Last night, we let The Kid have two friends for a sleepover. This morning, The Wife and I had forgotten we had an appointment at 8:00 AM, so we had to bring the entire group of kids along for the ride. While we had our appointment, the kids would have to sit in the waiting room.
The waiting room is in a busy professional office. Not a place where kids, aged 9, 11 and 12 would want to hang out. I had them each bring a book to read, and outlined my expectations.
"I need you all to be quiet while we are in our meeting," I told them. "You may whisper or read."
It was really important that the kids be well-behaved, so I dangled an extra carrot in front of them. "If you are quiet, and I don't get any complaints from the office staff about your behavior, I will take you to McDonald's for breakfast."
The kids were really excited about the idea of McDonald's for breakfast. They were good as gold, so I took them out for breakfast.
Each kid wanted a breakfast combo -- a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit with hash browns and a drink. I had one too, knowing that I'd have to eat light for the rest of the day. When I got home, I looked up the calorie count of my breakfast, and was simply amazed. I expected it to be high, but was surprised to learn that my biscuit, hash browns and small cup of orange juice added up to a whopping 723 calories, over half calories for the day.
The kids were delighted to get their breakfasts, and while we munched I looked around the restaurant. By the size of some of the children (and the accompanying adults) who were dining, it appeared that a great many of them were "regulars."
No wonder we are a nation of obese children.
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