Do you let your kid order 2 meals for himself/herself at restaurant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Child is 6 year old, and he is a picky eater. They don't have option of short stacks as a side on menu, and I don't feel like paying $15 for adult chicken tender or pancake breakfast meal to satisfy his needs. I used to do that to satisfy his needs when he was younger, but don't want to do it anymore because I want to order adult lunch meal that I want to eat. We have not dined in for long time due to covid, and I did not expect that he want both of his favorite items at restaurant for one meal. He could not finish 2 kid meals with an extra side order if French fries.

No, he has to chose.

[Anonymous]

If the kids meal isn’t enough food, then it sounds like he needs an adult order of tenders or pancakes. But no, he can’t order two entrees he won’t finish. And ask if they’ll make a side order, just because it’s not on the menu doesn’t mean they can’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Child is 6 year old, and he is a picky eater. They don't have option of short stacks as a side on menu, and I don't feel like paying $15 for adult chicken tender or pancake breakfast meal to satisfy his needs. I used to do that to satisfy his needs when he was younger, but don't want to do it anymore because I want to order adult lunch meal that I want to eat. We have not dined in for long time due to covid, and I did not expect that he want both of his favorite items at restaurant for one meal. He could not finish 2 kid meals with an extra side order if French fries.

He has to decide which one he wants. He needs to eat the entire meal if he's hungry.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not, especially for a six year old. You’re reinforcing his pickiness, OP, if you let him order two meals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the kids meal isn’t enough food, then it sounds like he needs an adult order of tenders or pancakes. But no, he can’t order two entrees he won’t finish. And ask if they’ll make a side order, just because it’s not on the menu doesn’t mean they can’t.

I have a very tall 11 year old. He eats adult portions. If we were somewhere where 2 kids meals was the same or cheaper price than an adult portion? Yeah I’d let him do that, just like I’d let him order a kid’s meal and an appetizer. I just give him a budget.

But that doesn’t seem like the same situation.

[Anonymous]

It's okay to say no to your kids!! Why are so many parents afraid of this nowadays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely not, especially for a six year old. You’re reinforcing his pickiness, OP, if you let him order two meals.

I think it’s completely fine to not let him order two meals, no question. But I have a picky eater and I tired for years to “not reinforce it,” and I followed all the picky eater advice, and all it did was frustrate me and make my kid feel ashamed and weird for only liking certain things. And he was often hungry because he will go hungry before eating something that isn’t one of his 10 preferred foods.

So, you know, go easy on the parents of picky kids.

[Anonymous]

No. If he’s hungry enough he’ll eat the veggies

[Anonymous]

Agree with the PPs saying size up to a regular meal if the kid’s meal isn’t enough food! I have a picky eater and understand the struggles there, but I wouldn’t be willing to order two meals to pick at. I have ordered something a kid wanted to share many times so they could have some of another dish, though - so like I’ll order fajitas and you can have some plus your own lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC wants to have chicken tender meal and pancake meal at restaurant. Each kid meal comes with a drink and veggie (that he hates). I tell him that he can have a side order of French fries, but he says he wants to eat both chicken tender and pancake for lunch at lunch hour. I cannot order chicken tender or pancake as side order. There is no way he can finish 2 kid meals, but he says he is hungry. He ate breakfast, many snacks, and now lunch hours.

Would you say yes or no?

Can you order a la carte from another place via doordash/grubhub/etc search? Can you microwave frozen tenders and shake-n-pour an express pancake? There are even microwave pancakes in a cup now. If he's hungry feed himbetter veggies. Think minestrone, primavera, cacciatore, Indian masala (mild), Chinese eggplant. Pancake houses/chik-fil-a aren't known for tasty veggies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say order one to start and if you’re still hungry after that we can order more food.

I do this and also sometimes someone in the family will agree to split two meals instead of each one of getting our own. But until my kids got older and actually ate two meals, I wouldn’t just agree to two. And even when they got older we’d just ask to keep a menu in case they were still hungry after eating their first meal.

[Anonymous]

No, I wouldn’t. But there comes a time where they need to just order an adult portion instead.

[Anonymous]

I would let him order a second meal if he ate the entire first. If he did not finish the second, I would take it to go...unless it is a financial hardship for your budget. My kid always had an enormous appetite and a kids meal was often not enough even at 6. Then he would move on to mine! And he was a skinny kid in case you were wondering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He has to decide which one he wants. He needs to eat the entire meal if he's hungry.

+1

[Anonymous]

How is this even a question.

Of course you don’t order 2 meals. Tell the kid to pick one.

This is ridiculous.