expensive kids menu

[MrMacadoo]

just after some opinions please. I'm getting my son christened and having a meal at a hotel afterwards. I have just been sent the kids menu and it's £15 a head!

my best friend and godmother to my ds has a 2 and a half year old. Will this child require a meal of their own? am loathe to spend this much on a meal for a child if its not going to get eaten. Parents with kids of this age, would you expect a kids meal or would you take something along for them? I don't want to upset or insult my friend so just wondered what others would do. thanks!

I don't think £15 for a childs 3 course meal in somewhere decent is expensive at all.

Of course they need fed

Try not feeding my 2.5yr old ds when others are eating ........World war 3

Yes they need feeding. It isn't expensive if the food is good quality .. let's hope it's not sausage chips and beans!

I think in the grand scheme of paying for a party, an extra tenna won't break the bank.

If you suggest splitting a meal your friend might feel obliged to agree, I know I would, and then I would be left hungry when my toddler scoffed the lions share of my tasty meal.

running milk alone, be it breast or formula, for three years is pretty unusual. Isn't it?

i was never going to ask my friend to share her meal, I just wondered if people would normally take something they know their toddler will eat along with them

but then my friend would probably end up sharing anyway!

You can't invite someone and not cater for them. Not to would be incredibly rude! Their age and appetite is irrelevant, as is the cost. If the cost is too high, reconsider your guest list or your venue.

I would be rather offended if my dc were not considered important enough to merit a meal. They'd both eat one (2, 5).

We went to a wedding when dd was 18 months. I assumed she would get a meal and she didn't. So I ended up very hungry as she ate most of mine. It totally ruined the whole event for us. 15 is not expensive for a decent venue

But what would you bring a 2.5 year old? Different if it was a 7 month old who was on a bowl of puréed veg.

I would just pay the money, in the scheme of things it's not much.

Exactly. There's no way if I had a hot meal my DS would be happy with a sandwich!

as I said before I will speak to my friend and do whatever she wants. I will not tell her about cost, just about the courses and choices. I will then do exactly what she wants, be that 1 course, 3 courses or full on adult meal

Thanks all, been good to get the full spectrum of opinions

At 2 and a half there is no telling what they might like. They might only eat pasta dishes or potatos and mince. Asking is definitely the way to go as you may need to order a plate of chips or some bread. You are not going to want to spend £15 on that.

At that age DS and his cousin (6 months older) would have had the adult meal split between them, and eaten the lot. DD1 would gave eaten a full child's meal.

DD2, it depends on her mood, she will either wag nothing or the lot. She is always happy with soup, so often we will just give her our starter.

For the sake of a tenner. Wouldn't bring it up with your friend to be honest. She will know you are hinting at costs. Just pay it.

I have bought a couple of kids meals for dd, now 2 but even though she has a goid appetite and not really fussy she doesnt eat all of it, so unless it is a sure thing she is hungry enough and likes it/ i want something she cant/wont have then we share off all our plates. Its great she gets a variety and has better stuff/other suff than on kids menus like fish/ salmon sausages beans egg pizza, peas, cheese, baggette.
We just ask for a plate (really most meals are too much for me anyway, DD is my diet tool :)
The cost to the restaurant of a 2.5yr old, negligible they have all the equipment already. If the kid was under 6 months they could still need all the same facilities but not get a meal
2 yr olds eating meals designed for much older kids portionwise does not sound like a good idea.
Sharing with them also avoids issue of what if they dont like what parent has chosen

DS has had his own meal since he was about 14mo. At 11mo DD doesn't yet.

I would never bring food to a restaurant for my children. It's a restaurant.

I'll need to speak to my friend as the venue has requested everyone's meal choice beforehand

Is £10-15 really going to make that much difference? why not order it anyway.

I'd still speak to your friend. If I were your friend I'd feel worse that someone had wasted money ordering food that was hardly then touched and wouldn't mind being asked at all.

I went to an event where they did not cater for 2yo DS. Exceptionally rude to invite someone and not cater for them. They did the 'oh we just thought he'd pick at yours'. For one thing, I don't want a 2yo sticking their fingers in my food, and for another thing, he ate all of my meal. I had to stop at McDonalds on the way home.

Ask her which choice she would like, since everyone needs to submit a choice, but don't hint that it is because you are being a cheapskate.

I'm not being a cheapskate I was just canvassing opinions. At no point did I say I would not get a meal, just that I thought £15 was excessive for a meal for a toddler they may not eat anyway. All I have said to my friend is that we will need everyones menu choices before the event so I will get her a copy of both adult and kids menu and she can let me know. She is my best friend and I wouldn't cause bad feeling for the sake of a tenner.