Last updated on January 16, 2015 by Liza Hawkins
When two unrelated people ask you the same question in less than 24 hours it makes you wonder if the stars are cosmically aligned…or…something like that. Especially when that something includes a link to the exact same online article, and accompanying question:
“Have your kids requested this for dinner yet?”
For any family with a girl between the ages of five and 12 that has access to Nickelodeon, iCarly is more than just a TV show, it’s a world. It’s a world where a tween girl (Carly) lives with her cool artist older brother (Spencer), and films her own popular web show (iCarly) with her rebel best friend (Sam[antha]) and her geeky-turned-cool friend/neighbor (Freddie) across the hall. Dad’s overseas in the military and they never mention her mother. How’s that for a three sentence synopsis?
One of things that gets mentioned in every other episode is a meal created by Spencer, a meal that only a child could love (but I wonder if an adult could grow to love). A meal that combines some of my favorite worldly cuisines – Italian and Mexican.
So, is it the latest craze? Funny thing is, if my five year old asked us if we could have spaghetti tacos for dinner, my knee-jerk reaction would probably be, “What? No.” But really, how cool would that be? To recreate a meal that must seem SO awesome to a five year old? Maybe for her next birthday dinner….
I think your reaction is entirely correct. The world of television is not real, and I’m sure those kids in LA do not even come close to eating something so icky in real life. (I could talk about all the fresh food available in California, but I’m sure you know where most of our domestic food supply comes from.) Hopefully parents are as enlightened as you are and actually take an interest in what their kids eat. Why are kids overweight and lacking in essential nutrients? Parents have to draw the line, and explain to their kids that what happens on TV is not real.
While I like my kids to eat healthy, we do our share of eating things that aren’t quite as healthy (hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc.) Like I said in my blog post, I might have to try spaghetti tacos if my daughter asks…perhaps with wheat pasta and corn tortillas though. 😛