"You're going to be that mother?"
"You're never going to let your kid be an American kid and have a Happy Meal?"
I remember this overwhelming feeling of not knowing how I was going to handle our "American culture" for my baby.
As I rubbed my belly, I remember thinking to him - "we are going to have to figure this out together."
Fast forward 3 years later....
Chase is scootering down the city sidewalk. We cut through the Buger King parking lot to go to our favorite organic, vegan spot - LuLu Green in Southie. We were on a mission to get mom's "tea coffee," and Chase's blue spirulina smoothie.
The fast-food chains he never noticed because we didn't bring attention to them. There was nothing to talk about!
Fast forward a year later...
I hear Chase chatting with his cousins and someone mentions McDonalds, and Chase innocently says "What's McDonalds?"
People were shocked that he was about 4 years old and had no idea what it was, but I assured him that he wouldn't like the food because he had a sophisticated tastebuds, and we don't eat the food because it is bad for your microbiome.
He understood what "bad for your microbiome meant."
Yes - my son knew about the concept of our microbiome before he knew what McDonalds was!
It was around the age of 5 that he started noticing the fast-food chains from the TV commercials during sports games - and that is when I told him the truth.
I said Chase, "the world is filled with good people and bad people - good companies and bad companies - and not everyone cares about your well being. There are bad companies out there that will trick you into eating chemicals and poisons that make you really sick - your body won't be as strong, your brain won't be as clear - these companies don't care if you live a long, strong life.
McDonalds - they are an example of an evil company, and because I love you - and want you to live a long, strong life, I would never feed you that poison."
Time had passed and we were headed back toward the city to visit some family, and I hear in the back seat -
"Hey mom, I just saw a sign for that evil french fry company! Look mom, there it is again!"
He proceeded to ask "if people know this is a bad company and they are hurting people, why wouldn't they get arrested and go to jail?"
Me: "It's called politics my son - and a government filled with unqualified individuals who know absolutely nothing about health (but love money!)"