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Original poster

How often do you treat the kids to a treat?

56 replies

MsMiaWallace · 09/03/2022 10:14

How often do you treat the kids to say a McDonald's, chippy tea or similar?

Not sure if I'm too tight or not?
We always have treats in at home but quite rarely treat them to takeaway milkshake, food etc.

OP posts:
Woollystockings · 09/03/2022 13:09

A treat, to me, isn’t food based, so I was a bit confused by your post. I thought you mean buy the kids a magazine or a toy or game or something, or go somewhere nice - theme park or zoo or cinema.

ColouringPencils · 09/03/2022 13:13

We have oven pizza and ice cream on a Friday, when we watch a film. In normal times might go out for a meal once a month/ every six weeks, but have only done this a few times in last two year. Greggs or Subway for lunch about once a month. McDonald's maybe twice a year.

gogohm · 09/03/2022 13:14

When I wanted one!

I prefer proper food though so we took the kids to restaurants we liked, they both tucked into Indian, Mexican from tiny

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merryhouse · 09/03/2022 13:38

We used to have takeaway every Friday - either Indian or fish and chips. (S1's 2nd-birthday dinner was an Indian takeaway, of which he ate a pile of poppadoms and "messy stuff" - raita)

Over the years that changed to alternate Fridays, with home-made pizza on the other weeks; then once a month; then slightly less than that. Now it's just the two of us a lot of the time we stick with the pizza (except things like H's birthday last week).

When they were younger we'd eat out maybe once a month, while visiting with friends or grandparents. Normally a pub - with play area when they were tiny, Wetherspoons later on. Chain Italian was for birthdays.

Burger King or Little Chef when we had a five-hour journey to do (maybe three times a year and back). H and I prefer BK to McDonalds, and H spent some years thinking he didn't like KFC (having had greasy experiences in the late 80s) before S2 persuaded him to try again.

We only ever had takeaways while they were in bed if it was a school disco night, because then they had hot dogs (and a ton of sugar) and we ate doner kebab which they didn't like.

Desert76 · 09/03/2022 14:15

Irregularly, depends on the time of year.

In the summer we quite often go for a walk in the evening and get fish and chips or ice cream (or both) half way. Maybe once a week.

In the cold weather we'd go out less often, maybe every 6 weeks or so.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 09/03/2022 14:19

Drink at costa every Saturday (my hand is forced on this one as we're hanging around in between two activities and going for a coffee is one of the few things available). Takeout half a dozen times a year. Meal out once or twice a month. We are all greedy food lovers, it's definitely something they view as a treat.

LER83 · 09/03/2022 14:22

Macdonalds/dominoes/other takeaway maybe twice a month, normally will get them a hot chocolate/ice cream or something if we are out for a walk and see a cafe/stand etc. They do usually have a weekly greggs though after swimming! Sometimes they pay for it themselves. If we go for a day out somewhere i would usually buy lunch and snacks etc. Only take them to restaurants for family special occasions as they are horrendous for sitting after they've eaten, they just want to leave.

mowglika · 09/03/2022 15:08

We eat out fairly often, every couple of weeks and if it’s a burger place the kids will get milkshake which they see as a treat. We go to macdonalds twice a month or less and the kids love it, I remember my brother getting me to ask for macdonalds when I was a kid and we were out and about so I see my kids have inherited our excitement about it. I don’t like it myself anymore so it’s more their treat.

Titsywoo · 09/03/2022 15:16

A fair amount. We have a takeaway or eat out once a week or so. Dd works at McDs so not really a treat nowadays!

popandchoc · 09/03/2022 15:17

We get mcdonalds every two weeks on a Friday. They prob also have the odd meal out somewhere.

TabithaTittlemouse · 09/03/2022 15:22

We don’t do food as treats. A treat would be the latest trainers they want or a cinema trip.

We go out for food or get a takeaway maybe once every 6 months.

soupmaker · 09/03/2022 15:24

At least once a month we get take away. Usually Vietnamese as we are lucky to have a fabulous neighbourhood restaurant not far from us. And once a month out for lunch or dinner. Kids love Japanese, pizza, Mexican street food and Chinese noodles and dim sum. I make home pizza from scratch as a treat and they get home made pancakes on the weekend. So all in all they get treats a lot!

QforCucumber · 09/03/2022 15:26

I get DS1 (6) a gingerbread man every Friday for school pick up as its the only day he's not picked up by the childminder and it has become our little thing on the walk home.

Takeout usually once every couple of weeks, dominos or local Caribbean restaurant, McDonalds doesn't actually tend to come into the equation other than more a convenience, it is seen as a treat but not really one any of us would choose if that makes sense.

Ds2 is coming up to 2 and loves nothing more than a sneaky chocolate digestive after nursery

laurac28 · 09/03/2022 15:38

hi we were getting a takeaway at least once a week Mc Donalds, chinese or chippers but the kids are going off McDonalds and not all of them like something from the chippers so we have cut back they all like chinese so get that roughly every second week. We will go to a restaurant every other Sunday to eat if we are not going to my husbands parents for dinner.

MotherWol · 09/03/2022 18:39

It probably works out as every week; we often have lunch out at the weekend, usually just a local pizza place or kid-friendly restaurant as part of our weekend plans. We like to spend our weekends going to places like museums or exploring the city and I don’t want to bring a picnic with us every time we do!

kittenkipper · 09/03/2022 18:39

I 100% see food as a treat, so quite regularly. I'd say fast food fortnightly and a meal out once or twice a month. Takeaway once or twice a month as well. I know it's a lot, but we all love the treat and now that belts are tightening I'm very glad they view a takeaway/ McDonald's as a treat - £20/50 for four is manageable I hope, whereas I can't see us ever having a holiday or being able to afford to go the zoo/ bowling again the way prices are rising. With petrol costs to get there and the actual cost of these for four , after my bills and food are paid- it's not going to happen. Meanwhile a McDonald's delivered? Hopefully that will stay within my budget

Bitofachinwag · 09/03/2022 18:48

@Woollystockings

A treat, to me, isn’t food based, so I was a bit confused by your post. I thought you mean buy the kids a magazine or a toy or game or something, or go somewhere nice - theme park or zoo or cinema.
Yes I find the concept of treats generally a strange concept. Why not just do things you enjoy? Why does it have to be a "treat"?

It seems like for lots of people who give their children food "treats" this means something unhealthy. How is putting unhealthy things into your body a treat?

Bitofachinwag · 09/03/2022 18:50

Ds2 is coming up to 2 and loves nothing more than a sneaky chocolate digestive after nursery

What's sneaky about it?

couldthisgetworse · 09/03/2022 18:51

How long were you COVID positive?

I had symptoms from Friday, didn't get a lateral flow until Monday which was positive. I don't want to do them daily as I only have a limited number and they're expensive. May test again tomorrow?

couldthisgetworse · 09/03/2022 18:51

@couldthisgetworse

How long were you COVID positive?

I had symptoms from Friday, didn't get a lateral flow until Monday which was positive. I don't want to do them daily as I only have a limited number and they're expensive. May test again tomorrow?

Sorry wrong thread
AlistairCamel · 09/03/2022 18:55

We are also people who don’t see food as a treat here. We eat out usually once a week t a restaurant. DH and I probably have take away once a week or once a fortnight. McDonald’s could be every fortnight or every three months just depending on where we are.

DataColour · 09/03/2022 18:59

McDonald's about once a term probably. Takeaways for the whole family are rare, I'm usually disappointed
in them and the kids are so so about them. I'm a pretty good cook, so treats tend to be a treaty dinner or dessert which might be twice weekly. Today it was a treat for DD as I baked whole fish which is her favourite. The other day I met her on the way back from school and took her to the ice cream parlour, so that was a treat - she is very food oriented though so easy to treat her. DS just wants pizzas or burgers ( couple of times month) so whenever we have something like that it's a treat for him.

DataColour · 09/03/2022 19:05

Food is definitely treat in this house! I love food and love planning what to eat. We all eat good quality stuff and in the lower end of healthy bmi as we lots of excercise too

RagzRebooted · 09/03/2022 19:07

On average once a month. That's what I budget for. We're rural so little opportunity unless we make a family trip to town (30 mins away).

tiggergoesbounce · 09/03/2022 19:15

I think our 4.5 year old has has McDonalds maybe twice.
As a pp said our DS doesnt class chippy a "treat" for him, hes not really fussed and we often make him something he asks for from home when we have chippy.

He does get sweets with his grandparents on a weekend.

No, its not tight to not get them "treats" unless you feel its the right time.