Parents are being advised to implement a secret codeword system for their children attending social events such as playdates, parties, or sleepovers. This method allows children to communicate a desire to leave without directly informing those around them.
The concept, shared by a social media user, details a three-tier pizza-based code used by a US mother and her teenage daughter. Asking for "vegetable" meant the daughter was checking in, "cheese" indicated the mother should call back with an excuse to leave, and "pepperoni" meant immediate collection was required.
The mother recounted driving to collect her daughter without asking questions after receiving the "pepperoni" request. Her daughter later explained that people at the party had started taking pills. The mother concluded that such codes are effective because they "bypass the panic."