AIBU? about the food at a party I went to yesterday....

[harpsichordcarrier]

so I went to a party yesterday - joint birthday for a 2 and 3 year old. The children ranged in age from 1 to 4.
the food was served around a table and all the children sat down - they served sausages, potato wedges, carrots and brocolli. all the children got exactly the same on their plates.
So far so good...
then one of the mums (one of the hosts) started making a running commentary.

Oh look X isn't eating his brocolli! come on X eat your brocolli!
look Y has cleared his plate! everyone give Y a round of applause!
Z hasn't eaten her carrots! no cake for Y!
how is R doing! come on R! clear your plate and everyone will give you a big clap!
onandonandon

so anyway cards on the table I found this mad and maddeningly. DD1 was getting more and more anxious, because she doesn't eat potato wedges. so when cheerleading woman said come on R clear your plate! she kept saying mummy I don't have to ewat the potatoes with the skin on do I mummy do I? and cheerleading woman said come on everyone likes chips....
I was the only one not clapping and whooping. I felt like a freak and a weirdo.

am i being unreasonable in not wanting my dc's to be pressured into eating more than they want to eat?
why when we worry about child obesity is it a good idea to whoop when a child asks for more sausages and potatoes?
AM I BEING UNREASONABLE

by the way... anyone who tries this with dd, who's already a difficult enough eater, gets an earful from me.. irrespective of who they are.

absolutely cannot stand it and to do it at a party.... wtf!

I wouldn't do the fake-angry thing at a party, though. It really confuses other people's kids, anyway.

whenever we go to places like soft play areas for parties, dd2 is made to out to be a bit odd as she doesn't eat 'toddler' food - ie pizza, sausages, chips, beans etc etc

so if someone was doing this to dd2, the woman would no doubt end up with something thrown at her (from dd2 not me)

god i hate soft play areas

i have to try and get out of it friday - anyone know any good excuses

Just do fireflyfairy's sister expression, and you'll never get asked anywhere again.

Sorry havent read all of this but the woman is completely MAD - the children get rewarded for eating everything even if they arent hungry sounds like an eating disorders training clinic.

DS doesnt get cake or ice cream if he doesnt want his dinner on a day to day basis but at a PARTY he could eat a plate of cakes if he wants.

I dont need to drink 10 spirits when im at a party (they make me sick just the same) but parties arent about common sense!!

No you're not being unreasonable Harpsi, mad old bat should have kept her mouth shut and realised that everyone has different rules.

Fab, is this the first thread in the new topic? !

I'd have slapped her one

You should have sat on her chest and stuffed wedges into her gob, IMO.

what a party - carrots and brocolli - woohoo.

MI I would have but the last time I did that they said I had one more chance before they would ban me I am soooooo pleased
because I was literally the only one not waving the pompoms

Should've punched her in the gob and said "oh come one everyone likes knuckle sandwiches!"

Blimey, my DCs are voracious, omniverous gannets (no idea where they got that from ) and that would be enough to stop them dead in their tracks.

LOL Iklboo!

I have so often seen deluded mothers standing over their offspring at tea time, watching their every mouthful or lack of, I always vowed not to be like that. I know how you felt Harpsi. But I've never come across such a mother at a party, trying to influence all the children. She sounds to me like an insult to the memory of Joyce Grenfell.

I would have said very loudly to my own child - ONLY EAT WHAT YOU WANT, DARLING, IT'S NOT A COMPETITION.

bonkers.
eating disorders here we come with that kind of behaviour. i always say "have a good try but you don't have to eat it all"

but not at parties ffs - it's a PARTY! isn't party food meant to be crisps, mini sausages, star shaped cheese sandwiches, cakes, grapes & strawberries anyway?

Nothing wrong with having healthy food but I've always tried not to comment ever on what the children eat. I like it to be completely neutral what they eat or don't or whether they eat and then it's not a big deal. Chidlren tend to eat enough so they don't starve to death if you leave them to it and don't fuss over it.

i agree totally with Xenia.

and at a party, fgs... what a silly cow.

i agree totally with Xenia.

and broccoli at a party, fgs... what a silly cow. i would refuse broccoli at a sodding party.

weird. posted half way through...

She's lost the plot somewhere I think!

Good for those who ate the veg, even if not the potatoes.

Surely they are there to have fun, no way I would put pressure on kids like that. A friend of mine was round whilst I gave the kids tea and she made a fuss about her girl finishing everything on the plate as "the rules in Kim's house are that you don't get pudding unless you have eaten everything".
Where did she get that from, I've never said that and then felt like I was the baddie in her daughters eyes!

God I would have panned her.

In my mind, I would. In reality I would probably have seethed and said something like "She doesn't eat potato wedges, we don't make an issue of it" or something equally sappy.

LOL at MI though, it would be so great to do that

that was one freaky mutha, harpsi