[Linzie]

Parents Want to Ban Ice Cream Man from Playground | Trending Now - Yahoo! News


Is it that difficult to say "No, no ice cream today! Sorry! Now go play."

But really, an ice cream cone is not going to make your child obese, especially if they are out at the park getting exercise.

To me this says, "I don't want to be the "bad guy", so I'm going to make the government do it for me."

What do you think?

[BittyBugsMama]

This is a tough one for me. We aren't at the playground every day so the ice cream man doesn't make a big impact on us but I can imagine how annoying it would be to have kids asking for ice cream every day.

[LifeToTheMax]

I agree with every word you said.

Before I opened this post, I figured it would be about parents wanting to ban the ice cream man in case he was a creeper. I'm even more appalled by this.

Yes, I hate having to tell DS no. He throws himself on the floor and cries. He has the saddest pout face ever. When he really wants to get me, he signs please and says "peas? "peas?" (he's 18 months old). But he has to learn sometime that he can't have everything he wants, and I have to learn sometime that I need to tell him no and set boundaries for him.

What if he only eats healthy because he never ever sees unhealthy food, what will happen when he's on his own? If he never learns how to pass by an ice cream man (or whatever the temptation may be), without giving in? When he gets to the college dorm cafeteria and eats 3 deserts and gains 30 pounds in a year (not that I know that from personal experience )?

PLUS, what about driving? Will these parents purposely take routes that never pass a Dairy Queen/ice cream store to avoid their kids requests? Will they never walk past the mall food court? Cover their kids eyes if they pass a billboard on the expressway with a big, yummy McDonald's Milkshake on it?

As far as the obese argument, yes, sure, I agree that obesity is an issue in the US. Do I think banning the ice cream man is the solution. Nope! First, see my first argument. If we never teach our kids how to moderately indulge, then we are setting them up for failure. Should we really say that no kids should be allowed to have an ice cream on a hot day at the park ever because

"One in three kids is going to be obese or diabetic by high school."

? (From the article)

[Poncho06]

The ice cream truck parks in front of my house, literally. There is a school in my neighborhood and he parks there during the nice weather when school is in session. My kids ask for ice cream every time we are out and he is there. My kids get told no 99.9% of the time. It's called parenting.

[Linzie]

There is nothing wrong with a little bit of "fatty" food. The stuff tastes awesome, and it's a nice treat. If that's what it stays -a treat- , there is no reason NOT to indulge. Moderation is key in everything. It pretty darn convenient to have it delivered to you too!


HA! I had to share this: The parent organization who is behind the ban is called "Park Slope Parents" and there is now a "Sh*T Park Slope Parent's Say" video. It was linked on their website.. Park Slope Parents - PSP Blog..

Warning, there is language.

**** Park Slope Parents Say - YouTube

[K.A.T]

Really? Since when couldn't we a parents tell our kids no? This is right up there with people who want to get rid of the toys in happy meals. Parents need to stand up and be parents and stop expecting everyone else to raise their kids for them.

[HappyHippy]

The ice cream man (well actually it was a woman and her son) at our old playground had crappy ice cream treats There were no good cones or fudge pops or ice cream sandwhiches.

Anyways to answer the OP, I think this is ridiculous. Yes it's annoying for kids to beg their parents for something every time they go somewhere, but it's good for kids to hear no, it teaches them they can't have everything they want. Every time we go grocery shopping ds1 asks for a cookie from the bakery, guess what? I tell him no most of the time. Does he get sad for a few moments? Sure, but he gets over it and life moves on.

[plan4fate]

Oh this is silly!

Why are some parents so afraid to parent their kids and tell them No. And to tell them not to bother asking in the first place, because the answer is no.

We knew the answer, we also knew if we even asked there was a chance that everybody but you would get a treat at the end of the trip.

[Frackel]

I don't find kids asking for things to be annoying(even if repeatedly, though I admit I'm probably not the norm on that front, my kids don't really ask for a lot of stuff, lol), and I don't find it difficult to tell my kids no when it's warranted.

These idiots just clearly don't want to make parental decisions that might make their little princesses and princes be "mad" at them.

We don't have an ice cream man. We used to, like once a year. Their are several that come through the town, just not where we are. They're not the kind that have things like actual ice cream cones or anything though. They carry things like popsicles and other frozen treats that are wrapped. In fact growing up that was the same kind of ice cream man we'd see. I don't personally know of anywhere within 5 or 6 counties of here that has an ice cream truck that actually has cones and things like that.

[cybele]

Well my kids also nag me when they see toy stores, book stores, clothing stores, the cupcake shop near their Nan and Pop's house, lolly shops, any store that could possibly have chocolate in it, a place selling potato wedges, pizza stores, stores that sell glittery pink things, stores that sell stickers, stores that sell DVDs, stores with TVs in them that you can watch in the store, the shop that sells the giant cookies, shoe stores, the smelly candle store where you can smell all the candles, the art supply store, the pet shop, the chemist that sells the bags of jelly beans at the counter, the donut shop, the juice shop, the bakery, and so on.

Should we ban all of these to?

Of course not, because there is a magical word and it is "No" and the sooner these parents learn to say it, the better they will find their trips to the park will be.

[Repti.Mom]

The ice cream truck also parks in front of my house frequently in the summer. It's the crappy character ice cream in that truck. OCCASIONALLY we get the 'good truck' that dishes out real ice cream cones. Then on top of that we have the Mexican ice cream dude. Some of the neighbor kids are mexican so the kids get that ice cream for free a lot (if it's even ice cream.. one has raisins in it??) Anyway, the point is that the kids have the potential to ask every day, several times a day if they weren't taught that the answer is going to be no most of the time. I make a point to point out if they have a lot of change saved or if I have a few dollars just laying there. It's just lazy parents wanting someone else to do EVERYTHING for them. Pretty soon we'll have breastfeeding robots.

[Tammyjh]

I hope Michelle Obama doesn't see this article or ice cream will be banned everywhere.

[fluffycheeks]

Originally Posted by Tammyjh

I hope Michelle Obama doesn't see this article or ice cream will be banned everywhere.

Or... they will add strawberry ice cream to the school lunch menu and call it a serving of fruit.

I personally love the ice cream man. My kids maybe get to buy from him 2-3 times per summer, but I remember doing it as a kid and loving it, and my kids love it too.

[challowell]

I got a child allergic to milk. It has got real easy lately to say no. We have a truck that runs through my neighborhood every summer. We have taught our girls ice cream and candies are a sometimes food and you have to eat good foods so you grow up big. They do get treats but we have learned to balance.

[Lash]

Isn't Park Slope known for this kind of stuff? Banning strollers in certain areas of the town, stopping liquor licenses if restaurants don't keep the noise down. They wanted to ban foods imported from Israel. No kidding.

They are known for annoying socialite mommies and the place everyone loves to hate. Banning ice cream is probably the LEAST ridiculous thing that happened there this month, sadly. Try reading this breakdown of the CO-OP meeting where 3000 people showed up to discuss banning Iraeli foods. http://www.****edinparkslope.com/hom...coop-meet.html

[LifeToTheMax]

Lash, what is the link? It bleeped out part of it, so it doesn't work!

[Lash]

Ahh its called "e-ffed" in Park Slope. Let me see if writing the link this way will work instead

NOPE. Ok so search E-ffed in Park Slope, but the real F word for this blog entry:

heres-a-minute-by-minute-recap-of-last-nights-food-coop-meet.html

You'll think Ice Cream bans are nothing after reading that

[My2miracles]

Originally Posted by K.A.T

Really? Since when couldn't we a parents tell our kids no? This is right up there with people who want to get rid of the toys in happy meals. Parents need to stand up and be parents and stop expecting everyone else to raise their kids for them.

Yeah & now they only put 3 yes 3 fries in the happy meals I can't mooch fries off my kids anymore. That's just not right! My kids are skinny! Why should they be punished because some other parent feeds their kid too much!

[fluffycheeks]

One mother wrote, "I should not have to fight with my children every warm day on the playground just so someone can make a living."

Oh my! Someone really said that?!?!

[MommaLexi]

I agree that parents need to man up (or woman up) and learn to tell their kids no. I'm a huge believer in moderation. I may eat 6 oreos in one night, but I only do it like once every two months, so it really does not matter. Kids need to be taught that goodies are a treat, not a daily thing. We get ice cream at the park about twice a month during the hot months. I do it only when I can get them with the change in my car. It's the character ice creams, nothing super awesome, but the kids love them and it's a nice treat for me, too, when I'm sweating up a storm chasing after toddlers in 100 degree weather.