What age did your children move to the adult menu in restaurants?

[user1498683185]

Hi everyone,
We have recently just got back from spending half term in Dubai with the three children (ages 9, 6 almost 7 and 4) who were some nights forced a meal off the adult menu due to there not being a kids menu. 9yo gave it a good go and 6yo cleared her plate everytime!
This weekend 9yo went to a birthday meal with 5 of her school friends and I noticed all the children chose something off the adult menu, where as she naturally looked at the children’s menu which has now sparked me wondering, what age should I encourage to transition to the adult menu?
We eat out at least once a week and I think if 9yo is aloud to pick off the adult menu, 6yo will want the same as she tends to eat a lot more and has a very mature and spontaneous food taste and I don’t want to restrict her to the usual chicken nuggets / burgers.
For reference we usually allow them a starter off the adult menu (if there isn’t children’s starters) so they can eat with us and then a kids meal.

Thanks in advance and sorry if this is in the wrong category!

I'm wondering too! My 9 year old has just moved on from happy meals at McDonald's but I still let him choose off the children's menu. Last time we went out to eat I gave him half my chips and my onion rings though. I might try him on adult meals next time!

My eldest never wanted the kids menu as it was always chips and beans which he hated. When he was very small we used to ask for a spare plate so he could have some of our meal.

I don’t think mine moved from children’s menu to regular menu at any set age. We always would go over both menus with them and let them choose what they wanted. So they bounced back and forth a lot. Of course, by age 10 or 12 they felt they were too old for the children’s menu and started to refuse it.

You know when the maitre d asks “will that be 4 children’s menus?” The older ones would pipe up with “not for me thank you” and the maitre d would put back children’s menus and pick up regular ones for them.

DS is 13 now but he has struggled for a long time to find something he likes on a kids menu so has ordered off the adult menu for at least five years. A starter with a side dish was good for him in terms of portion.

Or we would just share ours.

My 8yr old will make a good go of adult portions and likes the extra choice in an adult menu. My 6 Yr old will probably stay with kids for both the food options and portion sizes for quote a while yet.

Ours look at both. They are 8&10. Although sometimes children's meals are massive, and other times they are more suited to a 5yo.

It depends a lot on the restaurant, but I'd say in general from around 8. Some places have "bigger" children's portions and they were fine until 10/11. There's also the element of children's menus tending to be very limited and older children may well not want a variation of nuggets and chips.

If you're getting an adult starter+ a children's meal for the DC anyway, why not just forego the starter and get an adult's meal?

Really depends on the place, some places my kids still have the kids menu, 10 and under

My 9 and 8 year old are still very happy with kids menu and happy meal. In most restaurants they are full as they always get the three course kids meal. We only eat out around once per month. They aren’t fussy but if the menu didn’t suit them I would order from the adult menu.

My 9 year old mostly chooses the garlic bread/ pasta which is usually pretty filling. He is tall but incredibly slight and I don’t think he could eat an adult pasta portion in a restaurant.

My 10yo looks at both. It's not an overnight change.

I let mine choose what they like to eat. Depending on where you go, the kids menu is usually freezer fodder like chicken nuggets and fish fingers. My 6YO is vegetarian (at his own insistence I will add). His options on kids menus are usually cheese and tomatoe pizza. . So he picks off the adult menu.

Ours are 9 and 12 and we chop and change based on the restaurant - both what we know about portion size and variety. Sometimes I will eat part of the children’s meal and they can eat a course from the adult menu, and I often let them have some of what I order to taste (Ie in pizza express they will eat the children’s menu plus a slice or two of my pizza). They have large appetites! Not looking forward to paying for 4 adult meals!!

It all depends on the restaurant... some of the posher restaurants kids portions are huge! I have been known to order them for me and let my eldest have the adult version.

DD(12) has probably eaten off the adult menu since she was about 9 - she's generally reasonably adventurous with food so just picks what she fancies.

DS(10) we look at both as he has an intolerance so he picks the meal he most likes that will cater for that.

DD(7) will always go for tomato pasta or fish/ nuggets and chips so exists entirely on the children's menu as it would be pointless in her ordering anything else.

We were always allowed to order from the adult menu growing up, as were my DC, unless the restaurant offered smaller portions of the same dishes that were more appropriate for their appetite. Children's menus are usually uninspiring beige freezer food served with baked beans or frozen peas.

It's up to you really. If you can afford it, they will eat it and it won't be wasted, let them order what they want.

DS is 10 and would have a substantial thing from the kid's menu (fish and chips tends to be a perfect sized portion for example), or in some pubs they do a "big kids" meal with eg a double burger which he likes. A full adult meal is a bit too much with all the sides and so on but he likes a full sized burger or preferably a steak! If he has the kid's menu he definitely wants pudding. DD is 7 and still on the kid's meals and will be for a while I suspect.

DS (now 17) never really did like childrens menus as he doesn't like chips, sausages etc, when he was younger DH and I would order a couple of mains and some sides and share with him.

DD (15) is tiny and has a small appetite and still uses the children's menu sometimes.

Because my daughter grew up in Dubaï until she was 6 when we moved to the US, she actually ate from the adult menu since she was around 3y old.
I would just order myself something that was suitable for her too, like pasta or a burger or middle eastern food (kebab, hummus, rice..) and cut hers in small pieces.

We have always let dd order off either menu. She has ASD and is extraordinarily picky so if she manages to find anything on either it is a miracle. We have gotten to an age where technically she is too old to order off most children’s menus. She is small though so we have been getting away with it. Since she rarely eats much anyway, we try to order her something like a fancy non-alcoholic drink so she gets something special too and it helps pad the bill.

This has just brought back memories of when DS, who'd never been interested much in food when eating out, discovered the adult menu in particular steak which he enjoyed and finished every time. That's when it started getting expensive...he was about 10 I think.

we never stuck rigidly to the 'kids menu' thing. the kids even when tiny would often have food off the adults menu and eg share something or have a starter portion.

My just turned 10 year old has been ordering off the adult menu since around 8and a half ish. My 7 year old has a way to go yet!

Both of mine have eaten off the adults menu since young, 9?, we just couldn't get away with the kids menu anymore - both like food, ferocious appetites, do lots of sports.

As others have said it depends on the restaurant, as kids' portions (and variety and prices) vary from tiny to generous. My 12yo has been on the adult menu for a few years though.