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?

Ah, maybe this is where differences lie.

DP and I sometimes share meals when we eat out. If we go to our local fish and chip shop, it is really normal for people to ask for a 'large to share' or a 'regular to share,' because they portion for people doing physical jobs who will be starving (they also do a 'seniors' portion which is smaller - those are their main customer bases). I don't think anything much of it. I do think if you're sharing food with anyone, it's polite to have a discussion about what you're having ... but why wouldn't you?

This basically, it’s important uou treat your child as part of the family, she’s not an afterthought or worthy of less. If you chose to eat out, buy her a meal.

honestly if I saw you doing it I’d be side eyeing you.especially with how little you’re giving her so you still have a decent portion yourself.

it’s not ok, you’re well past rhe age it was. Well past it.

We now have 3 children who have an adult meal (12,14,16). We’re high earners but even pizza express is a £100+ meal, so we eat out very little!

That’s different though, this is a child whose parents dine out and don’t buy her a meal and give her a little bit of theirs. Totally different.

Judgy much! My 5 year old would eat that much of that food. He snacks here and there throughout the day and is the perfect size and thriving in all areas. Has full access to all foods. Save your concern! Kids are all different.

We've been getting our son his own meal since he was about 14 months. He rarely eats all of it but always eats enough that sharing our meals wouldn't have worked.

Kids are so different and there's a lot of judgement here!

My 21m old would never ever eat a kids meal.

She hardly eats a thing! But she is still breastfed...

She usually takes a few bites and has had enough 😂

18m

I think age 3 is being a CF tbh

It's definitely different - I just meant, would the child feel left out? It could be it's the norm for them to share. Also depends where and how you mostly eat out. Some styles of food lend themselves to sharing more than others.

Absolutely. Surely at three she is some bit curious and wants her own food.
We've all been there where children ask for food and don't eat it but at least we do offer it. Some children are savages like mine and others are like my friend's daughter where she eats nothing at all and some children are just really fussy and picky with food. All of it is normal but it's important to model good eating habits and I think letting her choose her own food when out would be good for her.

What a weird thread.

You're doing something very few other people would be doing at this age - but it seems to be working for you, and you’re getting all ‘why should I???’ to all the people giving you advice on the very thing you’re asking for advice on.

Keep sharing your food with your 3YO since they seem to subsist on dust, anyway.

Most other people would have, in the words of Phoebe Buffay, ‘loosened the purse-strings’ and bought their pre-schooler their own food long ago.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Well, yeah, but your child isn’t even 2.

The OP’s child is 3….?

My two boys usually share a meal as they are such picky eaters. They are both on the 2nd line for growth so they are never going to be huge they are 5 and 3. Definitely depends on the child

It was just the norm to share in our family and DS could eat what he wanted if we shared food when he was a toddler/young child. It was our food, not him eating my food. We still swap food or give food away if one person prefers it.

Bugger me. Buy your child a kids meal. Maybe she’ll surprise you and eat more if given half the chance. Are you that tight you squeak when you walk?

@SargentSagittarius yes but most people are saying to buy a child's meal from 18m! I was just stating that I think all children are totally different.

Well this kid isn’t swapping. They get nothing. Their parents get their plates and she gives them some off the side making sure she gets a good portion left.

This kid is 40 months. What’s your point?

I've always bought my children their own meal. I couldn't imagine not doing so. They are a person in their own right, they get their own meal.

Just sounds like they are sharing a meal to me. Some restaurants, especially pubs or similar give you one and a half adult portions easily.

I'm sorry if I missed it but what did you mean by 'get away with?' in your OP?

Get her food of her own ffs she's 3 not a baby!

Not even getting your kid a happy meal though. Giving them 10 chips and a chicken select. Or half a sausage and some mash, honestly you read some stuff on here, 😱

We just accepted they might only eat half. It’s not healthy to insist children clear their plates, it’s fine to leave some food especially when a kids menu is meant for three year olds and also 11 year olds. The three year old will leave food behind.

It’s an important part of socialization and of learning how to eat balancing nutrition and pleasure.

How do you know?

I don't think the OP has said this.

I do think other posters are right that there's value in the child choosing and ordering, and it doesn't sound as if that is what the OP does - but I didn't get the impression she was being greedy and expecting her child to have bits around the side, only that she thought her child had enough when they shared a meal.