To say no to pizza pasta again?

[karmakameleon]

So I'm trying to arrange dinner with a friend and her family and she's suggested a pizza pasta place. Fairly standard kid food but my problem is that DS (3yrs old) doesn't like it. DS will happily eat Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican amongst other things, so I don't think he can be described as fussy, but just not pizza and pasta.

As you imagine this comes up regularly when we eat out with friends and in the past I've taken the view that DS can have some bread and fill up on ice cream after. But this time I've had enough and put my foot down as I just feel it's not fair on DS to always be the one that can't eat and ends up going home hungry. Also I know that DS really doesn't like pizza pasta as I've offered it to him a hundred times but I'm guessing that my friend's child hasn't tried half the options I've suggested. (The specific places I've mentioned to her all do some mild options in smaller sized portions although not specifically a children's menu.) And if the worst came to the worst, surely her DS could pick at his main and then have lots of ice cream for pudding like mine has had to in the past?

Anyway, the whole thing is proving quite traumatic, she's not taking up any of my suggestions and sticking fairly rigidly to her original choice and I'm getting the feeling that the whole thing is off unless I do as I'm told compromise. So now I'm starting to feel guilty and think maybe I'm being a bit unreasonable as it is a fairly standard choice. But then it's not DS's fault he doesn't like it...

Strange he eats noodles and not pasta.

Tell me. It's infuriating.

I have assumed it is children that are swaying the vote for pasta/pizza but hadnt thought it might be your friend/her family that only like that?

I would be worried that TGI Friday would be full of drunken Xmas parties at this time of year.

I've changed my mind

often have this issue

OP. We are bringing up children to be useful, functioning members of society. Part of that is we don't always get what we want, and also that sometimes being a kid is a bit rubbish, and being an adult is great. This is learning.

So yes, kids menus can often be crap (but lots aren't now) but he's a kid, not a little Prince. Suck it up.

You can cook him lovely food at home and when he's a grown up he won't be that dreadful man who is impossible to go out with because of where he'll eat. Job done.

There is that danger at any restaurant this time of year surely? Particularly somewhere more "adult" like a Japanese, Thai etc?

But He is only 3,
you say he would pick at things and not really enjoy.
I doubt his appetite is going to be enormous wherever you go

Again, same could be said for her DS.

Im not sure. I rarely venture out at night. Surely there is a nice place near you that would be fine. We have a place that is part of vintage inns. They are very family orientated. There is also wetherspoons?

I think you're both being A leetle bit U

In this situation I would check out the menu - if your DS will eat Japanese chances are he will eat "proper" Italian food as opposed to pasta (though if he likes noodles, is there no pasta dish he'd enjoy - don't like pasta myself, its a bit like eating skin..I digress). But say "ok let's go these this time but next time let's try something different".

Giraffe sounds perfect and covers most bases. Is there a reason why she's veto ing it?

www.vintageinn.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAqK-zBRC2zaXc8MOiwfIBEiQAXPHrXlxSccA1CAFLbhD-84oIZs2pZOwpS8_joyiUG54ogmEaAlyX8P8HAQ

I would happily go there anytime with my family and have done so.

I don't like Nandos

We are bringing up children to be useful, functioning members of society. Part of that is we don't always get what we want

Which is exactly why up to now I've put up with it and DS has picked at his pasta whenever we eat out with friends. But now I'm getting to the point where I feel that other adults aren't teaching their children this important lesson.

Is it lunch or dinner. If it is lunch I would just go to TGI's even dinner tends to be quiet in ours until later on.

It would be helpful to know what the pizza/pasta place is!

If pizzahut then YANBU.

If Pizza Express / Prezzo type place then YABU - plenty of choice on that type of menu and most do spicy pizza and pasta options too.

or do you have a Bill's

do you know OP who is so particular to the pasta/pizza, perhaps it is her taste buds?

The problem is you have compromised before and its now expected of you.

OP, my sympathies. I have one DC that will eat pizza under sufferance but not pasta and one carb&diary hater (happily enough with a roast dinner style meal minus the potatoes).

Can we flip this round? Surely if her DS can eat pasta, he can eat noodles?

Christ, all this fuss over a bit of food.

Why not give eating a miss and just meet up and do something else?

I think you are both being unreasonable and I think this is about the adults. Surely as adults you choose alternately where you'd like to go - ensuring that your choice has acceptable alternatives. Hence on her days of choice she picks an Italian that also has meat/fish dishes. On your days you pick places where they will do meat/fish without the spicy sauces...
Can't see why that is a problem unless you are unable to have an honest conversation in which case it's not much of a friendship and should be relegated to just casual meet ups that don't involve going for food.

It's not just this friend, but we eat out with friends quite a bit so often have this issue.

This stood out to me.

You often have issues where people don't want to eat where you suggest?

Christ, all this fuss over a bit of food.

really agree with this

I have to say, there are loads of places that are happy compromises for both of you.
My children would never touch the things your child eats tbh. I think that if you were to insist on these types of places with all the choice there is YABU - both of you are.

Friendships should be two ways.

If you are always making your son eat food he isn't keen on to see this person and her DC then she isn't really much of a friend is she?

I would say you will have to give it a miss as it isn't fair on your son to be in this position all the time.

Nothing wrong with taking children to try other foods. If they haven't tried how does she know they won't like it? Also they do normally do main stream food. Most indians/chinese do chips etc

You often have issues where people don't want to eat where you suggest?

I mean we often end up in pizza pasta places where DS can't eat. I've often suggested more 'exotic' options when eating out with other families but not stood firm before and ended up at a chain Italian.