Question for Parents: Is this a valid complaint?

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2008-06-18 06:49pm

Kelloggs and Lego have teamed up to create an edible fruit snack the resembles Lego Blocks. "Gabe" of Penny Arcade, who is himself the parent of a young child had this to say in his newspost today.

Gabe wrote: I would love to know what sick bastard at Kellogs came up with this genius idea. I just spent the first three years of my sons life trying to get him not to eat blocks, and now you're telling him they taste like fucking strawberries. Thanks a lot assholes. Seriously, how in the hell did this ever get past their legal department. You can't tell me that this isn't a lawsuit just waiting to happen. I can only assume that their next product is fruit flavored thumbtacks.

Now I have been around small children for a sizeable part of my life, but I am not a parent. I ask those of you with children is this a valid concern or is this a case of overprotection? Obviously this isn't going to be a problem with kids of a certain age who are smart enough to figure it out, but I have no idea what that age would be.

Post by **Cairber** » 2008-06-18 07:38pm

hmmm...

I really can't see my kids putting certain toys in their mouths because they ate a fruit snack of that shape. But, then again, we usually get spongebob or princess ones, so it's not really a theory I have had play out before me.

But, then again, I had my daughter put a toy (bell on a stick) in her mouth because it was shaped like a lollipop and she yelled "lollipop!!!!"...in it went.

Twoyboy · Post by **Twoyboy** » 2008-06-18 07:46pm

What a whiner. I assume she's talking about toddlers, because infants put everything in their mouths anyway. My daughter has a toy kitchen with lots of plastic food. Real enough that one day I was asking my wife how a potato ended up down the back of the couch before picking it up and feeling it was plastic. By the time she was about 2 or 2 1/2, she could already identify what was real food, to be consumed, and what was fake, to be played with just by the feel.

Having said that, there are some stupid kids out there. Last week there was a story in the news about a girl who ate about 20 or so of those magnetic balls in the Magnetix sets because she thought they were candy. Seriously, how do you not notice after the first couple?

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2008-06-18 08:03pm

Twoyboy wrote:What a whiner. I assume she's talking about toddlers, because infants put everything in their mouths anyway.

He was talking about his 3 year old son, yes.

My daughter has a toy kitchen with lots of plastic food. Real enough that one day I was asking my wife how a potato ended up down the back of the couch before picking it up and feeling it was plastic. By the time she was about 2 or 2 1/2, she could already identify what was real food, to be consumed, and what was fake, to be played with just by the feel.

This is the sort of response I was looking for, thanks!

Having said that, there are some stupid kids out there. Last week there was a story in the news about a girl who ate about 20 or so of those magnetic balls in the Magnetix sets because she thought they were candy. Seriously, how do you not notice after the first couple?

Twoyboy · Post by **Twoyboy** » 2008-06-18 08:06pm

Darth Fanboy wrote:
Twoyboy wrote:What a whiner. I assume she's talking about toddlers, because infants put everything in their mouths anyway.
He was talking about his 3 year old son, yes.

Ah, yes it helps if I read the bit above the picture too.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2008-06-18 09:19pm

I would ask if such a chewy food is appropriate for a 2 year old in the first place, let alone what ever shape it is.

Second, toddlers put things in their mouth to 'feel' it not necessarily to eat it. Honestly a lego shaped piece of candy doesn't feel tactilely like a lego block so chances are a kid won't equate the two in the young toddler years where they would put it in their mouth on a lark.

Death from the Sea · Post by **Death from the Sea** » 2008-06-19 12:37am

on the flip side of that, don't buy it if you think your kid would begin trying to eat his legos...

I mean it is not like that you have to buy the stuff...

KlavoHunter · Post by **KlavoHunter** » 2008-06-21 05:33am

Twoyboy wrote:Having said that, there are some stupid kids out there. Last week there was a story in the news about a girl who ate about 20 or so of those magnetic balls in the Magnetix sets because she thought they were candy. Seriously, how do you not notice after the first couple?

One word: Pica.

And I'm pretty sure I've seen lego-shaped hard candy before. I think it was the same sorta candy they use to make candy necklaces.

bilateralrope · Post by **bilateralrope** » 2008-06-21 06:55am

Are they close enough to Lego blocks that the kids might start building thing with them and plastic blocks ?

If they do, and it gets left a while, how much of a mess could it make ?