Every time I head into the suburbs to the ‘big shops’ (aka a big shopping centre/mall) I seem to come back with some story to blog about or some people watching event to ponder. It all seems to happen in the food court too…. ah the food court, such a melting pot of life.
So today The Small Boy and I wandered around a large shopping centre before heading to my Ob appointment this afternoon. We picked up a few bits and pieces that we needed and had an early lunch from the Empire of the Evil Clown (because if I can’t have raw fish then I am going for the worst of the worst junk food wise!).
So there we were, waiting quietly to one side for our order of Mc Junk. I was definitely not feeling smug about the healthy choices I was making for my almost three year old, not to mention myself or my unborn child so I wasn’t the least bit judgemental when a man came up to order with a young girl in a pram.
Normally the contents of someone else’s junk food order wouldn’t interest me enough to eaves drop… ahem… I mean people watch… But this guy had already drawn attention to himself by having a small altercation about who was in to be served, so when he pushed his way forward and loudly made his order I couldn’t help but notice.
“I’ll have a happy meal with a burger, fries and a latte”.
The young man serving behind the counter looked up from his button pressing with an odd look on his face. “You want a latte? With the happy meal?”
“Yes a latte… you have lattes? Or a small coffee.. with a straw”.
“Yes we have lattes. But the Happy Meal comes with soft drink… or juice… do you want that as well as the coffee?” The confused Mc Happy server enquired.
“No” reiterated the man “I want a happy meal with a latte.. can you do that?”
“Yes.. it will cost extra though”
“That’s fine.”
So now the ‘Latte Man’ and I stand side by side while we wait for our happy meals. I can’t help but wonder….
Surely he is giving the food to the little girl and having the coffee himself.
The little girl can’t be more than four years old…. no one gives coffee to a four year old. Do they?
Yes, of course that is what he’s going to do. He didn’t want to pay for a Happy Meal drink he wouldn’t use – I get that. I’ve even done that, ordered a Happy Meal with a coke for me because Muski drinks water and we often bring out own.
I was satisfied with my deduction as I picked up our order and began to look for a seat. The ‘Latte Man’s order came as well and I looked over just in time to see the little girl reach up excitedly and take the cup of coffee from the man! She took a huge gulp as he warned her it might be hot and fumbled for the straw… then she sucked down the rest in record speed before they’d even moved away from the counter.
I tried not to let my face show what I was thinking.
I tried not to judge…. really I did.
It’s none of my business really…
Heck I was downing a large frozen coke with my Mc Posion, talk about the pot calling the kettle black…. but still… I confess… I couldn’t help it.
So what do you think?
Latte’s for under fives ok? Not ok? Sometimes ok? I should just mind my own business?
Image from arepa182 via flickr
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
So not ok.
I see countless adults who give their kids coca cola. (with high caffeine in it!) Heck ive been on a bus before and seen a baby have coke in a baby bottle o_O
But I do have to admit, my 4 year old LOVES coffee.
She is usually allowed to have a small amount of iced coffee when my hubby brings home a bottle of it from work (and by small amount I mean maybe a quarter of a cup maybe half that amount).
And when we are out she is usually allowed to have a small sip of our coffee. And thats it.
But a WHOLE latte???!
Yikes!!!!
wow, i am surprised to say the least…i think there is a lot of caffeine and sugar in coke and kids have that all the time…i would not give soda (or coffee) to my kids, but it seems more socially acceptable than coffee in my opinion because to most kids, coffee is gross. so i guess i am surprised in the fact she liked it.
I guess a latte is in all ways better than a coke bar having 3 times as much caffeine. Which wouldn’t be a big deal on occassion, same as a soft drink. The actual coffee seems to be positive health wise, and milk is a kid staple in our culture … I am a hypocrite cause I’d give a 4 yo a coke without much thought but wouldn’t give them a latte!
Dear God!
The only thing I can think is that some kids with ADHD benefit from caffine, it has a calming effect but that is a stretch, a real stretch.
No, No Coffee. No coke here either.
Kate, i posted my response to the wrong blog… Just blame that on the fact that i have ADD and haven’t had enough caffeine today :P
I probably wouldn’t, but then, I do give my 7 and 5 year olds cups of weak milky tea on request, so I’m not in an ivory tower here! To each their own, I guess.
No coffee. No coke. No softdrink other than the very small (and i mean SMALL) lemonade but never postmix.. we get the water with the happy meal. I am astounded. I would have judged, juried and probably said something outloud. So throw rocks at me. It it STUPID… plain and simple. .. sadly i have seen it before. 2.5 year with a takeout coffee coming into child care centre at 7am. :) It takes all sorts.
Um, no. No coffee for little ones. (Baby cino is just froth, isn’t it? Isn’t it?)
We’ve only just started letting Princess have hot chocolate because we thought having a warm drink might be better with her having been sniffly and spluttery
Um, that is not okay. Sorry but coffee is a stimulant and so not good for kids.
Its funny that you blog about this very subject today because I too went to the golden arches of evilness this afternoon!! My four year old was in preschool and I had my sleeping one year old with me in the pram. I probably get the cravings for the sweet/salt of Mcfries once or twice a year and so decided to indulge. I loved every salty mouthful but will confess to some major silent judging of those around me. My baby was asleep so I guess I didn’t have to deal with her fussing and wanting to eat what I was eating (Which is what happens with everything I put in my mouth!) but still. The lady who was served before me was sharing her large coke with her child who I estimate at roughly the same age as mine, around the 12-18 month age which in my opinion is just unneccesary. I am secretly quite proud that my four year old has never had fizzy drink of any kind. Each to their own I guess!
Uh-oh, I let my 2yo have a *teeny* sip of my latte. Only because she wanted to taste it. I swear it.=)
Judge Jeanie would say (under her breath) no.
Uuuuummmmm..?
Erin’s stolen sips of coffee and coke from mine or her fathers cups, but as a rule the last thing we need is her MORE energized.
I still don’t buy my 11y.o. coke and definitely not coffee, so a no from me.
OMFG! Scary crazy. No coffee until they’re teenagers at least! I’m trying to decide whether it’s better or worse than Coke though! At least there is some nutritional value in the milk.
In our house, ‘black fizz’ is only for grownups, though the 7yo has occasional tastes (and has ordered his own at a McParty, grrr)
I can’t see coffee as a good thing for tots, and I’m pretty sure that a fair few other people do too. I sometimes get a hot chocolate to sip while doing the groceries; Lil will have a taste sometime too, and the looks I get make me want to wear a t-shirt that says “It’s hot chocolate, not coffee!”
We don’t do soft drink or coffee and only very occasionally juice, luckily Immy likes water and milk :)
Nope, no. We’ve only just introduced lemonade, they were throwing up and it didn’t go away again. I’m pretty annoyed actually. But definitely no caffiene. I’m generally an all-things-in-moderation type gal and a little bit of junk doesn’t worry me, but caffiene’s not junk, it’s a fairly strong addictive drug.
No from me too – no to coffee, no to coke. The only soft drink my kids get is lemonade, and then only at a party or special occasion.
I am not the best role-model for them, I’ll admit as they see me drink diet coke a lot, but they know its not for them. They get water, milk and juice at home. I don’t drink coffee or tea at all so I guess they’ve never asked for it. I don’t think they’d like it anyway.
I’m surprised she actually drank it, I would have thought that coffee tasted yucky to most kids. No coffee for the kidlets in this house, very occasionally (maybe four times a year) we will buy some lemonade for the 10yr old. Miss seven doesn’t like any type of fizzy cordial so it is never an issue with her… but basically we all drink water!
Sadly at work I have seen lots of babies with a bottle full of coke, and the mothers could never understand why they had trouble getting them to sleep!
No caffeine for my son full stop. None. And for a four year old – plain silly.