To give my dc bread-and-butter for supper every schoolnight?

[PrettyCandles]

I am fed up fed up cooking good meals. One will eat this but not that, one will have a screaming tantrum because it's not what they wanted (did they tell me what they wanted? ), one will refuse without tasting because 'it's disgusting' - and inevitably likes it when they actually try it.

Oh you've heard it all before!

They have hot school dinners, though how much they actually eat is anyone's guess.

I refuse point-blank to cook two different dinners.

So WIBBU to only cook for myself and dh, and give the dc bread-and-butter?

One family = one meal . Bread and butter as a viable alternative.

Sounds like a plan to me .

How old are they? If they're old enough to cook then they could be making dinner? Or if they're too young, perhaps being more involved in the preparation and actual deciding what is for dinner might help?

I can see the quandry of not wanting to prepare different dinners but bread and butter might result in night-time wanderings to the kitchen to eat unsuitable foods or waking you up because they're hungry!

It is soul destroying to try and feed extremely fussy children. I don't really have any advice though. One of mine is shockingly fussy and one will eat virtually anything. Meal times make me feel very guilty, like I am a terrible mother. It is a great achievement when I get my fussy one to actually consume enough to live on!

I would cook one meal for everyone. That is the meal. A slice of bread and butter as a side if they wish. Fruit only as dessert.

(I do sometimes cook two meals but that is because I don't eat meat. I'm the one cooking, so I get to make two.)

I'm a bit confused. Do you mean for their evening meal, or for a snack before bed?

I do simple things in the evening. Beans or spagetti on toast, baked potato with a choice of filling, eggs, soup and crusty bread, etc. Then I don't feel so stressed if they don't eat it.

Funnily enough, I have just this very evening told my ds that I am not running a restaurant and that in future, he will either eat what I am cooking or have toast/cereal.

He managed to eat his dinner (which he thoroughly enjoyed, despite pre dinner tantrum). I would never give him food that he disliked, but I am no longer going to listen to him strop, because I have cooked something that he has decided he doesn't want. I am now operating a take it or leave it approach.

One meal on the table, served from central dishes rather than put on plate in front of them, so thay can say 'yes a little ' or 'no thank you' as it is all served, they can choose what they want, choice of veg or salad items, big pile of bread and butter, no arguing or persuading or pressurising, anyone who employs bad manners (including use of the work 'yuk' or 'disgusting', though 'no thank you' or 'Ive tried it but I don't like it' in a polite tone is OK) leaves the table. With no fuss or yelling.

Be calm and resolute. They will fight back to begin with - keep looking straight ahead and do not be de-railed.

There's nowt wrong with a big plate of bread and butter for fussy eaters. Or a big plate of toast and butter.

Bread and butter fine (I would personally offer cheese/ham/apples/bananas to go with it just to cover all the food groups). I would not enjoy dealing with fussiness either and bread, cheese and an apple is a perfectly OK meal. I'd keep offering what you're cooking for you and DH, though. A few weeks of bread and butter might just inspire them to try it.

As DCs have school lunch, they don't always want what i have cooked for them, when they get home!

We had stir-fry tonight. DD said she had a noodle thing at school today ( not on school menu for today,i checked), so ended up having a sandwich.

I also don't cook anything else, it's either what i have made or a sandwich/toast/soup.

I usually have homemade soup on the stove if they want that.
Well, at least lunch is cooked (stir-fry), for tomorrow.

"o simple things in the evening. Beans or spagetti on toast, baked potato with a choice of filling, eggs, soup and crusty bread, etc. Then I don't feel so stressed if they don't eat it."

Oh, I wish!

Beans on toast - one won't touch baked beans at all
Baked potato - one won't eat baked potato, another will only have them with tuna mayo, two are dairy-intolerant so can't have cheese
Eggs - one will only eat scrambled
Soup - ah, yes, soup they all eat

So that's soup or scrambled eggs every night.

Alternating bread & butter, with a soup or scrambled eggs, is fine.

We do same as Natashabee

Hot school meal in day

Evening - sandwiches , toast, soup , fruit, yoghurt

oh god OP i feel your pain

its soul destroying to prepare hand cooked nutritious meals for dc only to have them turn their nose up at it then piss about with it for half and hour and only eat half of it

but i tell mine they either eat whats in front of them or go hungry, they are 2.6 and 5.6. the eldest is the worst for it yet he used to be such a "good" eater

sometimes i give in and give them a piece of toast or similar just before bed

I would give them a small portion of whatever the meal is that everyone else is having.. no choices, no menu options, and they either eat it, or they go hungry.

But I am harsh, hate to see wasted food, and wont tolerate food fads and fussy eaters.

Supper in this part of the UK is the snack you have to go to bed. I'm assuming you don't mean that and you mean 'tea' - ie the main meal you have on an evening?
I'd do one main meal for everyone, and a side dish of bread and butter. If they only ate the bread and butter, then that's up to them, they shouldn't be so picky!

Id cook two different dinners if I had to, but I never did, but would have, a school dinner is no more than having a lunch.

I grew up on a bread and butter tea every night and serve my children the same most days. You can make it healthier than I had by adding fruit, cheese etc. If they are having a hot school dinner why do they need another hot meal? Noone worries that those having packed lunch have only had a bread and butter lunch.

My daughter has hot school dinners and every day has bread and butter (with cheese/hummus/tomatoes/fruit etc) for her evening meal.

? I am confused. Do you mean just bread and butter for their tea?Every day?YABU if you do mean that.
That's not a square meal!They are growing, and need protein and vegetables!

I grew up having sandwiches for dinner (with tomato or peppers or cucumber on the side, fruit for pudding). One hot meal a day is enough.

Cheese or ham sandwich, some raw veg and fruit covers all food groups (and if you can make the bread wholemeal for older kids that's even better).

Baked potato with some beans is not healthier.

Plus obviously things like hummus, avocado etc are very healthy!

If they arent eating school dinners then all that starch and fat should set them up nicely for future bad eating habits and health problems.

What do they like? I had one who is "fussy" (didn't like sauces) - really it isnt that difficult to grill a bit of chicken every night...every night ... for about 5 years whilst everyone else had the proper meal - you just side line the meat. I have one who cannot stand potato in any shape or form so I swap that for rice pasta or noodles. But That is part of his ASD.