Children in restaurants

jellyhead

NewKittenHelp wrote: »

You don't. Normal people don't join them!:D

I was a member of a different group for every day when my youngest was a toddler. It was what he wanted. I'm not 'normal', but I'm not like the cliquey mummy types that you normally see at these groups. I usually played with my baby, because I rarely found another adult that I wanted to talk to

hazyjo

If I'd have been there, I'd have thought it totally refreshing that a child of that age would want something 'adult'. I don't think I had risotto until I was quite old - wasn't something we'd have had at home. It's probably what I'd order off the menu now! I bet you cook at home from scratch a lot.

I remember meeting up with a friend on holiday once and thought she was so grown up and worldly wise cos she was choosing seafood. Bowl full of mussels and other such delights. My limit had been calamari. If I were a parent, I'd be encouraging my kids to eat different things. There's nothing worse than a child who'll only eat chicken nuggets!

Agree with 'dump them'!

Jx

hazyjo

tiamai_d wrote: »

Always amazes me how these threads always turn into an anti-junk food parade with folk trying to outdo each other on what amazing food their child will eat.

Really? Not how I see it at all!

Am wondering if that's the attitude the other mums in the group had though. Perhaps they took it as a personal insult that the OP's child was ordering risotto when their kids had probably never tried it, let alone order it off a menu.

Strange...

Jx

SDG31000

At 9 years old my youngest son was as tall as me and could eat twice the amount. He is now 13 and nearly 6 foot tall. No way would he have been happy with something off the kids menu. I've had a few raised eyebrows over the years but mostly from restaurant staff who thought there was no way he was going to like what he had ordered or finish it. The joke was generally on them when he ate the lot and then ordered the biggest dessert on the menu.
I say that you should politely decline any more invites and withdraw from the group. They will be the ones pulling their hair out when their kids refuse to eat anything but chips and fishfingers.

jellyhead

How did you split the bill? I wonder if it caused an uneven split, as Violetta suggested might be the case?

Did any of the other children want adult food and were denied?

Mine just turned 7 and if he asks for food off the adult menu then he has it. It's never occurred to me to say no, why would I?

jellyhead

hazyjo wrote: »

Really? Not how I see it at all!

Am wondering if that's the attitude the other mums in the group had though. Perhaps they took it as a personal insult that the OP's child was ordering risotto when their kids had probably never tried it, let alone order it off a menu.

Strange...

Jx

Choosing the fried food off a kids menu doesn't necessarily mean the child eats that sort of thing for every meal at home.

I don't think people are trying to outdo each other here, they are simply explaining that their child really likes something that isn't on the child menu.

As an adult I like to be able to choose what I fancy when we go out to eat, so why shouldn't children be able to have something they really fancy?

prowla

It depends whether you are all sharing the bill at the end, in which case some might think that they are being taken advantage of.

If you are paying individually then it's your business alone.

And (as others have said), the kids menu is often inferior quality junk food.

jellyhead

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

taking my kids to an all you can eat chinese next weekend..bet they will only eat chips rice and chicken balls though.i am hoping they will try a few other bits though

Buffet style is a good way to try new things. My 6 year old loves crab claws

dingdongavoncalling

I'm trying to work out how on earth they classed it as 'pandering'

Did your daughter kick up a fuss, scream and shout leaving you to 'give in' and let her choose from the starters?

Very strange!

RuthnJasper

What I find to be the worst aspect is the fact that this was GobbledyGook's first time out with this group - and they are ALREADY sniping about her on Facebook! Not the sort of people I'd be wanting to hang around with.

I'm glad the little girl could have what she wanted. My cousin has a little girl of the same age and, wherever she goes, most food that is suggested earns an instant bark of "She won't eat that!" or "She doesn't like that!" The poor girl is ever so skinny and often looks like she'd like to try things that the other kids are eating - but she's never allowed to make her own choice. Good on GobbledyGook, I say, for letting her girl choose what she wants and then not embarrassing her by forcing her to choose again because the other women were behaving like vicious old shrews.