I don't consider it cheating since:

1) It can be done with just using game controls (i.e. not hex editing) just like using F6 to change the clothes
2) It actually requires some skill. You still need to hunt and find the mushroom, and decide whether to rsik a few seconds drumming the kids to school or just find the kids on your own. Then there is a limit to how long the mushroom will last for how many can be "picked" so you have to be pretty quick to get more than one mushroom.