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Original poster

Do you prepare a different meal for each child at mealtimes?

114 replies

Upsadaisy · 18/04/2006 18:14

My two are fussy and despite trying to just prepare one meal for us all to eat, I end up preparing several different.

I'm curious to know what everyone else with more than one child does?

OP posts:
NannyL · 18/04/2006 20:18

no they eat what i cook (which would account for allergies and cultural beliefs ie vegetarian)

they can eat it or go hungry!

Passionflower · 18/04/2006 20:27

God no.

I (or DH) cooks, they eat or not. If they don't eat they are only allowed fruit after.

hoxtonchick · 18/04/2006 20:30

absolutely not. and dd is 9 months. luckily she's more than happy to have exactly what ds has, & has even been known to eat more!

WharfRat · 18/04/2006 20:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

serenity · 18/04/2006 20:36

I don't cook separate meals as such, but I do make sure that everyone has things they'll eat. It's fairly easy for me though as I don't dish up for them, I just put it all on the table and they take what they want - if they don't they just get hungry. It's not a big deal to do a bowl of tomato and cucumber as well as cooked veggies, or put bread out as well as jacket potatoes, or do a bowl of pasta with garlic and grated cheese as well as the saucey one. Everything gets eaten, stress is reduced, and just occasionally Mr Pickypants will eat something that was 'yuck' before.

hunkermunker · 18/04/2006 20:37

Yes. DS1 eats food. I make DS2's dinner (and all his other meals) in my norks. Much easier Wink Grin

But when they are both eating food, I would imagine I won't prepare separate things ([ose-tinted vision of the future emoticon]

hunkermunker · 18/04/2006 20:40

(or rose-tinted etc... doh)

nzshar · 18/04/2006 20:41

nevr never never

have a fussy 12 year old and a just as fussy almost 2 year old. They get what i cook, which usually throughout the week involves some favourites and some not. either they eat or they dont. They wont starve themselves. Besides theres always fruit which at the moment the 2 year old will happily eat but the 12 year old thinks its devils food :o

serenity · 18/04/2006 20:41

Reading back on some of the other posts - there is no way anyone in this house has the same sandwich, isn't that a bit controlling to expect everyone to eat the same? Is it a whole family thing? Weird.

Yesterday, doing sandwiches for our day out I did

DH - Chorizo, ham, onion, mayo and mustard
DS1 - Cheese and pickle
DS2 - Chorizo
DD - Phili and jam
Me - chicken, salad and Mayo

Dh eats vile sandwiches.

Clayhead · 18/04/2006 20:42

Never!

Same as Passionflower, if they don't eat what we make, they are allowed fruit.

nzshar · 18/04/2006 20:44

ahhhh serenity i was talking about any cooked meal when it comes to lunches, which are often sandwiches in this house, then within the the bounds of what is in the fridge/cupboard is allowed. :)

drosophila · 18/04/2006 20:47

Yes, DS has serious allergies so have to.

LittleSarah · 18/04/2006 21:00

I would not prepare separate meals (although only have 1 so far!) daily but perhaps occasionally if has been already suggested one truly hates what another loves...

Still, I, myself am a fairly fussy eater (although I am much much better now am grown) and I know what it is like to be have to eat what you hate because it is all that is on offer. I did it, but I still hated it, I didn't want to hate it but I did.

Bugsy2 · 18/04/2006 21:20

Heavens no. I've painfully worked through ds's refusal to eat anything that wasn't meat or bread and we all eat same food. I never did cook different meals, but ds would end up having a rather restricted meal! I will make different sandwiches, and they can choose their own puddings from a selection available, but the meal I cook is the meal they get!

Original poster
Upsadaisy · 18/04/2006 21:25

The seperate meals is a recent occurence with the spate of illnesses they have had. They both lost alot of weight and I was happy to feed them anything they wanted and it seems to have stuck and made for a peaceful life as the are fussy.
After speaking to friends with differing opinions I thought I would ask for the wisdom of MN.

My initial thoughts have been confirmed and the children will have to eat what they are given or go without barring fruit.

I might have to get a set of ear plugs for when the whining commencesGrin

OP posts:
kid · 18/04/2006 21:27

I cook one meal for all of us. If I know my kids won't eat a certain veg for instance, then I won't give that veg to them but DH and I will still have it.

crunchie · 18/04/2006 21:33

I don't often cook different meals, however if I am doing spag bol for dh, and a veggie bolognaise for me, the kids will get a choice between meat or veggie or plain pasta. It is not a la carte, but there is no botrher NOT putting a spoonful of sauce on a plate.

I do try to please both to some degree, and sometimes like on Saturday after our weekly shop they may have differnt things within a theme. eg last week DH wanted grilled salmon steak, DD1 grilled Tuna, DD2 grilled chicken and me something random veggie! We all had rice and veggies and all the food got cooked same time, same grill, so it wasn't a bother.

It is hard for us as I am veggie so I am always cooking a separate meal for me. My kids see this so it seems odd to say 'You eat what you are given' when I don't actually eat that!

Bugmum · 19/04/2006 07:21

Goodness me, some of you are accommodating! Everyone vege in this house - I wouldn't cook meat. I expect it makes a difference if your DH/P isn't vege; me and DP at least had no arguments or discussions about whether DS was going to be brought up vege, as neither of us would want meat in the house. :)

tjacksonpfc · 19/04/2006 08:28

my dd is 21 months and she eats the same as us she has done from 9 months my ds is 6 months so at the mo his is the only meal that is prepared diffrent because he is only just starting out on solids. but our main evening meal is always the same dd breakfast and lunch is diffrent as she chooses that.

Tortington · 19/04/2006 08:59

nope
if they dont like it - hard shit.

food is powerplay IMO - i dont believe in fussy children with regards to food - just mums who pander. yes pander. mug mug mums a mug.

all kids don't like something or other, but dont like most thing? nah don't think so.

when we were on the bones of our arses skint my kids would eat shit butties.

secur · 19/04/2006 09:10

No, I have 4 plus me and it would just be too hard, howeer, if one particularly wants something then I will try to work it into a menu (ie we will have that tomorrow night). My older girls tend to contribute to the menu and my younger two tend to enjoy anything they get given Grin

Blackduck · 19/04/2006 09:15

In answer to original question - no - that way madness lies..Grin

Miaou · 19/04/2006 09:15

Nope - we all eat the same - my dd2 would be a fussy eater if we let her, but she isn't given a choice!! (well, she is - eat your dinner or leave it Grin).

Ds is coming up to 9 months now and has most of the same food as us - I just give him frozen portions of lasagne etc if we are having sausages or something like.

dd1 had a friend overnight the other night, who is in my mind a classic fussy eater - only likes white bread, only yoghurt without bits, only certain brands of food/sauce (eg ketchup) - and I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg! I made sandwhiches for lunch and she moaned about the bread - but when I pointed out that there was NOTHING else she ate it all quite happily!

Upsadaisy - sorry this is turning into a bit of a smug lecture! You don't say how old your kids are, but IMHO it is worth insisting that they eat what they are given, at least to some extent. I have known many fussy eater adults who had their every whim pandered to as a child (not suggesting that's what you are doing btw!) and they are royal PITA when it comes to feeding them. As you can imagine they lack dinner invitations! ("Oh yes I'd love to come to your dinner party, but I don't eat any meat in sauces, or beef, or lamb if it has any fat, or any green vegetables, except broccoli as long as it has no yellow bits ..." etc etc Wink)

LIZS · 19/04/2006 09:16

No we pretty much all eat the same , although I may give kids rice or pasta if they had potato for lunch. It really irritates me when we visit people and they ask what ours will eat for lunch , as if the expectation is that they need special food prepared. If they are genuinely hungry they will at least make an attempt at eating whatever is set before them.

mummyhill · 19/04/2006 09:17

One meal for all for our main meal.

A choice of cereal, egg or toast for breakfast, and a choice of whatever is in the fridge for a sandwich at lunchtime.

There is always fruit around.

Don't tell me you don't like it if you haven't tried it.

If you don't want it don't eat it however do not ask me for anything else till the next meal time please.

Children may be stubborn little curmudgoens but won't starve. They know they have to eat so will do so at some point. I agree food is power to them so there is no fuss made in our house you either eat it or you don't. If you don't there are no snacks allowed because you are obviousley not hungry just nice mouthed iyswim.

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