H Moms,
Have you see the "If you are Happy and you know it eat a snack" ad? I posted the following to their Facebook page, but was wondering if I was over reacting...
"You need to stop having your "Eat a Snack" advertisement play on You Tube before children's videos. My son is not old enough to understand that he should not be eating snacks and there is no way to skip the ad. Since it is a kids song tune, he very quickly learned the words. Now I get to teach him all over again about healthy eating. I am sure it is not your intent to tell little ones to eat a snack, but that is what they hear. Thanks in advance for anything you do to stop this from playing when children are the audience."
Thanks!
LOL! Love the answers...
We have just about only healthy snacks... what bothered me about the ad was that it said if you were happy, sad, angry, silly whatever emotion have a snack. As an adult I know that it actually saying watch out for emotional eating. But a kid just hears the If you Happy and you know it have a snack..
And no he does not constantly watch You Tube, we read all the time and he plays with his toys etc.,but he loves Wheels on the Bus and there are many many versions for him to listen to there (there are actually a lot of educational videos for those who have never looked). Unfortunately this is not one of the ads that can be skipped.
He also is starting to learn that commercials exist to try to sell you something you do not really need (a phrase my 7 year old knows by heart), but at a little over 2 the catchy song telling him to eat is what sticks.
What I really wish I understood is why they would put it before a children's video... the ads in my opinion are just not appropriate for the Wheels on the Bus age child.
And THANKS for the catch on my FB profile. It was not supposed to be public, not sure how it wound up that way.
I am struggling to get my 9 yo to realize she needs snacks to not be cranky....little ones need lots of snacks too....haven't seen the ad... but would also like to suggest banning ads for erectile dysfunction. ..I'm pretty much over those
What? If your son is "not old enough to understand that he should not be eating snacks" than he's not old enough to be watching You Tube.
And. What's so terrible about snacks?
:(
This is weird.
I'm sorry, but if your entire meal routine and everything you've taught him about healthy eating can be derailed by a commercial with a catchy tune, the problem isn't the commercial.
Seriously. Redirect your child, "Snack time is at 2. We'll have our snack in a little while." Or, "It's not time to eat right now." And move on to enjoying the video. Or just sing the song and enjoy it. "That was a fun song, huh!?"
Control your own situation instead of dictating to others that they have to fix your situation. Yes, you're overreacting.
ETA: I know it's hard to understand, but you don't have to believe everything those commercials tell you. You can ignore them. Whoa. What a concept.
No, but now I know your full name and can easily find out more about you on Facebook. Your entire page is public and I know what your kids look like and everything you've posted!
1). You need to protect your online identity!!!!!
2) why is your kid watching YouTube videos???? What he sees is YOUR responsibility, including the ads. If you are choosing to put him on YouTube, Disney channel, nickelodeon, or any of the other junk programming, then you need to accept responsibility for what he sees and not harass businesses for buying advertising spots. I don't like my kids seeing ads, so we don't really watch TV other than what we choose to watch on netflix. We also don't have cable. It's not that hard.
Eta based on you SWH - they play them for kids because they know baby weight conscious moms are watching, first of all, and second, your page is still wide open for all to see, and even once you make it private, if you do, all of mamapedia still knows your full name because of the easy link between this post and WW Facebook page. You're good with that? I wouldn't be!
I just looked at your posts, are you talking about a 25 month old little boy?
If he is barely two, he shouldn't be watching you tube videos alone.
So why not just mute the ads, or skip the ad and then let him watch, or forgo TV/videos altogether until he is a bit older.
No - I haven't seen it.
Sure there's a way to skip it.
Turn off the tube/computer/internet and watch a dvd or read a book, etc.
That's pretty much why I haven't seen it in the first place.
I always wondered what one should do if you're happy and you DON'T know it.
Um, how about you not have your children who are too young to understand how commercials work view videos on YouTube? Try parenting your child instead of letting some screen amuse your young one. There's a thought...
I've see that commercial, and I hate it. While I think snacking itself is fine, I do not think it should be attached to emotions... "If you're sad and you know it eat a snack... If you're happy and you know it, eat a snack?" Nooo.... It should be if you're HUNGRY and you know it... If your blood sugar is low and you know it.... No wonder America has an obesity epidemic. :/ (and while I realize it is sarcasm, a LOT of people don't pick up on that...)
Other than hating the commercial, I don't think it's worth making a fuss over. Lots of commercials are things I don't like/agree with/manipulate children. Instead of shielding my child from outside influences I don't agree with, I work to teach her that just because she sees something on TV it doesn't mean that it applies to real life. Even if he's too young to understand that he should not be eating snacks (which I don't get, because there is nothing wrong with healthy snacks...) he IS old enough to understand the word "No" from you. That's all it takes.
it's a really smart ad. it's very catchy, and the snarky message is perfectly in keeping with the snark in modern society today. it annoys me that it gets stuck in my head, but it also makes me giggle a little, as it's totally directed at me. i'm awful for rewarding myself with food!
youtube is full of ads that aren't exactly appropriate for small people who haven't yet developed the intellectual capacity to appreciate irony. your son isn't in the target demographic, but he's doing exactly what their marketing folks were hoping by memorizing the words and putting them in YOUR head.
and their overall message is a good one. they're trusting the public to understand it, and for parents of kids too young to really get it to parent their own kids.
khairete
S.
You are totally right. Hulu needs to address this more than Weight Watchers though IMO. Hulu picks what ads go with what shows. Or you'd think they have the ability to do so.
Whoops my bad. You mentioned YouTube. Didn't know it played on there too. Wow -before a kids video at that. Awful. Sorry I'm just rereading it. Yes YouTube needs to reconsider as well. And yes, children can watch YouTube, ladies. My 6 yr old and I were watching and learning Spanish today via YouTube. My youngest watches Baby Einstein via YouTube.
Perhaps I am stupid but one reason people are overweight is they starve themselves and then binge. Is reminding people to snack such a bad thing? Snacks are part of healthy eating.
It isn't like they said if you're happy and you know it slam a bag of chips!
Ahh, saw the commercial on TV. Odd. I guess they are saying they can help with unhealthy snacks but I still don't see why you didn't just explain the message of the commercial is eat healthy...
J.,
I don't know how old your son is, but if he can learn and use Youtube? A commercial should NOT be able to derail him that fast.
Why do you have unhealthy snacks in the house?
What would bother me is that a place that is supposed to be encouraging you to lose weight and be healthy is encouraging you to snack. I guess I would need to see the ad and listen to it and see what it's presenting...if it's presenting carrots, broccoli, etc. I would not have a problem with it. If it's presenting cupcakes and the like? I would not be happy.
However, I would be telling my CHILD that commercials are there to SELL stuff. You need self control and learn to say "NO".
Good luck!
I've seem that commercial and hate it. Kids have seen it and think it's stupid. Teach your kid what proper eating and snacking is and ignore an annoying commercial. Simple.
I've taught the kids from a very young age that commercials are lying, exaggerating and are just trying to get you to spend money on them.
We fast forward over commercials. When you can't fast forward, don't turn the sound on until it's over.
Not really over reacting. Little kids can be too young to get the sarcasm/irony in the ad. It is clearly not encouraging mindless and emotional eating. It is recognizing that people eat for all sorts of reasons beyond the biological stimulus of hunger and that breaking that cycle is hard. You can mute the ad even though you can't skip the first one.
