Restaurants

We always used to share with our DC from our plates when eating out, until they were around 5 or 6, and it's now the norm that all children, however young, choose their own starter, main and pudding as standard. The portions are invariably way too big, for the adults as well as the children, so there is either loads of overeating or loads of waste. I don't personally think it's a good thing to have the next generation thinking that either one of these doesn't matter.

When my twin grandchildren were 14 months old we were lunching in a restaurant in Spain. They were having meatballs and several members of the party were hoping to finish leftovers. Not a chance the toddlers cleared the plates, and they weren’t tiny portions.

Sharing food is the way to go.....just as Caro57 suggested, also offers valuable talking points about the "value" of food.

I'm inclined to agree patclaf. not worth fussing about. Unless of course you can't afford to waste money and you know your children can't either, and many people are in this category.

Personally it does not bother me. I like to take the family out and if the grandchildren do not eat their meals so what. It is part and parcel of being a grandparent. The pleasure of having the rest of the family around is well worth a few pounds of wasted food.

Lesson learnt. Next time ask for an extra plate & share. Job done & no regrets.

I should imagine there was too much food on the plate for the child so it might have been better for SIL to have asked for a smaller plate/dish. The baby might have eaten the smaller amount. Too much food on a plate can put anyone off.

Yes, it was an unfortunate waste of money. Perhaps SIL genuinely thought the child would eat the food.

What do you think should have been done if they did in fact order a child's portion? Force feed the baby?

Thanks all, great comments. To clarify, we were abroad, and that meal was from the child’s menu, £9 for a child’s pasta, I know!! It was a huge portion though of basically pasta in tomato sauce. However to be fair to the restaurant a child can range from 1 year old to 10 years plus. So for a strapping 10 year old lad he would have cleared the plate!

I totally agree with babies eating a range of food and that should come from a little bit off their parents / grandparents plate of food we know they like.

I paid

I do agree that it seems a waste of money, but in theory there is nothing wrong with babies eating what is perceived as 'adult' food. In most countries babies just eat what their parents have, food is food (for anyone). Most restaurants will do a smaller or plainer portion of anything on the menu if asked. One of my DDs loved pasta, but it had to be plain, not even parsley sprinkled on it - our local Italian eventually managed to get it right!

Parents seem to do this kind of thing nowadays. We were much more careful with money. I just hold my tongue. I live far away so it doesn't happen often. I would have to say something, if I lived close, but I don't think it would go down well.

At that price I would have eaten it myself!

wendione Maybe I'm going a bit off the point of this thread, but you reminded me of the many times I was dining with a group who drank loads of wine and other expensive alcohol. I do not drink alcohol. When the bill came they always expected us all to split it evenly. I decided to say, after a couple of times, I'll split the food not the drink. Their drink constituted over half the bill!

I totally agree with MissAdventure What a waste of money! Was he showing off? Or is he just extremely stupid?
Good point ajanela!

Not at all unreasonable. I would be annoyed too particularly if I was paying. I remember my father-in-law pulling up his daughter about her ordering adult meals for her two children, knowing full well they wouldn't be able to eat all of the food. The best of it was that we also had two younger children who were being given food off both of our plates but we were always expected to split the bill three ways!! I admired him so much for speaking up for us because my ex husband was too scared of her to say anything and I didnt feel it was my place because it wasnt my family and I was the in law! FiL had obviously picked up that it would become the "norm" if someone didnt address it. I would not tolerate that type of behaviour today. Far too many parents treat everything as easy come easy go and particularly when it comes to money - especially their generous parents. Speak up and make it clear you do not appreciate waste

If I pay for a meal and anything is left I ask the resturant to pack it up and I take it home.

Problem with children's menus is that they often are stuff that I would never feed to one of mine. (e.g. Pizza, chicken nuggets, fish fingers, chips etc.). I alway rate a restaurant by the children's offers. It should be small portions of the best adult meals.
If someone else was paying I would simply ask for a small plate and share my meal, or if the child was a picky eater I would bring food from home.

Lizzy, homophobia doesn't enter into it, it is bad manners, unprofessional and likely unhygienic to snog other members of staff in front of customers, I would be just as repulsed if it had been a heterosexual couple, yuk.

Kids are fickle though

Same baby probably usually eats NOTHING but pasta, and chows down whole bowls at a time.

They do it on purpose to embarrass mum and dad I swear.

E.g. you are staying with friends who ask what your kids like for breakfast. You tell them that toast is fine, they love toast & dont like cereal.

Kids get toast, look at it like its a turd, and ask if there is any cereal.

I remember going into a posh vegetarian restaurant with my new hubby, my own 2 sons, and one of their friends. The food was good, the service was good, but I nearly choked on my food when I saw 2 female waitresses smooching each other in full view of customers. This was over 30 years. I'm not homephobic, but the kids were all 10-11 years of age. They sniggered at these women, but I almost died of embarrassment!

I always used to share my meal with my toddlers of that age if we went out. Would never have bought a separate portion, it's just waste of food and money.

Personally I prefer to ask for a spare plate and everyone adds a bit to baby's plate.

For under-twos we usually ask for an extra plate and share small portions from the adults meals. Baby gets to try new foods and if he doesn't like it he haven't wasted a whole meal. Restaurants are always happy to assist.

£9 for a pasta meal for an 18 month old?

That's outrageous. What a waste of poor grandad's money.