How long will we 'get away with ' sharing meals with DD when out?

[AliceTheCamelHasFiveHumps]

DD is 3y4m and I still share meals when out. So if I order sausage, mash and veg. It's usually 3 sausages, like if mash and veggies.

She'll have ½-1 sausage,and some of the veggies and mash.
Or say, McDonald's, she'll have around 10 of my chips and maybe one chicken select.

What age did you stop sharing?

Are we doing competitive child eating now?

About 18 months part from a carvery who allowed sharing it as long as they were in a high chair.

It might not be your experience but that doesn't mean everyone else is lying. If children of 3 didn't eat their own meals there wouldn't be children's menus specifically catering to children , often with stated ages such as little eaters age 2-5 and big eaters age 6-8 for example.

Your children might have found the ops example of half a sausage or a few chips enough but for the vast majority of children over 2 they will make a pretty good go at eating an entire child's meal if given the chance.

By asking how long you can get away with it, I think you aware restaurants and cafes aren’t happy with it. McDonald’s is fine to do it but not somewhere you’re served imho.
I can’t remember Ds sharing mine beyond weaning. He started ordering in most places from adult menu at 10/11. My sister always ordered my niece a kids menu, until she was about 16. Was embarrassing tbh.

Rather than be concerned about when other people do things, I'd be more concerned that your 3 year old eats so little. It's very very little food for a 3 year old. Are they filling up on snacks inbetween?

Tapas is a great shout with wee ones though. Or Greek meze.

When we were out for DS's 19th birthday recently Dd (aged 16.5) had a kids meal and a cider !

Ahh good call 🤣
My sister is tight, poor niece wasn’t allowed anything but water unless it was included with menu. A cider may have pushed her over the edge!

Agreed, it's annoying when the word 'competitive' is used when it really isn't.

Those portions sound tiny for a 3 year old. 10 chips? Half a sausage?

My DD is ten and is a small eater, probably 2/3 of the average restaurant portion would end in the bin. She’s another quarter of a burger and nine chips type. She’s been the same since she was a baby, as soon as she stops feeling ravenous she gives up. What I do to get round the waste issue is order two things she’ll eat; something light (ie. a small thin pizza) and something more substantial, usually with veg and gravy, because I’ve noticed she’s more inclined to restart eating (after swearing she’s full) if I suggest we ‘swap’ meals. Maybe it’s to do with it being something so totally different, the appetite gets re-stimulated or whatever. The only downside is I never really get to order all the weird stuff I want in restaurants on holiday cos she wouldn’t eat it 🤪

Perhaps, but then I always see these meals as sort of the upper end of what someone of that age would eat rather than the average.
I recently went out with over 10 (it was awful) year 2/3 children who all ordered from the children’s menu and most had food left on their plates.

I don’t at all think other people are lying. But I also don’t think people are lying when their children eat 1/3 of a child’s portion and run off playing professing they are full… If we can accept that the children who eat a full portion are real, let’s accept that the children that don’t are also and not say about competitive under-eating.

I stopped sharing meals when out around 10 months old (depending on where we were eating some places if a sharing platter we still did)

I generally found mine eat a good amount of their own food and my 14 month old eats more then his 4 year old brother!

But I also enjoy being able to order spicy food and what I want to eat rather then what's best to share.

12months.

If I cany afford to buy their meal I wouldn't go out, and personally I'd rather they leave most of the kids dinner than be hungrey.

If she only has a small appetite (and I know what it's like, one of my dc ate like a sparrow), then carry on as you are.

Mines a teen and we still do with some dishes 🤣

and I always did whenever we ate out. Most of the kids menus were safe meals eg sausage, fish fingers or nuggets and chips whereas the adult meals had much more variety so I’d often ask for a side plate for my child, order a main and a side or two plus a drink each. Only once can I recall ever being questioned about it and it was more curiosity and surprise DC would eat the same as me.

it was simply because I wanted DC to have the chance to eat risotto, Caesar salads, pan fried fish and experience more when we did go out.

if you’re both happy doing it carry on.

18 months ish I think. With dc1, I thought that's just what you did and with dc2...as soon as she realised her own plate was an option, she wanted to choose.

We tend to eat in places which allow small plates of "adult" food though. That said, dc1 (8) and I share in our favourite Turkish restaurant because that way we can manage to justify 3 courses.

If u class that as a meal for yr child u need to either take yr child to the GP or HV, so u can get the portion size correct so she doesn’t end up with malnutrition.

I was going to say 2, max. 3 is too old imo.

Some are criticising the OP for sharing a meal at 3 but mine was the same and only had a very small appetite and still does. She shared a meal until around 3 and a half and now has her own kids meal but only eats about half.

I wish more places did small plates of adult food. It was much easier (though expensive) once DS was about 9 and would eat an adult meal.

If u class that as a meal for yr child u need to either take yr child to the GP or HV, so u can get the portion size correct so she doesn’t end up with malnutrition.

Actually we did speak to the health visitor about DD not eating much and she said as long as they have a balanced diet and can maintain a healthy weight it is fine.

Other than the initial baby being interested in what was on the plate stage, I never fed mine like they were scrounging dogs. They ate better with their own plates/bowls.

Funnily enough DS1 (nearly 11) was saying at dinner tonight that he much prefers sharing with me. Grown up food is better and I can be trusted to order something he’d like, but an adult main is too much. Obviously I order starters and sides too, and so does DH, so both DSs can share. Apparently DS1’s best mate also prefers to share with his mum.

Also, although this is generally how we order in a restaurant, I’ve never had a restaurant query it. They seem quite quick to pick up on what’s going on and just offer to bring side plates.

@karmakameleon

Indeed thiswhy this is my favourite pub is my favourite pub in the world.

https://www.thesuninndedham.com/menus/creamtea/