Kids eat free discrimination

ThatUniqueKoala · 21/02/2025 13:54

Haha of course it's not discrimination. They don't have to provide a free meal at all, people should be grateful, not greedy. Unfortunately that's just how many people are nowadays.

RainingRoses · 21/02/2025 13:56

Perhaps if the lady with 3 children can’t afford to feed them, she shouldn’t have had 3. It’s not discrimination, it’s in same category as “human rights” that people complain about when they can’t get what they want.

MidnightPatrol · 21/02/2025 13:56

It’s a business, not a charity.

Zusammengebrochen · 21/02/2025 13:59

Of course it's not discrimination against parents of more than one child. It might be discrimination against adults who pay more to cover this though. Saw a kid at a Premier Inn breakfast filling his plate with about 10 rashers of bacon, plus other stuff - in some ways I don't blame them letting him fill up even if I'm probably subsidising his appetite. 🤣
The mother of 3 could perhaps buy 2 adult meals and get 2 free meals, if that's cheaper than 1 adult, 2 kids and 1 free?

Linux20 · 21/02/2025 13:59

Of course it’s not discrimination. Everyone gets the same offer, buy one adult meal get one child’s meal free.
If they started giving out multiple kids meals to one adult you’d get adults bringing the whole school along for a free meal!
Also if one person is getting 3 kids meals the person with one child is rightly going to feel discriminated against!

Penguinmouse · 21/02/2025 14:00

BigBaoBun · 21/02/2025 13:50

Some restaurants offer a kids eat free/ kids eat for £1 offer during the half term but this is usually (not always) when one adult buys a main meal the restaurant allows one free kids meal. I have noticed a lot of parents with multiple children complaining that certain restaurants are being unfair as they only get one free kids meal. Particularly single parents saying it's discrimination against them. One woman was complaining that she has 3 kids and it isn't fair because only one can eat free and the restaurant should be giving them all a free meal. Aibu to think that this isn't discrimination and you can't expect all kids to eat for free?

Of course it’s not discrimination. Businesses don’t have to give away food for free. The cost of feeding your children at home is cheaper than eating out, maybe they should consider that.

TomatoSandwiches · 21/02/2025 14:01

It's not discrimination but if I was running a business I would probably allow twins to get free meals with one parent paying.

LittleRedRidingHoody · 21/02/2025 14:02

Don't you just love how everything is discrimination now?

No reason a single parent can't buy 2 adult meals to get 2 free child meals, same as 2 adults could 😂 The free meal is a marketing gimmick, it's not being done by the goodness of anyone's heart!

Lovelysummerdays · 21/02/2025 14:04

It’s not discrimination. You just buy the oldest child an adult meal surely? My kids don’t often like the kids menus. I have 4 so sometimes they have shared a couple of adult portions of club sandwiches or fish and chips between them and I have eaten a couple of kids meals in Tescos. They aren’t very nice tbf but I am not fussy about free food. Worked out at about £15 -£20

Rosebud12345 · 21/02/2025 14:05

RainingRoses · 21/02/2025 13:56

Perhaps if the lady with 3 children can’t afford to feed them, she shouldn’t have had 3. It’s not discrimination, it’s in same category as “human rights” that people complain about when they can’t get what they want.

Just a polite reminder that some people who have children, or multiple children situation does change. My friend was absolutely fine going about life with 2 kids until her DP left her suddenly for someone else, would you tell her she shouldn’t be having 2 if she now struggles to get by sometimes?

Original poster

BigBaoBun · 21/02/2025 14:07

RainingRoses · 21/02/2025 13:56

Perhaps if the lady with 3 children can’t afford to feed them, she shouldn’t have had 3. It’s not discrimination, it’s in same category as “human rights” that people complain about when they can’t get what they want.

I said this but was called judgemental, I'm a single parent myself but I don't expect restaurants to allow them all to eat for free 😂

OP posts:

Dearg · 21/02/2025 14:07

It’s basically a BOGOF - buy one, get one free has never meant ‘ as many free as you want’

Really, people should understand that the free, or discounted meal, is a privilege, not a right.

I am childless, so do not qualify for the ‘extra’ of a free child’s meal. Thats not discrimination either.

JulianFawcettMP · 21/02/2025 14:08

RainingRoses · 21/02/2025 13:56

Perhaps if the lady with 3 children can’t afford to feed them, she shouldn’t have had 3. It’s not discrimination, it’s in same category as “human rights” that people complain about when they can’t get what they want.

That's easy to say but things happen. My friend was left with three young children when she was widowed.

That said. She would never behave like that and can afford to take the kids out. But I do agree thatI this isnt any sort of discrimination, they are businesses not charities.

MargaretThursday · 21/02/2025 14:10

It's not discrimination, but I do think the "Kids eat free/cheap this half term" notices put out as though it's going to mean children whose parents can't afford to eat can now be fed should be genuinely children eating free (or very cheap) with no strings attached.

I printed one off for someone who was struggling, and then read through them, and all barring one would have cost more to feed their children (even if it had been all children with one adult) than just getting stuff from the supermarket.

CherryVanillaPie · 21/02/2025 14:11

They wouldn't stay in business if they provided unlimited kids' meals with each adult meal.

BarnacleBeasley · 21/02/2025 14:12

I don't think it's discrimination either, but it potentially is a bit misleading if the restaurant has KIDS EAT FREE plastered all over it in massive letters, and the requirement to purchase an adult's meal for every free child is buried in small print somewhere. Some restaurants are worse for this than others - I've just googled my local area, and many are very clear, but Bella Italia (for example) puts it right down at the bottom of the FAQs.

Fluffylizard1 · 21/02/2025 14:12

Don’t see how this is discrimination.

What I always thought was unfair was when restaurants offered free / discounted meals to children below a certain height, rather than based on age. That arguably is discrimination for taller families. Not sure how that’s allowed.

butterdish93 · 21/02/2025 14:12

In Tesco you only have to buy two things to get two free kids meals.
So a meal and then a drink of water counts as seperate. Might be the same in other places

Moonnstars · 21/02/2025 14:14

These 'deals' are just a marketing ploy. Unless you have already planned on taking the kids out for a meal, then you are actually spending more than you intended. They are never a good offer. If your friend wants help with food, she should check out local community centres (one near me has a cafe that does free soup on a Thursday, and another runs a 'holiday club' in the school holidays where they offer lunch and arts and crafts - parents need to stay and also get a free lunch, again usually soup or pasta).

LardoBurrows · 21/02/2025 14:14

If that woman with the three kids can't afford to pay for her kids to eat in a restaurant, then she should eat at home or pack a picnic. No-one is forcing her to eat in a restaurant and it's not a god given right to be given free meals. She sounds an entitled bint.

KilkennyCats · 21/02/2025 14:15

MargaretThursday · 21/02/2025 14:10

It's not discrimination, but I do think the "Kids eat free/cheap this half term" notices put out as though it's going to mean children whose parents can't afford to eat can now be fed should be genuinely children eating free (or very cheap) with no strings attached.

I printed one off for someone who was struggling, and then read through them, and all barring one would have cost more to feed their children (even if it had been all children with one adult) than just getting stuff from the supermarket.

Well, it’s eating out…
It’s always going to be more expensive than buying the ingredients yourself from the supermarket 🤷🏻‍♀️
That’s not news.

yourmaw · 21/02/2025 14:17

Seriously for real? youve noticed that instance repeatedly coming up?....in multiple eateries.?...then subdivided into single parents of multi troops? !!!
one lady. ok
i doubt that.
I think providing any advertisement details one free kids meal with every adult meal theres no room for confusuion.

whatonearthisgoingonnow · 21/02/2025 14:18

Everyone knows you can't complain about getting something free. Unless it's herpes.

ButIToldYouSoooo · 21/02/2025 14:18

It's not even close to 'discrimination', it's a BOGOF deal. Someone just didn't want to pay for their children to eat out, which is a privilege not a right.

Can you imagine? I take groups of students into town on occasion to a museum. Should we just rock up to one of these places and demand all the kids eat for free if I buy a meal? I'd be laughed out of the place.

TickingAlongNicely · 21/02/2025 14:18

I think part of the problem is the whole school holidays cheap meal deals got muddled into the Free School Meal debate. So its seen by some as a right, not a special offer.