Would this be child abuse? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Frump · 01-17-2014, 01:07 PM

Ok if a parent and child went to a restaurant, and instead of wanting a child's meal, the child INSISTS on getting the regular bigger meal. So the parent gets the child the adult meal and to teach the child a lesson, sits there and FORCES the child to eat the WHOLE thing?

Is that good discipline or messed up?

Zoneboy · 01-17-2014, 01:50 PM

Instead of forcing the child to eat the whole meal the best thing to do would be to ask for a bag or box and take the rest home. If the child became sick or got choked because of being forced to eat it then I would call it abuse. Also, no restaurant employee worth their salt is going to stand by and watch a child being forced to eat more than their body will allow and not take some type of action.

retrofan05 · 01-17-2014, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frump

Ok if a parent and child went to a restaurant, and instead of wanting a child's meal, the child INSISTS on getting the regular bigger meal. So the parent gets the child the adult meal and to teach the child a lesson, sits there and FORCES the child to eat the WHOLE thing?

Is that good discipline or messed up?

Forcing a child to overeat could definitely be considered a form of abuse. When your body tells you you are full, it is unhealthy to continue eating. In this case, the child had no choice but to keep eating. Instead of forcing the child to overeat, the parent could have used the opportunity as a teachable moment to explain to the child that if he had gotten the child's meal, he wouldn't have have had to waste so much food and that that is why they offer a smaller portions for children. Although, even if the child had gotten the children's meal, there's no guarantee that he or she would have been able to finish that meal. That's what to go boxes are for. With portion sizes the way the are today, many adults can't even finish the adult meals.

Zoneboy · 01-17-2014, 02:00 PM

From what I've seen, most children can barely finish a Happy Meal at McDonalds so after thinking about it more clearly I can see where it would be considered abuse to force them into doing something their bodies won't allow.

Lee · 01-17-2014, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frump

Ok if a parent and child went to a restaurant, and instead of wanting a child's meal, the child INSISTS on getting the regular bigger meal. So the parent gets the child the adult meal and to teach the child a lesson, sits there and FORCES the child to eat the WHOLE thing?

Is that good discipline or messed up?

I have 2 questions:

1.Why would a child want to get an Adult meal?

2.Why should food be wasted?

I hope I don't get you angry at me, Charles.

Zoneboy · 01-17-2014, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

I hope I don't get you angry at me, Charles.

Nothing to be angry about, you brought up 2 very good points. I worked in the restaurant business for nearly 20 years and I've never seen a kid get served an adult's size meal. Their stomachs are much smaller and can't hold as much. If you force a child to eat more than they're capable of then you're only asking trouble later. Occasionally I will take my 3-year-old niece to McDonalds', Burger King or Wendy's and she never finishes her kid's meal so we just bring it home and she has it later. There's no way I'd ever try to force her to finish it.

Frump · 01-18-2014, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

I have 2 questions:

1.Why would a child want to get an Adult meal?

2.Why should food be wasted?

I hope I don't get you angry at me, Charles.

1. Obvisouly to feel BIG like an adult, I'm asking this b/c this is what happened to ME once as a child. I dont think it's that uncommun, though I was a strange kid.

Penny Lane · 01-18-2014, 10:12 PM

I guess in that family the child rules the roost. That would be the day when I would cave into a child's demands.Some parents don't know the word "NO"! And I have never believed in forcing a child to eat . Especially if the food is something the child dislikes. My parents made me eat liver which I can't stand to this day! I never served liver to my kids and I would have never forced them to eat it! And yes I think that the parents were wrong to make the kid eat the whole thing. That wouldn't accomplish anything except maybe the kid throwing up in the restaurant.

Frump · 01-19-2014, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

I guess in that family the child rules the roost. That would be the day when I would cave into a child's demands.Some parents don't know the word "NO"! And I have never believed in forcing a child to eat . Especially if the food is something the child dislikes. My parents made me eat liver which I can't stand to this day! I never served liver to my kids and I would have never forced them to eat it! And yes I think that the parents were wrong to make the kid eat the whole thing. That wouldn't accomplish anything except maybe the kid throwing up in the restaurant.

As I said, this happened to ME as a child, and the person doing it thought they were teaching me a lesson, like if you order it you EAT it!

sara · 01-20-2014, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

From what I've seen, most children can barely finish a Happy Meal at McDonalds so after thinking about it more clearly I can see where it would be considered abuse to force them into doing something their bodies won't allow.

I must have been weird then because I could eat a Big Mac at age 5.

01-17-2014, 01:07 PM	#1
Frump Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 06, 2003 Location: McMinnville Posts: 1,206	Would this be child abuse? Ok if a parent and child went to a restaurant, and instead of wanting a child's meal, the child INSISTS on getting the regular bigger meal. So the parent gets the child the adult meal and to teach the child a lesson, sits there and FORCES the child to eat the WHOLE thing? Is that good discipline or messed up?
	__________________ Frump

01-17-2014, 01:50 PM	#2
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	Instead of forcing the child to eat the whole meal the best thing to do would be to ask for a bag or box and take the rest home. If the child became sick or got choked because of being forced to eat it then I would call it abuse. Also, no restaurant employee worth their salt is going to stand by and watch a child being forced to eat more than their body will allow and not take some type of action.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

01-18-2014, 10:12 PM	#8
Penny Lane Butter Pie Forum Icon Join Date: Jul 03, 2001 Location: Beneath the blue suburban skies Posts: 51,047	I guess in that family the child rules the roost. That would be the day when I would cave into a child's demands.Some parents don't know the word "NO"! And I have never believed in forcing a child to eat . Especially if the food is something the child dislikes. My parents made me eat liver which I can't stand to this day! I never served liver to my kids and I would have never forced them to eat it! And yes I think that the parents were wrong to make the kid eat the whole thing. That wouldn't accomplish anything except maybe the kid throwing up in the restaurant.
	__________________ Vulgarity is no substitute for wit- Lady Violet Crawley

01-17-2014, 02:00 PM	#4
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,349	From what I've seen, most children can barely finish a Happy Meal at McDonalds so after thinking about it more clearly I can see where it would be considered abuse to force them into doing something their bodies won't allow.