DO KIDS’ MENUS DO MORE HARM
Than Good?
Kids can be picky eaters. This is a fact recognized by parents and restaurants alike — hence the classic children’s menu featured at many restaurants around the country. These menus are virtually identical: chicken tenders, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, french fries, and so on. Kids’ menus are loaded with fried foods and cheap carbs. Some parents love the kids’ menu. It makes deciding on food easier. Or, at least, that’s what we tell ourselves. Kids’ menus are populated with foods practically every kid loves. But they have a dark side. Aside from poor nutrition, the kids’ menu changes the family dynamic. In an interview with Eater.com, television chef and host Alton Brown (who you may know from “Good Eats,” “Iron Chef America,” and “Cutthroat Kitchen”) said, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever let your kid eat from the children’s menu at restaurants and never, ever, ever make your kid special food to allow them to avoid whatever the family is eating.” Why? During his “Alton Brown Live!” tour, he explained that it comes down to control.
By giving kids the option of the children’s menu, you relinquish culinary control to your kids. The next time you go out as a family or you make a delicious meal at home, they are more likely to demand “their” food. This is a habit a child can quickly adopt — and a habit that’s tough to break. Kids are picky eaters because, as parents and adults, we let them be picky eaters. We perpetuate bad habits. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In a Mom.me article, Dr. Cara Natterson suggests kids eat what the rest of the family eats. For instance, let them indulge in the appetizer menu, then build up to the entrée menu and let them share and sample your food. Encourage culinary exploration. When you encourage your kids to avoid the children’s menu, you give them an opportunity it helps them make healthier choices that aren’t loaded with fat and empty carbs. Make going out to dinner a learning experience, and before you know it, the phrase “kids’ menu” will have disappeared from your family’s vocabulary.
A TALE OF TWO CONFERENCES Our doors may have been open for nearly 17 years now, but we’re still learning new things all the time. Laws change frequently, and the real estate market moves at hyperspeed, especially in our neck of the woods. We’re always on the lookout for ways to educate ourselves and better guide our clients. This month, we’re heading off to the Global Real Estate Summit NYC to hear from experts, converse with colleagues, and crack a few real estate jokes — which, as you probably already know, are the highest form of comedy. Just a few days later, John will be back in Manhattan, but this time for an entirely different reason. If you know John, you know that he’s a bit of a geek. Well, maybe more than a bit — some of us know exactly what’s happening on “Game of Thrones” even though we’ve never watched an episode. Given his passion for this stuff, John couldn’t be more excited to head to New York Comic Con for a few days. With huge stars, immense displays, and fans traveling in from all over the globe, Comic Con is truly an atmosphere unlike any other. We know Real Estate for Dinner, Comic Books for Dessert
The Global Real Estate Summit NYC covers nearly every facet of real estate. It’s not just an event for brokers. Investors, legal experts, technology luminaries, and government officials will all be sharing their knowledge. It’s just a one-day event, but it’s one of the most jampacked days on our calendar. You can bet we’ll be taking notes and bringing back plenty of information that will allow us to improve our client support.
that John will return ready to talk about the latest slate of Star Wars and Marvel releases, and we’ll be the ones having to take notes.
They might be two very different events, but both the Global Real Estate Summit NYC and New York Comic Con are highlighted on the calendar at Merlino & Gonzalez.
2 realestateplanninglaw.com
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