Having friends with fussy kids over for dinner

kittycat204

MidLifeCrisis wrote: »

when the fussy eaters came to dinner

It sounds like a right mess to me. you did amazingly well and i think catered brilliantly. shame that the other parents don't see the error of their ways, and their little demons. well done, big star for you.
thanks for reporting back.

pink68

Sounds like you provided them with a healthy and hearty meal with lots of opportunities for them to learn how to eat properly. It's a shame your friend didnt back it up with her children though.

I have a dear friend whose child I find challenging at meal times so sadly its become a once a year thing to have them round for a meal (which my kids dread) and the rest of the time I just see her. Cant stand the trauma.

Other friends have delightful children who are always round!

You can only do what you can do....

abitofhelp

MidLifeCrisis wrote: »

I took on board all your comments and made Chicken Chasseur for the adults and threw in some plain chicken pieces on a tray alongside it in the oven for the kids (very money saving too!). I put out some carrot sticks, cuc, cherry toms, etc and breadsticks with dips for snacking on with drinks before it was ready. The 6 yr old said 'don't like dips' and took handfuls of breadsticks that I'm not even sure if she ate or not. I then asked their kids if they liked green beans, carrots and broccoli and they were happy with the carrots and beans, so I served up lemon & herb roasted new potatoes, plain roasters and the veg in dishes and put it all on the table.

Some roast chicken was put on each child's plate and their mum dished them up some roasters and a small portion of each veg including some broccoli. The children were sat at our camping table as there's not enough room at the dining table for everyone and OMG I would be SO ashamed if my kids behaved the way they did in someone else's house. First up was "ughh broccoli" - my kids even tried encouraging them to try it by saying they like it as its like little trees - before the 9 yr old danced around the table acting the fool with it on his fork. OH politely asked him to sit back down. Next was 'don't like roasters', their mum admitted she'd never really tried getting them to eat them and dished up some of the herby new potatoes (also roasted:think:) on to their plates instead. While my eldest polished off their roasters their 9 yr old scraped the middles out of the skins and the 6 yr old refused to eat them saying 'too spicy'. The 6 year old ate with her fingers until I suggested she might want to try her fork. They were constantly up and down on their chairs and their mum told them off for their silliness and bad behaviour once, but it seemed to go totally over dad's head and unfortunatley it seems rather than my kids behaviour rubbing off on them, mine found it hilarious and were also showing off:(.

For pudding, I made OH's fave treacle sponge and a cheesecake, the 9 yr old wolfed the cheesecake and even came back for seconds. The 6 yr old refused to eat any of it, turned down strawberries that were in the fridge or icecream, but was happy with a stray cornetto that I found in the freezer.

Their parents seemed to enjoy what I'd made, but we're really not keen to do it again, especially when my kids told OH the next day that their 9 yr old had been using the F word while they were playing upstairs:eek:. Maybe adults only if there is a next time...

MLC

oh my word, how awful for you. dinnerparties are stressfull enough without some children causing chaos. Rest assured if it was my fussy child he would be severley chastised for his behaviour, not that he would be given a chance to behave like that. well done you and the food sounds fab.

lostinrates

Well done for surviving midlifecrisis. Fussy is one thing, poor table manners are something else when they hit as old as nine.

I think this goes hand in hand with andy gbs comments about children and restaurants. Its absolutely true you see this more in other countries, but also, in general children know 'the rules' and do not dance about the table!


Still, it will have been an experience for the children too, a learningoppertunity, and for yours, to see why you enforce rules and manners.

MidLifeCrisis_3

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Roasted spuds are staples aren't they??? Im a firm believer in (threatening) washing up liquid for naughty words!

I thought everyone was born to love roasters - oh well can't win them all. Ha, I thought you were going to say get them to do the washing up for their behaviour, now that would've been a thought:rotfl:!

MLC

Butterfly_Brain

MLC you must have the patience of a saint, because guests or not, they would have been told to sit down properly at the table and if the first time they refused anything I would have just taken their plate away and got them some bread and jam. It sounds like the parents don't have a clue about table manners or any other manners come to think of it - I showed this to my DD and she was horrified and said Mum if we had ever done that especially in somebody else's house, we would have been in for a slap and yes they would have been.

Joface_2

Blimey, I am a but nervous to admit this but two of my kids were very fussy eaters when they were growing up. Guess i am not going to win any parenting awards around here. . Despite them being fussy I would never ever expect anyone to prepare anything special and neither would they. Even if a host noticed they were not eating much and offered to make them something else they would decline and go hungry if need be. I don't see this as 'rude' or 'spoilt'. If they complained or moaned then that WOULD be rude. Otherwise they have always had impeccable table manners and would always offer to help lay the table and put away without prompting, etc

The funniest thing was that whilst my fussy eldest lad would happily eat lots of healthy foods he didn't like pizza, chips or cake....... Ie the components of 99% of kids birthday party meals. Still HIS problem no one else's.

My youngest is still a bit fussy at 15 but I wouldn't dream of preparing special meals for her.

JimmyTheWig

abitofhelp wrote: »

oh my word, how awful for you.

Awful? Sounded like quite a fun evening to me.
Not ideal behaviour, I agree, but not awful. Sounded like everyone enjoyed themselves.

the_cat

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

MLC you must have the patience of a saint, because guests or not, they would have been told to sit down properly at the table and if the first time they refused anything I would have just taken their plate away and got them some bread and jam. .

Me too. Only without the bread and jam:D:o

snowleopard61

building_with_lego wrote: »

(If they do ask 'what's for tea?' I tell them it's something like slug brains or elephant farts. That way it's always better than they expect :rotfl:)

I used to do this too! Earthworm spaghetti was a particularly frequent response. Frog slime likewise.