inevitable...a sustained unhealthy diet WILL catch up with you.

 

I have a friend/colleague who eats like this. Nothing but processed/frozen foods and sodas. He's 22 and doesn't weigh any more than 130 soaking wet. But that doesn't mean he isn't huffing and puffing after walking a half-mile up an incline. Guy gets winded after a couple holes of golf, and he's deluded enough to think he's healthy just because he isn't overweight (yet).

[WWVaBeach]

Kind of related

[Chef Jim]

Depending on the bar, I have no problem with parents bringing in well behaved children. Certainly some places are completely inappropriate for children and some children shouldn't be brought into any bar. But given the right conditions I favor parents exposing their children to many different atmospheres and people, not keeping them in some sort of protective cocoon.

 

The Tender Bar is a good read, for those interested.

 

I have a problem if my wife and I walk into a bar and there are no tables left because they are occupied by families with kids taking advantage of cheap happy hour food. As a matter of fact, I have a huge problem with that.

[The Dean]

I have a problem if my wife and I walk into a bar and there are no tables left because they are occupied by families with kids taking advantage of cheap happy hour food. As a matter of fact, I have a huge problem with that.

 

 

What if that table is occupied by a group of 21 year old guys nursing a pitcher of beer and taking advantage of cheap happy hour food?

[Beerball]

What if that table is occupied by a group of 21 year old guys nursing a pitcher of beer and taking advantage of cheap happy hour food?

What if the table is occupied by a group of 21 year old hot nurses?

[BuffaloBill]

I have a problem if my wife and I walk into a bar and there are no tables left because they are occupied by families with kids taking advantage of cheap happy hour food. As a matter of fact, I have a huge problem with that.

 

 

The bar can help to control this by putting food out that is not likely to appeal to kids. If they are simply serving fried junk or whatever else may appeal to kids and their cheap parents then I would look to move on anyway.

[The Dean]

The bar can help to control this by putting food out that is not likely to appeal to kids. If they are simply serving fried junk or whatever else may appeal to kids and their cheap parents then I would look to move on anyway.

 

 

Bars shouldn't use cartoon characters to push their free happy hour junk food to children!

[stuckincincy]

I've found and underground farmers market that roams around SF with people selling things they've made at home. No sales tax, go government regulations just people selling things to people. Probably a lot of bartering going on at these things too.

 

What also dried up were the folks that would stroll into the bars hawking this or that bunch of (possibly hot) material goods - electronics, books, games, tableware - you name it.

 

But I've not been in a bar since OH put in their smoking ban (OH, like NY, puts out phony figures that "prove" that the bar and eatery business didn't go down. They do like to point out that overall booze, wine, and beer sales are up. Yep - bad economy so people yuck it up at home - duh!).

[Chef Jim]

What if that table is occupied by a group of 21 year old guys nursing a pitcher of beer and taking advantage of cheap happy hour food?

 

That's a stupid ass question. Of course I'm fine with that seeing the cheap happy hour food was made cheap so people 21 and older would come and consume alcohol which is where restaurants make money.

[The Dean]

That's a stupid ass question. Of course I'm fine with that seeing the cheap happy hour food was made cheap so people 21 and older would come and consume alcohol which is where restaurants make money.

 

Well, I have seen a couple with kids spending far more on drinks (and perhaps food) than a group of college kids splitting a pitcher 4-5 ways to eat for free/cheap at happy hour.

 

I would look at it a different way (of course). If the adults with kids are regular customers, and it is a relatively family-friendly place (some pubs are), they are welcome to bring their well behaved children and use a table. If they just show up to grub on the food, then I have some issues. I have the same issues with people over 21 who only show up during that time to nurse a draft and chow down.

 

Also, I know you used to be stuck in the kitchen, but bars regularly charge $2 and more for a glass of pop/soda/soft drink. It's sometimes cheaper to drink beer in a bar. Don't simply assume the bar isn't making $ from a table because someone under age is sitting at the table.

 

But I can only semi-relate to your problem as I sit at the bar when I go to a bar.

[rockpile]

Cartoons sell kids on unhealthy foods

 

Can a guy get a rack of brontosaurus ribs?

 

I always used to choose my cereal on two criteria:

 

1. the word 'sugar' in the name

2. the prize in the box

 

The government is REALLY starting to piss me off!

[The Dean]

I always used to choose my cereal on two criteria:

 

1. the word 'sugar' in the name

2. the prize in the box

 

The government is REALLY starting to piss me off!

 

 

 

I just came from a grocery store. Plenty of sugar cereal in the aisle.

[Chef Jim]

Well, I have seen a couple with kids spending far more on drinks (and perhaps food) than a group of college kids splitting a pitcher 4-5 ways to eat for free/cheap at happy hour.

 

I would look at it a different way (of course). If the adults with kids are regular customers, and it is a relatively family-friendly place (some pubs are), they are welcome to bring their well behaved children and use a table. If they just show up to grub on the food, then I have some issues. I have the same issues with people over 21 who only show up during that time to nurse a draft and chow down.

 

Also, I know you used to be stuck in the kitchen, but bars regularly charge $2 and more for a glass of pop/soda/soft drink. It's sometimes cheaper to drink beer in a bar. Don't simply assume the bar isn't making $ from a table because someone under age is sitting at the table.

 

But I can only semi-relate to your problem as I sit at the bar when I go to a bar.

 

Of course you sit at the bar, who'd want to join you. Anyway the problem I have is when going to a bar, the one I'm thinking about is a mexican restaurant near where we used to live and we'd walk in for happy hour and several times there was no place to sit seeing there were a couple of tables with kids and I'm assuming they were there for the cheap happy hour discount food. And what really pissed me off is there was a half full dining room where the parents should have been dining with their kids.

 

I'm not concerned about the bar not making as much money but the whole purpose of happy hour is to bring in adults to purchase alcohol not the family to eat on the cheap.