Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

When did you start ordering "kid's" meals at restaurants?

40 replies

laraeo · 03/05/2009 09:40

DS is 14 months and we've been starting to get the kid's menus when we go out to eat. Right now I take food along for him and give him some of whatever I'm having but I'm wondering when people started ordering separate meals for their DC's?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 03/05/2009 09:42

I didn't actually order a seperate plate of food for my dcs until they were about 2 and a half to 3 as until then they probably wouldn't haven't eaten enough to warrant the cost

but from your ds' age I would have asked for a small plate and given some of mine to him

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 03/05/2009 09:43

sorry meant to add without taking anything else for him as its easier

FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2009 09:43

the children's menus are usually the cheapest and worst quality food known to humanity

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting

TrinityIsLovingHerLittleRhino · 03/05/2009 09:44

not seem you in ages

and yes thats very true, another good reason not to bother

itchyandscratchy · 03/05/2009 09:46

Unless the kids' meals are just mini versions of the adult foods, I never did. We took them to plenty of restaurants but always either fed them off our plates or asked for small versions of our meals.

Things have improved in the past few years but lots of places still think it's ok to serve crap and palm it off as children's food .

fymmumoftwo · 03/05/2009 09:46

our local restaurant does half portions, and DS started having these when 2.5yrs

MarthaFarquhar · 03/05/2009 09:46

my DD has a mahooosive appetite, so we ordered her something of her own from about 18mths. If the children's menu is a bit duff, then we tend to order her a starter or a side from the normal menu instead.

There are loads of places with nice children's menus now though, and you can often request a half-portion of things from the adult menu (they do this at Tampopo, our new favourite).

itchyandscratchy · 03/05/2009 09:49

Our local balti house does kids' portions in little balti dishes and mini naan breads as well. Dd1 had her first balti (korma) when she was 2!

rachels103 · 03/05/2009 09:49

Only when ds started eating too much to have some of what was on my plate. Probably about 2 1/2.

Before that I would ask for a separate small plate, as soon as he was weaned and ate pretty much what we ate. I couldn't be doing with the effort of taking separate food for him.

I agree children's menus are sometimes dreadful - the best places offer a half portion of whatever is on the adult menu, and most places will do this if you ask IME.

Original poster

laraeo · 03/05/2009 12:05

I hadn't even thought about looking at the appetizers/sides or asking for a 1/2 portion. He is definitely a "healthy" eater and will probably be getting his own order sooner rather than later. At home he eats whatever we're having but when I'm getting a decidedly non-healthy but really yummy burger it's good to have options for him. Thanks!

OP posts:

moondog · 03/05/2009 12:16

Never.
As they get older,I ask for a nadult portion to be split in two and maybe get some extra bread.

lljkk · 03/05/2009 13:13

DS9 and DD7 can read the kids' menu now for themselves, so if they see a kids' menu, they often insist on something from it rather than off the adult menu. We don't go out that often, so it doesn't feel too much dearer.

Before then and otherwise whenver possible I just order a bowl of chips or an extra adult dish to share out, rather than resort the over-priced kiddy options.

BeehiveBaby · 03/05/2009 13:18

My DD has the most enormous appetite so she has had a kids meal from 18months or so. She is now 3 and I recently ordered two adult meals for me and her, and was quite embarressed when the waitress brought cutlery for 3 and an extra plate, assumming that it couldn't all be for us

BeehiveBaby · 03/05/2009 13:19

Tampopo do a great kids menu as does the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester....I order it myself if I can get away with it.

bigchris · 03/05/2009 13:22

from about 18 months
we often used to get garlic bread as it was all ds would eat
as the dcs got older we moved on to sausage and chips, cottage pie and peas etc
now they eat their children's meal and half of my dinner

DontCallMeBaby · 03/05/2009 13:40

Ordering half-portions is a VERY good way of testing the quality of the food and/or customer service. Being told there's no way a family-friendly pub that prides itself on its food can do a half-portion of pasta is certainly an eye-opener.

DD is fussy, so ordering adult meals she could share would be very restrictive (plus I'm a gannet and like to eat ALL my food) and we only have her, so no splitting a meal between two DCs. Kids' menus from 2.6 or so, I think - before that we just confined ourselves to places that would do half a sandwich for her, or similar.

She likes the Pizza Express kids' menu best, eats the lot, despite my hopeful hovering over the doughballs - quite something for a child with the appetite of a gnat.

applepudding · 03/05/2009 14:31

We ordered children's meals for DS from about 3 I think, he ate so little before that. He is now 7 and just started to have adult portions.

MerlinsBeard · 03/05/2009 15:11

depends on their appetite and the size of the adult portion. Usually i order off the kids menu for ME but as DS3 is getting more of a glutton an appetite i will start getting the bigger ones and share that.

HolidaysQueen · 03/05/2009 15:26

I find Carluccio's, Ask and Wagamama do good quality children's meals. Been ordering off those since DS was 9mo (but he was BLW so most ended up on the floor so I didn't want him to share and waste my lunch!) In local restaurants with no special kids menu, or places where the kids menu doesn't include vegetables or only has breaded things with chips , we will pick something from the starters that would serve as a main for him, or just get an extra starter/side and he shares with us.

FrannyandZooey · 03/05/2009 15:55

after my rather negative post earlier - i realised when we went out yesterday i ordered a child's meal for ds2 who is 9 months old
partly because he is most keen on eating right now, and partly because the adult portions are not that big, and i would rather share an extra child's portion with him, than share my own meal

likessleep · 03/05/2009 18:51

i portion off some of mine for ds at 18mths old. looking forward to the day when i can order things like bacon wrapped chicken or salty cheese meals for myself again!

cory · 04/05/2009 12:02

I only tried this "kid's menu" thing once, when dd was 23 months. Guess who ended up eating the kid's menu? And who ended up stuffing her greedy little face with chanterelles and cream sauce?

claireybee · 04/05/2009 12:16

We started once ds was weaning (so dd was 2)-we order one between the two of them, before that we'd just give dd bits of ours.

claireybee · 04/05/2009 12:17

Cory a lot of places we go do the same food just smaller on the kids menu so we avoid that issue

cory · 04/05/2009 16:02

seems you go to the right places, claireybee

Flip

1 2