Children in restaurants

valkirn

My kids eat what they want, and if it so happens to be from the adult menu then so be it.

My eldest orders from the adult menus as there is more choice, my 6yr old will have gammon peas and chips (with pinapple) be it adult or kids (if its in the kids menu at all) my 5yr old will also choose from the adult menu but will usually share it with me or choose from the light bites area again because there is generally more choice and the 15 month old shares from everybodys plates lol

SUESMITH_2

when my kids were small they had what they wanted, kids meals can be sooo dull. lots of places here will do half portions of the main menu.

when we take mil out she has a tiny appetite and we order a kids meal and no one ever complained.

lexuslass

Have read a lot of this thread but not the whole of it (so sorry if I'm repeating anything!) but just wanted to put my two penneth in!

I have a 13 year old who can eat like a horse and she is a skinny little minx... she always orders from the adult menu and has done since she was around 9 years old!

My other two are 5 and 4... they always prefer stuff off the adult menu...... we usually order one between them and ask for an extra plate and split it.

From my experience, Kids menus are all the same.. fish fingers, chicken nuggets, burgers, spag bol or sausage and mash!

We never eat that stuff at home, so no wonder they never fancy it!! They have a very balanced diet at home - chips about once or twice a month.. if anyone dare scowl at me for letting them have anything while we are out, then :mad:

I'm lucky, I am great friends with a lot of people in the village we live in (most met from mother and toddler groups!).. no way have we ever judged either of us on what we feed our kids.. we pay for our own ...so what!

Eating out for us is a 'treat' not the 'norm' as it is with some families ... my kids can order what bloomin heck they like!

x

[Deleted User]

I really dislike it when other people try and force their opinions on you. Whose business is it when u'r supposed to be going for a nice relaxing meal if u order your 9 year old an ice cream or raw veggetables.

When my older son was about 18 months I took him to a playgroup. I was verbally accosted/pressured by a group of mums for taking my son to be immunised because if he'd have gotten one of the diseases it would have been 'natural'. I was so so tempted to say death is natural but I'd rather avoid it right now thank u very much.., it tends to be a bit uncomfortable getting there.

Bufger

I'd like to see someone even just say that to me! I cant believe the cheek of people, you shouldnt comment on other peoples parenting unless their kid is doing something hideous.

I was recently went for breakfast and took my eldest along (20 months). He was playing in the outdoor play area and trying to interact with the slightly older kids and they were bullying him! (putting bark in his hair, trying to get him to fall off things etc). The 2 boys doing it were the oldest out of the lot, maybe 5 and 7. Their super yummy mummies were all sitting around talking about how their hands off parenting was going to let dear Oliver grow up to be a well rounded individual blah blah. My poor little boy was so innocent he didnt know they were being nasty so was letting them do this to him!


Some peoples idea of good parenting is completely off the mark. I made a point of telling good little Oliver that Santa was watching and he had no chance this year and then i told his yummy mummy that her hands off parenting was the easy way out for somebody that couldnt be arsed to teach her kids the real lessons in life and we left.

SandC

Seems like there are a lot of parents out there who would do better to just look after their own and not worry what others are doing!

I do have to say though, if you go out for a pub meal then I would never have anything to say if a child would rather have the kids meals because it's something they may not have often. I mentioned going to Franky and Benny's in my last post, well i had never been there before and as a treat 'to me' I had a burger and chips. At a gastro pub I'd probably have something far fancier ....

Still no reason for anyone to snip about choices but it is hard to just turn the other cheek when you really want to defend yourself/child when it's none of their business!

Newgirl_2

I always ate smaller portions of whatever my parents were having and that was no different when eating out. I never ever had the children's menu (probably why as a 41 year old I love simple food like beans on toast ). Admittedly my childhood was pre-Macdonalds etc and there was less choice but even so, I was never treated any differently to them. I don't actually understand why children's menus seem to be predominantly processed food like nuggets, fish fingers and chips. Why not serve a few options which are smaller versions of the main menu? It can't be that difficult surely. And from what posters here have said, there would be children who would enjoy it and parents who would prefer it.

I don't have children myself but I don't think I'd tolerate such attitudes from a group either. Leave them to their FB sniping.

Newgirl

Newgirl_2

daska wrote: »

GG I'd pick and choose the mum's you like best from the group and ignore the rest. If you're ever asked why you don't join them for lunch respond that you prefer not to eat with people that pander to their children's demands by not expecting them to eat a varied diet.

I second that. You are so correct - it seems they may be the parents doing the pandering. :rotfl:

Newgirl

Mayflower10cat

A dear friends child who'd been brought up in France until she was 7, was taken to an English restaurant for lunch. Looking at the childrens and the main menu she politely asked if she could have the grilled sardines and tomato salad from the starters as 'I didn't know fish had fingers, Daddy....'