To say fuck it and give them picnic food?

[Blahdyblahbla]

My dc are a nightmare at home in relation to food. They eat well at the childminders house, but with me and grandparents they just refuse anything vaguely like a hot meal (unless of course its nuggets and chips).

I'm losing the will, I plan and cook nutritious meals without too much repetition, half killing myself to make the said meal available throughout the evening to accommodate everyone's activities.

Most meals get rejected, they'd rather starve than try something they don't like the look of.
They both will reliably eat packed lunch/ picnic type food.

AIBU to say sod it and let them have a spread every evening for the next few months, just so I can drop the evening meal from my mental load? Or will it just make things worse?
They are 2 and 5.

Children should learn to eat with a knife and fork and at the table asap. We're in the 21st century not the dark ages where we squatted and ate with fingers.
In Tokyo, most families eat together, at the table and the same food, perhaps cut up. The table is nicely laid and children expected to sit and eat properly.
It's no bad thing and just laziness to allow them to wander around with finger food and watch TV.

[quote julieca]@ravenmum true, but it was a time when kids hat to eat what they were given.[/quote]
I think you misunderstood my post. The bold part is a quote from a previous poster. I was pointing out something different.

We had a pact with our DCs choose something green and something colourful and we won't force anything else on you. Ds picked tomatoes and broccoli and now eats everything. I still successfully hide loads of veg in chilli and cottage pies etc. I bought a an electric chopper for that sole purpose

@ravenmum ooooh very taken with those taps! Good point re Judith Kerr's upbringing, although I do think the general "cold tea for children" was more general. Did you see a few years back a paper did an interiors piece on her house? The kitchen was still the one in the book! Ahem, apologies all for the sidetrack. I love Judith Kerr, old kitchens, food culture in different places, nutrition and err food generally, this tread is a honey trap for me...

Also also... I realised last night, as I sat down to eat with my children at 5:30pm, looking round my dining room, containing a dolls house, a kallax of crafts, projects and toys. I've not moved as far as I though from the Edwardians. I thought I'd brought the children in to eat proper supper in the dining room with their parents... but actually I think it's the parents taking tea in the nursery instead...

Oooh, I had to Google that, how lovely! That woman had amazing style.

Don't stress! If they're eating well at the childminder, don't worry.
My son (10) often has a hot meal at school (roast chicken, pizza, etc) so on an evening he will often have a platter of fruit/veg. His favourite is sliced cucumber, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, raw green beans, grapes & a babybel.