A Mom Spotted A "Cheat Day" Lunch Box For Kids In Stores, & It's Disgusting

As much as I love browsing for cute outfits for my daughters, at times I equally hate what I end up finding in girls' clothing sections. Graphic T-shirts that say, "Little Diva," for example, irk me to no end. (Just no.) Or baby bodysuits that say something to the effect of, "Sorry boys, daddy says I can't date until hell freezes over." (Let's not project ridiculous expectation on infants, for Pete's sake.) However, I think this next one takes the cake. Because apparently, a mom spotted a "Cheat Day" lunchbox in stores — and honestly, it's disgusting.

Mom blogger Sonni Abatta was recently waiting in the checkout line at Nordstrom Rack when she spotted it: A pink sequins lunchbox boasting the phrase, "Cheat Day," according to Parents. "It was in between gummy bears and snacks, next to some other pink lunchboxes," Abatta told Good Morning America. "I literally said out loud, 'That's kind of disgusting.' My sister was like, 'Oh my gosh, stop overreacting.'"

The mom of three went on to share her thoughts about the lunchbox on her blog and on Facebook. And her response to the offensive product has gone viral. "See this? This is a picture I snapped today of a little girl's lunchbox that I saw for sale at a popular department store," Abatta wrote on Facebook. "Why do I say it's marketed toward little girls? It's pink, it has sequins and it was surrounded by other girls' merchandise. So, safe to say that it's aimed at our daughters. I am SICKENED that this phrase is on a lunch box."

Abatta continued:

We scratch our heads when we see our little girls struggle with body image, with self worth, with confidence. We wonder, "Why do our girls worry so much about their bodies so young?" ... "Why does my five year old call herself 'fat?'" ... "Why does my middle schooler stand in front of the mirror and find all her flaws?" THIS. This is part of the reason why.

The indignant mom went onto explain that no, it's not "cheating" when girls/women/whoever eat pizza. Or a couple of cookies. Or food that they enjoy. Living in moderation and allowing yourself things that make you happy isn't "cheating" either. "Girls--you are MORE than your bodies. More than your faces. More than your complexions. More than the clothes you wear and the things you buys and the other girls you hang out with," Abatta wrote. "You are beautiful, worthy, intelligent, and whole beings--whole beings who are worthy of so much love and respect, no matter what anyone, or anyTHING, says."

Can I get an "amen?" In case you're wondering, the majority of Facebook users seemed to be in agreement with Abatta's assessment of the lunch box.

One Facebook user wrote, "They’re probably thinking of it’s cute and funny. But absolutely not! Pretty ridiculous that they wouldn’t see the larger pic here."

Another person chimed in with, "'What in the actual heck? Who thought this would be a good idea?"

As the Daily Mail reported, some commenters pointed out the lunchbox in question actually seems to be intended for adults. (If you look on Nordstrom Rack's website, you'll see Slant Collections also offers a "Where's the vodka?" lunchbox in sequins, as well as "mama bear" mugs and more.) To that, Abatta had another perfect clap back. "Even if it was supposed to be marketed only toward women and the store just decided to place it with other items that seemed very 'young girl' in nature, still kinda sucks," she wrote in a Facebook update. "So to all my grown-up "girls," you aren't cheating either when you enjoy life a little. xo."

Kudos to this mom for speaking up and offering up a body-positive message to young girls instead. Who knows? Perhaps if more of us questioned brands/stores for the ridiculous messages they're sending to girls and women, the nonsense would finally stop. Because the phrase "cheat day" has no business anywhere near products marketed toward children.