To not understand adult food vs kids food?

[SofandaCox]

I meet up occasionally with my old baby group. Our babies are 3 now. We met up yesterday for lunch and there’s a few in the group that are firmly in the adult foods are separate to kids food camp and I find it so bizarre. They make really weird comments like “why would you give that to a child” “my child would never eat that” “I wouldn’t waste that on a child” etc. my child has a long list of allergies and I’ve had gastric surgery so can’t much so we usually share a meal. The offending meal? Calamari. Basically chicken nuggets but wish squid. They acted like I had just purchased my toddler a fillet mignon with champagne and lobster tail. Which, again, don’t see the issue if that’s what he wanted! Has anyone experienced this? And also just to be so rude as to sit there and actually make comments about it. I’ve had judgey thoughts about them feeding their 3 year old jarred baby food but I’ve kept that to myself. It’s making me not want to meet up with them anymore but it would be a shame for my son as he enjoys spending time with the others toddlers.

Some kids will only eat beige food ,my son is 18 now and has just discovered a love for curries, and chilli etc, but wouldn't have entertained them when he was younger
Maybe people need to stop judging whst other people feed their kids and concentrate on their own kids ?

My daughter pretty much always ate whatever adults were having (puréed/ mashed/ cut up when she was a baby). She likes strong flavours, spicy foods and is an adventurous eater (I’m the opposite). I think it’s much more usual for them to prefer plainer food with consistent texture. Part of this is probably what they’re used to/ how they were weaned and part is personality/ preference but it’s definitely more usual for them to want chicken nuggets than calamari. So there’s no mystery why your friends think it’s unusual- it is. Kids often fuss with their food, or leave a lot of food on their plate which is why some people would think of ordering them from the adult menu as a waste. They seem to think it’s unusual rather than judging you for it so I don’t understand why it bothers you and you say you’re judging them but don’t say anything..was it the tone they were using or something?

It really isnt. Most people wouldn't comment on someone else's choices like that, because its rude. But some people are pricks, regardless of where they are from.

We have one meal, kids eat the same thing, wide range of tastes and flavours etc, and I still have a 10 year old who’s favourite food is the most basic cheese and tomato pizza, beans on (white) toast or toad in the hole. She’ll eat the stuff we make but would never ever choose it for herself! Kids are drawn to crap food, god knows why but they are.

They're jealous 😄😄

I'm also a little jealous op, my dd only eats a handful of food, mostly meat and sweeties!

Keep raising your baby to be a great eater, you're doing nothing wrong 😊

And if they continued to leave it ,you just wouldn't feed them?
Irs all very well being judgey when you have a child that will eat anything ,some kids would rather starve

Seems a really bizarre take from the other parents; This is how your kid ends up being a picky eater or worse develops ARFID - expose them to as much variety as possible when they're younger.

My dc ate the same as me from the start so I don't get it at all. I have a lovely photo from when my youngest was 3, sitting with friends children (similar age, some younger some older all munching on home made sushi, this included raw fish btw. Calamari was a firm favourite too from young

Exactly. I would absolutely let my children wither away until they reached a Mumsnet approved size waistband.

My 3 year old loves calamari. We don’t just buy for him either we eat it as a family. He loves tempura prawns too. What does that make us? Should I be giving him chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs?

@x2boys
The point is they don't, my dc is autistic and very very picky but I still served a single meal, she would pick through it, very annoying, but she never got a separate meal

I agree OP. When dining out I often either share what's on my plate, or I order a starter from the main meal. Kids menu is usually crap pizza and chicken nuggets anyway

Judgement like this always comes from very narrow minded people who have nothing better to do than judge and criticise other people.

Rise above it and feel confident that you are feeding your child a wide range of food.

Mine ate what we ate generally but calamari is a particular choking hazard because of the rubbery texture so I was a bit more cautious with that as it can be deceptive sometimes, lightly crunchy on the outside but can be rubbery and tough inside

I am not British either OP. I saw a little bit of this attitude when I moved to America and much more of it here. Continental Europeans, Middle Eastern cultures and Asians seem to care more about introducing young DC to a variety of foods as early as is appropriate, in a happy way. Much better for the DC IMO.

I've got an autistic child would literally vomit on the table if forced to eat certain foods so there is a case for a bit of adaptation depending on the child.

yeah, I wish wish wish I'd done this with DD. Lots of starters are things that at that age I think she would have eaten - I would definitely do this now if I had my time again. And now we have a child who is quite difficult (although eating out is easy enough as she likes plain meat/chicken or burgers).

Yes! It is not just about having different options for adults/children but also the fact that children’s options are usually junk food (with a few cucumber sticks as token veg). Greasy and low quality food that adults wouldn’t eat themselves.

Growing up in the 80s and 90s we were only fed "children's food." So frozen, beige shit. The adults ate far nicer food later on. And the children's menu at restaurants seems to fit that theme too so maybe we still haven't moved on from feeding our children terrible food.

I’d be surprised by the calamari too just because it’s not something we have at home ever so would be impressed another child was eating it! But I’d think it was a good thing!
In general though I totally agree with you - mine have always eaten the same as the adults. Even the baby has a version of what we have.

I remember being kn a bus and giving my DD a finger of green pepper, the mum with the pushchair on the other side of the aisle said very loudly "eww, why would you give a toddler that!" Before offering hers her bottle of coke. I have no idea what happened to that child but I can imagine.

Mine on the other hand loves eating weird and wonderful foods. I'm not a fish / shellfish fan and don't really cook it as it would just be wasted as only she would have it so whenever we go out she orders that. She mastered chop sticks years ago (I haven't) and is a delight to take to a restaurant.

Also can’t stand it when the kids meals come with such a lack of variety of veg!

Yeah the quality is awful, it's bizarre. I wouldn't touch half of the stuff they're given

It probably isn't you know. My DS is a total foodie, will eat anything and always shunned kids menus as the adult menus looked more excited. My DD is the total opposite. She is a total fussy eater and kids menu type food is all she wants to eat. Both brought up exactly the same way - just different kids and different tastes. So don't blame yourself!

Is calamari not beige food?