‘GMA’s Ginger Zee Stirs Debate by Sharing ‘Moment in Parenting I Struggle With’

A debate broke out online late last week after Ginger Zee opened up about “a moment in parenting I struggle with.”

The Good Morning America meteorologist wrote honestly about the controversial parenting decision in a lengthy caption on Instagram on Friday, Aug. 30. Her commentary accompanied a photo of one of her young sons closely inspecting plastic prizes that kids can win at arcades by cashing in the tickets they earn for game play.

“Personally I’m always avoiding single use, trash plastic… but seeing my child experience the joy of choosing a trinket after playing at an arcade is nostalgic and I have to bite my tongue so I don’t make him too deprived of ‘the normal stuff,’” the mother of two explained.

Zee, 43, then asked why “normal” activities for kids often involve “so much plastic.” Though she acknowledged that the kinds of toys available for kids to win at arcades need to be “cheap” for the business to “make a profit,” she wondered why affordable trinkets like “crayons, mini pads or paper for notes, or even crafting items” aren’t swapped in.

“The plastic army men will soon be stuck in couch cushions and forgotten about,” she predicted.

The TV personality's “conundrum” was met with healthy debate amongst her Instagram followers, many of whom agreed with her perspective.

“Your struggle is shared by this parent,” one person declared as another echoed, “I feel this Ginger!”

One Instagram user said they “have the same personal conflict about these type of toys” and expanded that conflict to include the kinds of plastic items that often wind up in the gift bags handed out at kids’ birthday parties. “There must be better options out there,” they wrote.

“You’re not alone! All I see is missing toys and trash cans when my kiddos pick out arcade trinkets,” another person chimed in.

But not everyone shared Zee’s opinion. “Got to let them be kids,” one person argued while another said Zee already does “so many things for the environment” and should “let them enjoy it,” adding her sons are “Only kids once.”

“I think a lot of it is tradition,” one Instagram user commented before disagreeing with Zee’s crayons pitch, writing, “I don't think they would go for crayons. To them this is something different.”

All debate aside, Zee’s husband, Ben Aaron , chimed in with another point that received more than 200 likes on his wife’s post. “Was it the plastic or the fact that 50 bucks got us 3 pencil erasers,” he asked.

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