Picky dinner guests (kids)

[aephi alum]

Interesting related article in today's NY Times:

Looking Past the Children’s Menu

The article is about a restaurateur in NYC who does not offer a children's menu at his restaurant. He'll make certain accommodations for children, such as offering appetizer portions of pasta as a main meal for small children, but there's no kid's menu offering chicken nuggets and burgers.

He also makes his children try a wide variety of foods at home. The children aren't always happy about it, but they aren't allowed to say no - and as a result, they are adventuresome about food. It struck me that the interview was conducted over dinner, and the reporter's own ~4yo twins (used to chicken fingers and fries) followed the example of the restaurateur's children (who are older) and ate what they were served.

I'm reminded (rather forcefully) of my own childhood. I ate what my mother cooked, whether I liked it or not. She would not cook a separate meal for me, unless she was cooking a very spicy curry, and even then all she would do was pull out a lightly-spiced portion for me before adding the hot spices to the main pot. Result: I'm a very adventuresome eater, even more so than my own parents - I eat sushi, which they won't touch with a barge pole (they won't even eat veggie sushi).

Edit: Also, when I was 10-11 years old, when my parents and I went out to eat and I was given a children's menu, I would say, "May I have the real menu please?" Maybe I came across as a junior bitch, but at that age I had no interest in connecting the dots with a crayon while waiting to get some chicken nuggets - I wanted real conversation and normal adult food.

[WCsweet<3]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

Parents usually pack lunch for picky kids, don't they?

What I understood at the time was that they basically ate McDonalds and other things that would not be taken easily to school. I figured if the kids were picky enough they would have trouble taking lunches to school. My school also was super worried about allergies and we had a fairly large list of things we could not bring (there was one sad kid whom if he even was in the same room as a peanut he would have a reaction)

[BabyPiNK_FL]

There would be a lot of grumbling tummies and red behinds if that ever happened at my house.

[CopterDad]

I don't see why so many people are advising Ree-Xi to limit her time with her family over a ten year old kid. She obviously enjoys the time with them as evidenced by her post. It sounds like they had a great time overall.

Ree-Xi has already leveled with her sister on the issue and I believe sister told her basically that it is what it is with the kids.

For what its worth, when my nephews and nieces come over, they eat what we put out on the bar, or it sets until they want something else at which time they see the same dish. But, my wife "don't take no crap."

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by CopterDad

I don't see why so many people are advising Ree-Xi to limit her time with her family over a ten year old kid

Because...

Ree-Xi has already leveled with her sister on the issue and I believe sister told her basically that it is what it is with the kids.

If her sister isn't willing to correct her kids' actions, ree-xi shouldn't have to put up with their BS.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by CopterDad

Ree-Xi has already leveled with her sister on the issue and I believe sister told her basically that it is what it is with the kids.

It isn't what it is, though. Your kids are only your own. No one else has to tolerate the nonsense that you encourage.

Ree-Xi felt some kinda way about it and shared the story with us. She's the one who decides how much she can tolerate. Not us.

Originally Posted by CopterDad

For what its worth, when my nephews and nieces come over, they eat what we put out on the bar, or it sets until they want something else at which time they see the same dish. But, my wife "don't take no crap."

Uh, so you agree with us. Got it.

[CopterDad]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

It isn't what it is, though. Your kids are only your own. No one else has to tolerate the nonsense that you encourage.

Ree-Xi felt some kinda way about it and shared the story with us. She's the one who decides how much she can tolerate. Not us.



Uh, so you agree with us. Got it.

Haha. I'm trying not to, but it's hard to side with the kid on this one.

My youngest son lives on Fruit Loops and skim milk for days sometimes but he still likes to get out of the house. It's just that cereal is not offered at many cookouts.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

O.M.G.

Those kids have complete control over their parents and they know it.

*shakes head*

*poors out champagne on the carpet for the parents*

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

Post #61 reminds me of a family that my sister used to babysit for....

This bothers me out my nephew--my parents cater to his food pickiness way more than they did with either me or my sister. They make him seperate meals made all the time and he tries to pull that on others. A couple years ago, NephewCG once asked for scrambled eggs. Eggs were made. He pulls a face and says, "Eeeeewww YUCK!!" and tried to throw them on the floor. He got a 3-minute time out for trying to throw food and and a lecture for being rude. I was already pissed that morning so his lecture was very loud. He had the option to either eat the food or just eat the other stuff on the plate. If it's not enough to get full, don't complain at school, you had a chance to eat more (I think he chose to just eat the toast and fruit). He'll try me once in a while to see if I've budged, but we haven't had an episode like that since that day.

[Low C Sharp]

Post #61 reminds me of a family that my sister used to babysit for.

Daughter (5 years old) would say, "I want French toast for breakfast." Nanny (following Mom's orders) cooks French toast. Daughter looks at her plate and says, "Yuck, this is nasty! I don't want French toast! I want oatmeal!" French toast goes RIGHT INTO THE TRASH and a second meal is cooked. And so on.

I was absolutely speechless. This was 20 years ago, and the daughter has grown up to be exactly the kind of self-important diva you would imagine from that upbringing.
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