Yet another frivolous lawsuit is on the horizon. The latest one filed by a mother in California who, with the assistance of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), is suing McDonalds fo
r selling toys in Happy Meals. The mother of two children is taking legal action because she feels that McDonalds is using toys to entice children to buy the meals, considered by some to be unhealthy junk food. Hold up! Wait a minute. Who is taking her children to McDonalds and buying the Happy Meals? Is she buying them? If the mother fears for her children’s health and doesn’t want them to look like they are just one Happy Meal away from obesity, then she should step-up, handle her parental business and say “no.” If her children are going to Mickey D’s on their own and buying a Happy Meal, then they are probably too old for the toys anyway, and they are going to buy the meal whether she likes it or not.
There are some people to whom adults may not want to say no. Their boss for instance. Or a police officer asking to see the driver’s license. Elderly parents may even hold a yes card. But young children learn early in life whether their parents call the shots or if the children rule.
On the other hand, this case may not be exclusively a Happy Meal/toy issue. The prospect of money is always a powerful motivator and it sometimes trumps principle. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this case. If the Happy Meal Mom loses will she then have enough backbone to parent up and just say no?