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

[laraeo]

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?

Probably around 2.5 years for us, and preferably a half-portion of adult meals.

The best situation is to get a meal that is fairly flexible. Nandos is great - you get a platter of chicken and sides, and then you divide it up as you please.

Well we went out to lunch again today and I took your advice and looked at the appetizers which I don't think I'd have ever thought to do on my own. Lo and behold DS got some flat bread (pizza base) with tomatoes and a bit of pesto. DH enjoyed it too!

lol, dh and I went to a pub once when we were skint - as in REALLY skint - and while he was in the loo I idly perused the mnu and discovered that we could afford to have a meal each from the children's menu without landing ourselves in shit

of course when I presented him with the idea he wanted a big plate of bangers'n'mash from the main menu, and ended up throwing a paddywhack in front of all the other customers because I had "condemned him to eating a children's meal" - I still tease him about it 10 years on!!

but generally children's menus suck. I usually buy an adult meal between them and ask for an extra plate. MIL of course is scandalised at anyone ordering food for a child and thinks they should just "have a little bit of ours" (they're 6 and 4) [hhm]

Ours never eally liked the kids menus being not that into chips. They went through a phase of eating them when 3-4. Before that I just ordered an extra plate and made sure either their dad or I or both ordered something they'd like. When they got older they preferred the adult dishes so I usually asked for half size portion of adult stuff or ordered a meal and a side dish between us as they wouldn't eat a whole adult meal.

I do in some places, like Giraffe, Cafe Rouge, some pizza/pasta places where I feel it is nice food, that appeals to my fussy daughter. She is 16 months and a bit fussy but bizarrely eats better in restaurants than she does at home. I can't afford to do it that often though
Otherwise she has some of mine, sometimes with a side order of vegetables or something similar.

Dd1 has the appetite of a gnat so for ages we got by with donations off our plates, combined with extra side orders. We only started ordering proper childs meals when dd2 was eating a reasonable amount and could share a meal with dd1. We must be lucky as our local pub quite good kids food, cottage pie, spaghetti and meatballs, mini roast dinners etc.

i ordered myself some hummous and pitta bread from the children's menu at the local bunting cupcake emporium. the waitress was v. indignant and told me off afterwards.

I used to order the sluglet two starters until one day, aged just under two, she ate my entire confit duck, a starter and icecream. Hollow legs that child.

Children's menus encourage fussy eating and a bland palate IMHO.

oh this thread is warming up to be utterly poncetastic.

If we go out for lunch with friends we generally go to the place where I work (Harvester) as it is convenient and they do really good children's meals. DS is 3 in June and only just started having his own meal. Before that I would just get him a starter (fishcakes or soup)

They do half portions of a selection of the adult meals and you get a choice of peas, beans, corn on the cob and mash, new potatoes, chips, wedges or jacket potato. DS usually has chicken, new potatoes and peas or sometimes scampi.

With DS1, a big eater and ready to try anything once if you tell him it's food, we ordered kids meals from 15 months if it wasn't somewhere we could bring our own. We moved him onto adult food as soon as we could. The portion sizes are bigger (ahem).

DS2, not a big eater, and now 4.5 never really got his own meal until he was old enough to eat a normal starter. Before then he grazed from everyone else's plates.

Fridayschild how old was that with DS2?

ignoring the ponce factor...

We started ordering meals (half portions of normal menu or kids meals, depending on venue) for the DC when they were about 2 I think - before that, we would get a plate and give them contributions and/or order a 'side' (chips, usually, in DD's case ).

Even now (they are 6.5 and 2.5) they are sometimes forced persuaded to share something if I know they are not particularly hungry.

DS had his first small portion of an adult meal at 8 months - it was a family celebration and I needed to keep him interested in sitting still for as long as possible! Worked a treat .