Child on play date hated my dinner

[RosieLeaLovesTea]

Oh dear. DD had a friend over the play . I said she could stay for tea. I bought them a
big cheese and tomato pizza to share. But she wanted pepperoni and so I had to do a smaller
pizza on the side with a tomato sauce. She didn’t like the pasta and left it. So has only eaten too small pieces of pizza. I hate the thought that she willgo back to her parents feeling hungry. 😣

Children can be very fussy and often only like food they have at home. Don't worry about it. Quite normal.

I wouldn’t worry. Tell her it is what it is - take it or leave it. I’m sure my children ate a wider variety of food because other parents didn’t indulge rude fussiness. If she can eat pepperoni pizza, she can eat a plain pizza.

Play date dc are sent to try us. Ds's mate insisted I stitch his sock as he had clicked it on our stairs and they were brand new!!
I didn't...

Loads of kids hardly anything on a play date because it’s too exciting! Don’t worry about it.

If she asked for a specific type of pizza, that would suggest that she likes pizza, so you’ve done your best here! And at least she’s eaten something.

Have you asked her if she’s still hungry and given her options for some other types of food to help fill her up? Fruit? Vegetables? Sandwich? If she declines it all, just let her parents know that you’ve offered all sorts, but she’s only eaten some pizza. It’s not like you haven’t tried!

She’ll be fine, she can have a bit of toast or a banana or something when she gets home! My DD can be a bit fussy and particular, I wouldn’t dream of being critical if she wouldn’t eat the food at another house especially if they’ve offered something so similar to something she does like.

I really wouldn't worry. When daughter was about 7/8 (she's in her 50's now) she had a friend round. I asked if friend would like to eat lunch with us. She asked what it was and I said it was spag bol. Yes, she said, I like that .

I dished it up, called the girls to come and eat. Daughter's friend burst into tears and ran home. I think she was expecting spag bol from a can, when I'd cooked the sofa bol from scratch.

My only thoughts on it now is that the poor child must have been mortified to be expected to eat this (to her) very strange dish.

Children get v used to their parents own cooking and then find it a shock that the same foods taste or are served differently elsewhere. I remember doing exactly the same!

This is totally normal, Kids can be fussy, try not to worry. She will eat at home most probably.

My DC rarely eats anything on playdates. They have issues around unfamiliar food. That includes even "child-friendly" meals like pizza and mac and cheese if it's not made in exactly the way they are used to at home. I find it somewhat embarrassing and usually mention it in advance to the host. As far as I'm concerned, DC can politely decline what is offered but that is it - I would never expect a hosting parent to offer endless alternatives (and I'd actually prefer that they didn't). The parents will be aware that their child is "fussy" about food.

Oh so normal and oh so awful for you, the host! Learned the hard way that the kids who say they like mac and cheese sure don't like mine! There wS the one kid who said "it doesn't taste of anything!, I like it"🙀

I check with the parents what they'll eat and if they are then ride/awkward when presented with the food I don't make anything else. I just tell the parent they didn't eat:

Several years ago my stepson came with us to stay at my mother's after a family wedding (this was unusual - he rarely stayed with us). He was about 8 I think. My mum had cooked a cottage pie - he took one look at it and burst into tears. My father was one of the least patient men I have ever known and was quite possible of making a nasty comment so I just got straight up took his plate away and made him a cheese sandwich. At least I knew he would eat that!

Am I the only one who is confused by the op? Guest wanted Pepperoni pizza, op then had to cook another pizza with sauce on the side and where does pasta fit into it all??

Kids can be funny about food at other people's house. If they have refused the meal, I'd offer toast or cereal then explain to the parents.

I had a play date at my friends nans once when I was about 7. I thought her nan had tried to poison me, so didn't eat a thing 🤣

It's fairly normal. I've spent the last ten years for both kids cooking for their friends and ending up chucking it in the bin!

My daughter as a child was the opposite. Wouldn’t eat this or that at home but would happily eat a battered pigs trotter in raspberry sauce with grated parsnip washed down with a glass of haddock juice or whatever concoction was offered to her at a friends house!

Nope, me too 🤓

My kids don’t eat chicken nuggets, chips and beans 😁 which is pretty much what they’re served every time they eat at friends houses. I’ve told them to be polite and eat what is served rather than loudly announce they don’t like that as they did when they were little!

Honestly dont worry about it, kids are weird when it comes to food. She isn't going hungry she ate something and can eat more when she gets home. The kids you want to worry about are the kids that eat you out of house and home and then ask if they can take food home for later. One of DSs friends was like this he wasn't getting fed at home and would always stuff his pockets when he came round.

My children are teenagers now, but as a busy working Mum when they were little I was so grateful to any parent who invited them over, that I would have been happy if they had fed them bread and water.
😂

Just let the parents know. She'll be fine.

My son went on a play date when he was about 4/5 years old. The mother asked me if he liked spaghetti to which I replied yes he does. But what was served up at the play date house was spaghetti out of a tin not homemade spag bol. My son told the mother (politely) that it was disgusting. When the mother brought him home she queried why i had said he like spaghetti. I confirmed he did but made from scratch. She did not know how to cook from scratch poor woman. When her son came to us i fed him my spag bol and he loved it.

You had pizza and pasta? Oh dear. 😂

Seriously though. One of my grandchildren has some food issues. One extra ingredient on the plate that they didn't want or expect and it's a reject. Don't take it personally op.