Children in restaurants

GobbledyGook

When you take your children out for dinner do you insist they eat from the children's menu?

I have inadvertently caused a stir amongst some new people from the toddler group. We all went for lunch last week and those of us with older children off school took them too.

It turns out allowing my daughter to have a starter from the main menu as her main meal is 'pandering' to her :rotfl:

I don't think I'm going to last long at this group, which is a shame as it is really local to my house.

Edited to add my daughter is 9.

milliebear00001

That's weird. Why did they think it wasn't appropriate to order from the other menu? My two usually order from the children's one, but occasionally have a main or dessert from the adult one if they prefer it. Sometimes I'm tempted to order from the kids' menu for myself!

loracan1

Given that the average 'child menu' tends to be chicken nuggets and pasta shapes I don't think that's pandering. I've not been able to get away with giving them a kid's menu since they were 8 or 9.

Torry_Quine

Seeing what's often on the children's menu it makes sense to order from the main menu.

1940sGal

What kind of terrible mother are you letting your 9 year old daughter have the food she wants?! Honestly, next you'll be letting her walk down the street in heels. That's how it starts, you know!

:rotfl:

I think this group needs to lighten up a tad

flutterby_lil

Can't see a problem with that. We sometimes let our 4 year old have something from the 'adult' menu.

PinkLipgloss

Giving children choices is a critical part of their development.

It just shows you what awfully low opinions they have of children that they consider this "pandering".

Run away as fast as you can.

coolcait

My children are way too old to be ordering from the children's menu now.

However, when they were younger, they were given the option of the children's menu or the main menu. They rarely went for the children's option, as they have always eaten the same food as us.

Anyway, there's much more fun to be had in saying "Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm! This is the best steak pie/Chilli/etc I've EVER tasted!!! [pause] [heartbeats] Oh!! Except for yours, of course, mum!!"

Is that why the other mums blanched at the idea that your children chose from the menu? :rotfl:

GobbledyGook

It's so random. When I first went to the group and they mentioned that they like to go for lunch quite often I thought they were my kind of group. They seem rather snippy though so may give them a swerve from now on.

I'm just glad I'm not the only one who 'panders' :laugh:

The children's menu was alright actually, the younger two eat from it. Big one just spotted something she particularly likes. People are weird.

Edited to say she chose risotto - not anything massively fancy or posh or particularly 'adult'.

Charlie23

was your dd the eldest there? Just wondering if they have those opinions because they only havecyounger children and can't really see the difference between a toddler and a 9 year old.
I would do the same. For us meals out are a treat so if there was a starter and my dd (now 5 but i'm imaging in 4 years time! ;-)) found something she really enjoyed i'd let her have it. I'm really mean too, i only cook one meal a night and if the kids don't eat it then they go without.
It all depends on the circumstances.

kitschkitty

Wow! If you are happy to pay for an adult portion of food and accept some may not be eaten, or maybe you fancy eating some of it yourself then why on earth wouldn't you buy your child the food they want to eat (if you are happy for them to eat it).

I personally think it's sad that the vast majority of kids menu's are full of boring foods that often lack good nutrition for kids and are offered as the only option. Strikes me that limiting children's options is just likely to create or reinforce more fussy eaters. I can't think of anything better than offering children the same variety of food as adults. (Taking into account nutrition, and anything that might be too much for them etc.)