Well not exactly “dilemma” as such, but rather a “difficult decision”.
Jasper has been invited by one of his classmates Chi-Wai to his birthday party. Chi-Wai is a highly intelligent and very likeable kid, but he is just very quiet, so althou Jasper and Chi-Wai also go to the same Sunday school at the local Catholic church, they don’t actually have much to say to each other. Obviously Chi-Wai likes Jasper enough to invite him.
The problem is, the party is being held at the local MacDonald’s.
Except the cheap soft ice-cream now and then, we don’t actually take Jasper to MacDonald’s. He has never had a fry or a McBurger. I have no idea who taught him, but whenever Jasper sees a MacDonald’s advert on telly, he says “rubbish!”
I would really like Jasper to attend Chi-Wai’s birthday party, but we have two problems here: (i) I really don’t want Jasper to get hooked on MacDonald’s, and (ii) it would be quite embarrassing if Jasper keeps saying “rubbish!” at the party.
I’d have to take Jasper out to the local Jusco and let him choose a present for Chi-Wai. Maybe I’ll call Chi-Wai’s parents on Saturday morning and see if they’ll go to church so Jasper can give Chi-Wai the present and we’ll make an excuse or something.
3 responses so far ↓
1 James // Mar 4, 2006 at 11:38 am
Yeah, I think that’s best too.
The embarrassment might cost Jasper a friend for a couple of days at the most; they soon forget it ever happened and become friends again. However, letting Jasper try the food when you don’t want or don’t have too could be the main concern for you.
That said however though, “locking out” a kid for anything bad might not be the best procedure or solution for teaching them. MacFood is a lot more accessible than drugs and can’t be treated the same. If you just want to delay him having junk food that’s food. If you want him to be able to judge for himself so he could make the right judgment whenever you are not around than you might have to use another method other than “locking him out”.
Not sure when would be a good age to start other methods but in this case, you might want to try stuffing Jasper with proper food before hand so he is not hungry at all. That’s way, even if he had a burger or an apple pie it would taste as good as when one is very hungry for any kind of food. That should leave you with just the embarrassment problem. ;p
2 tin_the_fatty // Mar 5, 2006 at 11:17 am
I think the embarrassment is the big problem. The kids would no doubt forget about it all in a couple of days, but there is absolutely no reason to subject the kind parents to the embarrassment of some little kid suggesting in public that a MacDonald’s birthday party might not be such a good idea.
I know I would miss the (normally good looking) MacDonald’s PR girl at the party.
3 James Mok // Mar 5, 2006 at 7:47 pm
You don’t endorse it and that is your rightful choice. Not everyone are required to order some food, or you could just have a salad. I think Jasper is too young to know how to be tactful among different people but he certainly is old enough to know what he wants or doesn’t want. Neither Jasper or you should be blamed if he actually say it out; so it would just end in a good laugh.