Last weekend I attended an event at KFC headquarters with my 6 year old. It was an event for five moms and one of their children each to check out the new KFC Kids Meals. It was the first overnight blogger trip I ever brought a child too and I was so excited. I never thought about anything other than it was going to be a great weekend with other bloggers, my oldest child and a great brand. KFC pitched the event to us as me and a few other bloggers bringing our kids and checking out the KFC Cooking Lab and new Kid Centric Meal. The word HEALTHY was not used once! Obviously I know KFC is not healthy and when we were there even the representatives said that everyone should eat KFC in moderation and they don’t expect us to eat it every day. The whole idea was that KFC has launched some healthier choices in their kids meals – not HEALTHY but healthier than maybe what they had before or other fast food restaurants may have. They made no claims and again we all know KFC is not healthy, but as busy parents we all know how crazy dinner time can be. I admit even as a stay at home mom dinner time comes and I feel like the day flew by. For households with two working parents outside the home, I do not even know how they manage to eat dinner at home every night.
So anyways back to bloggers hating on other bloggers. Well before I even boarded the plane, our KFC hashtag (#kfckidsmeals) took off with tons of posts from bloggers who were basically bashing us bloggers who were going. How could we say that KFC is healthy? Again, no one EVER said it was! Poor KFC was just trying to focus that they are offering a new kids meal with GoGo Squeeze apple sauce, green beans, grilled chicken, Capri Sun and some other choices – but they were attacked by bloggers. Then bloggers started saying how dare us parents feed our children all the sodium and high calorie food from KFC. I felt personally like I was attacked. Like others were saying I was a bad mom because yes I let my kids eat fast food. Yes we eat from KFC. Now if the hashtag was #KFCishealthy or #KFCisgoodforkids then I see a huge issue but it wasn’t. It was jut for us moms to check out the new kids meals and make our own HONEST decisions as parents and bloggers.
Here are some tweets I saw that I really couldn’t believe – many of us bloggers were tweeted at directly too –
Where does the hashtag say “healthy” – Am I missing it?
KFC didn’t use me to promote anything I didn’t want to.
So to the blogger that said this, you don’t have kids so don’t presume to say what you will and won’t do with your kids.
Oh, thanks for removing the references to us bloggers on your info graphic – how fucking nice of you!
So I’m a liar now?
When did I say it was HEALTHY? None of us did!
I didn’t realize that by feeding my child fast food, it is brainwashing them. Thanks for the heads up.
Again how am I being tricked?
Oh my word, how dare I bring my children to something with Fried in the title.
So apparently I’m a bad mom and doesn’t consider my children precious?
Thank you for letting me know, excuse me while I finish my fried chicken with mashed potatoes.
Calling out bloggers personally and telling them to “just duck” as in pretend this isn’t geared towards you.
AGAIN No one said “HEALTHY”!!!!!
Seriously you lost respect for me? Let me read your blog and see all the things you did that I don’t agree with!
Its one thing to attack a brand but these bloggers did it while we were there, so it was pretty much personal. Actually again I hadn’t even boarded the plane yet when this all started going down. I even got pitched to do an interview about KFC from another website!
Honestly I couldn’t believe the hate on Twitter and Facebook about the KFC blogger trip. If I want don’t want to feed your kid fast food, that’s fine but don’t bash me because I do. Go ahead and express your concern and the facts about the food but don’t continue on with the drama all weekend (and week!) Spend time with your families and worry about your own families. I grew up eating fast food, as did many others, and I am fine.
And if my kids grows up to be 400 pounds and have medical problems due to the fast food we eat about once a week, I promise to let you tell me “I told you so.”
Until then realize that once you put something on the Internet is always there and jumping on the bandwagon of hate isn’t going to get you anywhere. We are all entitled to our own opinions and yes please share them with the world, but realize what you put on Twitter (or Facebook) isn’t going to change my mind – honestly if anything reading all the #kfckidsmeals tweets makes me crave their mashed potatoes.
Tiaras & Tantrums says
wow – look at all the excitement I miss when I leave the country! WTH? This is so ridiculous! I feed my kids KFC – they LOVE it! I LOVE it! Who doesn’t love fried chicken? What I don’t do is give it to them every stinking day or week! It’s a treat – just like McD’s is a treat! I bet none of those moms EVER gave their child a french fry either -did they? Was this all stemming from jealousy? Can’t we all just get along! Oh, by the way – I totally fed my kids KFC in London and it was delicious!
Sara Leanne says
I don’t have kids yet – but this has totally solidified in my mind that I won’t want to every blog about parenting once I do. Sheesh – people are crazy! I’m so sorry you had to deal with this!
Cher says
Thanks! It is truly amazing how people come out of the woodwork with their views of parenting!
april yedinak says
Frankly, I have more issues with these paragons of motherhood that try to shove an unrealistic ideal down everyone else’s throat. I grew up in the 70’s when people left their kids in cars while they shopped, hot dogs and tater tots were considered dinner and people smoked around their kids all the time. I am not saying that we should go back to that way of life, I am simply saying ‘we lived, get a grip and stop judging other mom’s for doing fairly normal, harmless things’. If people want to spend their time judging parental choices, why don’t they at least focus on parents doing real harm.
Cher says
I agree completely! Me feeding my kids fast food (which I ate a lot growing up and survived) is nothing compared to abuse parents – their energy and comments should be geared towards those people!
Terra Heck says
After reading your post I’ve been spending the last hour reading other posts about the situation. This led me to write my own blog post and I linked back to this post. I hope you don’t mind. If you do, just let me know and I’ll delete the link.
http://www.heckofabunch6.com/2013/04/my-thoughts-on-kfckidsmeals-uproar-yep.html
Cher says
Love it! Thanks for the link, just commented on your post 🙂
Terra Heck says
I read and reread the hashtag. Nowhere in it did I get the idea that it was claming to be healthy.
As bloggers, we’re supposed to be professional, courteous and kind to others. As grown adults, that should be a given too. We’re not in high school anymore.
Maybe I’m too open-minded but I could give two cents less just how healthy a parent is feeding their child, if they’re using cloth or regular diapers, organic or not, on and on. Every person has their own techniques and who’s to say which one is right. As long as the child is properly taken care of and loved, let it be.
People get their panties up in a wad too much if things aren’t done exactly their way.
I’m not a drone; I’m not a robot: and I”m not owned by anyone other than God. It riles me up when people get on the “I’m better than you” platform.
You’re right, it’s not a good idea to eat fast food all the time or fried food everyday. But, by golly, it’s not the end of the world if you do it once in a while.
Glad to hear KFC took it in stride and handled it professionally.
However, how are companies to respect us when we can’t even get along ourselves?
Cher says
I know! I can only imagine the other companies on Twitter looking at it going “Do we really want to work with bloggers?”
Tammy S says
I am shocked by the behavior of these bloggers. They can make the food choices for their children and I will make the food choices for mine.
What really blows my mind is that some of these same bloggers have posted articles on their sites about Stop Bullying! What the did to you and the other bloggers was online bullying. Plain and simple! They may not agree with other peoples choices and that’s fine. What they should never have done is bully and berate you all weekend and week for your choices. As far as blogger’s using their children in blog post, Oh Please! They all do it. I know of several that almost all their reviews are based on what their kids liked or didn’t like about a product. What about all those bloggers that are Kotex Mom’s.
Please don’t let these other bloggers that made very poor choices in their behavior upset you. I know that it’s hard to do when they personally attack you. Just keep in mind that your readers believe in you and we are not judging you! That’s why we love your blog, you are honest!
Cher says
Thank you so much! I definitely felt better after blogging about it and the support from everyone has been amazing. I laughed too about them being bullies but then blogging about about bullying on their own sites!
Kayla @ TheEclecticElement says
Unfortunately regardless of what the subject, there are always people out there who thrive on creating chaos and drama in other people’s lives. It probably makes them feel important to put down and belittle other people, places and things which is a very sad state of affairs! Those are the people you just have to take with a grain of salt, know they’re just trying to get attention, and move on with your life.
Hopefully aside from these negative nellies, you and your son had a good time at the event! That’s all that really matters 🙂
Cher says
Thanks! We had a great time and honestly I would do it again. I felt so much better after blogging about it and the support has been amazing. It always though amazes me at how people thrive off drama, don’t they other more important things to do – like spend time with their own families!
Colette S @JamericanSpice says
I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that drama.
I wish people would not have been so judgmental.
I think most were just jealous not to get invited. Seems bloggers are in a road kill attitude to get everything and go everywhere.
2nd – It seems the bully attitude by many bloggers and other people online are the in thing. Just one person need to bark and then set the dogs on someone or something and the crows come awaiting for flesh.
It’s really sad.
I’ve seen how nasty the blogging world can be and I try as best as I can to stay away.
Do your best to ignore and keep going girl.
Cher says
Thanks! I actually wasn’t even going to post anything because I was trying to stay out of it and ignore it but it was really bothering me – thanks for your support!
Jenn says
Oh dear gawd! I hope you don’t lose sleep over this. What have we come to as bloggers? I take it these parents would never buy their kids McDonald’s or an elephant ear at the carnival either. Don’t like it, don’t don’t do it! Not rocket science.
Cher says
🙂 – Oh and now I have a craving for an elephant ear! Exactly – if you don’t like something you don’t have to eat it!
betty says
Sad – makes me wonder how much of that was spurred by jealousy. And how much is just the old ‘cat fight’ cliche about females. It’s so mean spirited.
Just wondering if KFC was aware of this and did they mention anything to the bloggers attending?
Cher says
KFC did mention it when we arrived as they were following the hashtag. They actually sent correct information to the bloggers that started everything for those bloggers to do what they want with the correct information. The KFC reps were very nice about everything and know they can’t please everyone.
Debra Hall says
thank you for being honest
Cher says
Thanks for your support 🙂
Kimberly D says
Oh.my.God!! How awful!! I am sick to death of moms attacking other moms, bloggers attacking bloggers, women attacking other women, you get the point. There’s too much judgment these days. Ugh.
I’m all for a healthy debate but no one should be hateful or mean spirited or judgmental like some of these tweets. We all make our own choices for ourselves and our kids—IMO, everyone else should stay out of it. How dare someone infer another mom is a bad mother for feeding their kid KFC or other fast food.
How disgusting that you and everyone else had to deal with something like this on what should have been a fun and enjoyable event. I say screw the haters and mind your own damn business. Kudos to you for taking a stand!
Kimberly D says
that should be “screw the haters and tell them to mind their own damn business.” :/
Cher says
Thanks for your support! I agree that I love debate too but yeah not when it can hurt people and get in the way of my own family life! I shouldn’t be ashamed that I feed my kids certain things and neither should anyone else!
Crystal says
I can’t imagine having *that* much concern for what someone else is doing with their life/kids. Wouldn’t that time be better spent doing something like posting in their own blog about something like suggestions for what they consider to be “healthy” alternatives? They could offer a solution/suggestions instead of complaining. (Who knows, maybe some of them did, but I’m totally too lazy to look it up.)
Amusingly, my first thought reading all of those tweets was “These people are obviously not getting laid.”
Cher says
Ha, too funny! I agree that they should have just blogged about it instead of spending hours and hours all weekend tweeting about it!