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Leaving something on your plate you dislike

(80 Posts)
bytheway Sun 16-Jul-23 13:03:09

Last weekend we took the family out for lunch.

On this occasion, there was 5 adults and 5 children.

My son, aged 38, (who is single with no children) pulled a face when his fish and chips arrived at the table…the reason being that they had put a tablespoon of coleslaw on the side of the plate.

He then started to moan that he hated coleslaw, it hadn’t been stated on the menu and why had it been put on his plate!

He then carefully pushed it all to one end, moaning as he went with a face looking sullen and annoyed.

Was I wrong to feel annoyed that my 38 year old son acted like this, he is generally a moaner but really why not just shove it to one side and get on with your meal. That’s the sort of behaviour you see in a small child not a grown man.

He did then eat the meal…and pudding but honestly, his face couldn’t have tripped him up any more and I was slightly embarrassed to see that behaviour in my own son!

Oldbat1 Mon 17-Jul-23 14:26:46

Now would i pull faces at food I dislike???? The answer is yes! My list is long of foods i cannot stand and certainly do not want on my plate. One reason i very very rarely eat out. They should stipulate exactly what they are serving.

Ziplok Mon 17-Jul-23 14:29:49

Yes, he was certainly being rather childish about it all. A fuss over nothing on his part, I’m aftraid.

amazonia Mon 17-Jul-23 14:34:46

Of course he doesn't have to like coleslaw. None of us have to like any foods for any reason. A polite request to the waiter to have his F&C re plated would have solved the problem. Appalling behaviour by a grown man. No wonder he doesn't have a partner.

timetogo2016 Mon 17-Jul-23 14:36:58

A spoilt brat springs to mind,give him a dummy next time,or better still don`t invite him.

knspol Mon 17-Jul-23 14:38:31

I would be annoyed at him too but maybe he was just having a very bad day.

EEJit Mon 17-Jul-23 14:52:37

I hate coleslaw, but, if I eat out and it appears on the plate I usually pass it to Beloved who loves it.

Win win, nothing gets wasted and Beloved gets extra.

Bella23 Mon 17-Jul-23 15:25:02

I would ignore him and tell him later what a bad example he was showing to GC.

Patsy70 Mon 17-Jul-23 15:43:11

Extremely childish behaviour, btw. Very bad manners too, in front of the children. I would have felt embarrassed if it was my son.

Loobyloo12 Mon 17-Jul-23 15:59:53

How does one deal with adult childishness like that in public with a close family member? I sometimes have the same problem with a son of mine but in his case he's very incapacitated with progressive condition. Do you ignore or what?

4allweknow Mon 17-Jul-23 16:16:56

A 38 year old behaving like you say over something he doesn't like being served up, I'd be embarrassed to say he was my offspring.

cariad25 Mon 17-Jul-23 16:42:46

kittylester

Coleslaw is a strange thing to have with fish and chips.

He should have just coped but I don't think you should mention it - he is 38 after all and his mum pulling him up might not go down too well.

If that had happened to me (although not with coleslaw as even though I don't love it I could eat it!) but with something else I really didn't like being unexpectedly on my plate of food I would calmly and politely ask a member of the waiting staff to put my food onto another plate without the offending unasked for addition...please!
I think the 38 year old sounds maybe a little unhappy/lonely and lacking in confidence and as others have mentioned, with only having himself to think about he has maybe lost the ability to decide what's worth throwing a wobbly over and what just really isn't! Not having anyone to counter balance or comment on your behaviour can encourage over reaction to the little irritations of life, sort of a loss of proportion? Or maybe's he's just a miserable and not very nice person?!

Coconut Mon 17-Jul-23 17:20:47

I would tell your son that if all he has to worry about in life is a dollop of coleslaw on his plate …… then he is indeed very lucky, he seriously needs to grow up !

lemsip Mon 17-Jul-23 17:31:36

oh dear , not good to write a thread running down your own son!

annodomini Mon 17-Jul-23 18:06:28

I would just ignore him which is what he deserves.

Midnightblue Mon 17-Jul-23 18:20:15

Why is the fact that the son is single an issue?

Beetlejuice Mon 17-Jul-23 18:38:39

oh dear , not good to write a thread running down your own son!

True. But then again, if the son behaves like a mature adult of 38, instead of like a spoilt brat of 7, OP might come back with a thread about how lovely her offspring is. At the moment, that wouldn't be possible would it?

Saetana Mon 17-Jul-23 19:33:44

If I get something on my plate that I do not care for, I just push it to one side and get on with my meal (garden peas would be a good example, hate them!). No point in whining about it - if someone is that bothered about what is on their plate then they should make sure to ask first what is included and request the removal of any offending items.

cc Mon 17-Jul-23 19:45:27

My husband gets very irritated when he orders a dish which turns up including spinach, even though it hasn't been mentioned on the menu. It's understandable as it will actually make him sick! We have been to places where he has ordered almost the only dish on the menu which was spinach-free, only to find that it did contain it.

He now has learnt to simply ask the staff to take it away and make him something else, but it is amazing how many of them are stroppy about it.

He doesn't like being given bits of salad garnish on his plate either, but just leaves it,

DeeJaysMum Tue 18-Jul-23 03:59:45

Had I been in your son's position, namely getting a meal with something that hadn't been stated in the menu, on my plate, I would have told the waiting staff, sent it back to the kitchen and not just have the offending item removed, but a whole new plate of food prepared, especially if it were coleslaw because of its sloppy nature, it could have touched the other food items and contaminated them.
I have a lot of food allergies and intolerances, so eating out is a mess about for me anyway, so I don't want to add any additional messing around having to try cutting bits of contaminated food off and pushing things to one edge of my plate, I just want to be able to eat the food I've actually ordered.
At least I don't sit pulling faces and messing with my food.

BigBertha1 Tue 18-Jul-23 06:46:52

I agree with blossoming about the vileness of coleslaw so slimy!
The behaviour well, my SIL and GS do it...Perhaps it's common now.

Mitzigem Tue 18-Jul-23 07:50:56

Yes, your sons attitude was childish to say the least . I completely agree with you . No need to have such a long face . Anyway, I know everyone is different but it goes great with fish n chips . Not sure why some people think it’s a weird combination. It’s a common side salad to a lot of food .

Sennelier1 Tue 18-Jul-23 09:50:13

@bytheway I wouldn't like that behaviour in any person, especially not in an adult. (My own children are 36 and 38.) What a bad example to give to the children that were present! He could've asked if anybody wanted his portion of coleslaw since he didn't want it, or simply left it on his plate with no comments. He was your guest and acted rude and totally out of order.

biglouis Tue 18-Jul-23 10:06:10

I think that some single people, although not selfish, prioritise their needs and wants over someone with others to think about and it comes across as sulking when they don't get what they want

I would have felt the same as OP's son if certain foods that I detest appeared unwanted on my plate. I would probably have sent it back without hesitation.

I deplore the way some posters in this thread (including OP) have vilified single/childfree people as selfish and self centered, as though people in families never behave in this way. Families can be monumentally selfish self absorbed groups of people living in a happy bubble with no thought of anyone else outside their own little cotterie. Never forget that single people pay high taxes for many things that they do not want and cannot use. Including all the subs and handouts for people who have children.

Grannieinatwist Tue 18-Jul-23 11:44:36

Respectfully, you are the one who brought him up. Didn’t you teach him basic manners?

Maggiemaybe Tue 18-Jul-23 12:57:53

lemsip

oh dear , not good to write a thread running down your own son!

Yes, I bet the OP’s really glad now that she decided to have a bit of a vent on Gransnet. grin

What outrage over a little fit of pique that probably went unnoticed by everyone but her.