Picky Kids and Christmas Eve Dinner
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Anonymous
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We go to Silver DIner every Christmas eve. mostly because it's close to church so we park and then eat a late lunch/early dinner. Kids love it.
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Anonymous
| Stop judging OP and replying if you don't have any suggestions. Christmas isn't the time to prove a point and teach a lesson with fussy eaters. My suggestion: make tortellini and appetizers if you stay home. If you go out, find a restaurant or hotel that is having a nice brunch buffet. My children love all inclusive vacations for the buffets, and they are not picky eaters. Your children can find something and it's fun for a child to have unlimited amounts of food instantly for a day. |
Anonymous
| I think you should take some of the suggestions above for your holiday meals to take away the stress, but make a New Year's resolution to broaden horizons, for everyone. Often the kid food is easier, and noisy chain restaurants with kids menus are easier. But, I've found that most restaurants can be accommodating if you are careful about what you ask for and go on the earlier side. Several have suggested ordering apps as dinner, that works well, but many places will also make you a small or half portion of something on the menu and charge accordingly. They will also serve just about anything without sauce or sauce on the side. There are also a few places in the area with a "verbal" kids menu... they don't publish it, but when asked will share it. Having kids shouldn't mean you only go out for pizza if you want to go out for other things as a family. Just make it a priority and figure out how to make it work. |
Anonymous
| Why do you have to make it memorable with food,? In our town there is caroling that everyone can participate on xmas eve. Can you do something like that and maybe drive around and view xmas lights? I too have picky eater kids and also an incredible picky eater husband and the meals I grew up with for holidays just fit work but I try to make it fun in other ways. |
Anonymous
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Tex Mex place?
Mediterranean? One of my kids is very "picky". Fortunately the three foods he happens to like are healthy. He doesn't like foods on most kids menus. He'd go crazy with a steak and plain broccoli from Ruth Chris. But nothing with foods combined or any rnoticeable spice/seasoning. I'd be relieved if he liked one thing off of a kids menu - it'd certainly make dining out much easier! |
Anonymous
| Mike American Grill in Springfield. Nicer than Sweetwater, amazing kids menu, and many items your kids will like. |
Anonymous
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Just laughing at everyone judging OP for creating kids with kid-palettes.
I really, really tried (and continue to try!) to make my kid an adventuresome eater. We started out great...but he only wants rice or bread when we go out. He's gone to bed hungry several times because he was unwilling to eat what I made. I've learned to let it go and hope he'll come around one day. |
Anonymous
Or it becomes a power struggle that isn't worth it. My brother was the pickiest eater EVER. The battles over his eating were epic. He remained a picky eater until he went away to college. For what ever reason when he left the battle field of our family home he started trying new things and as an adult is a totally reasonable eater. He is also 6'2 and was an athlete throughout. But back to the original question, I agree that fondue sounds like a fun tradition to start. |
Anonymous
You have plenty of options. Christmas Eve one year I tried crab legs, small filets, and had chicken tenders for them. They ate almost all the crab legs. Same thing happened another year with lobster. Kielbasi is good cooked around a small ham-brown sugar and beer. That 1 day and a rotisserie chicken with sides or the surf n turf another. Get all dresses and eat in DR with fun Christmas napkins. Decorate it. Get frozen rolls-defrost-let rise-bake. We had years of just us and sometimes my parents. |
Anonymous
| I think the Melting Pot is overpriced for what it is, and cooking at the table with kids could wind up being frustrated. From your list of foods they like it sounds like many restaurants could work - either going with sides or the kids' menu. Pick somewhere you like and don't stress about what or how much the kids eat. |
Anonymous
| There were five of us and my mother put meals on table and that was that-- eat or go hungry. No picky eaters. The five of us do the same with our children and, GASP, no picky eaters. Kids are picky eaters because parents, primarily mothers, allow this ridiculous behavior. |
Anonymous
| Kielbasa & Perogies sounds awesome. You can fancy it up for you and DH. |
Anonymous
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Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions! OP here.
To all of you judging me because my kids are picky, judge away. I have happy kids, and I ensure they are eating healthy versions of the foods they like with fruits and veggies at every meal (my son sometimes ASKS for broccoli with his breakfast). My husband and I eat very clean, and I do ask the kids to try EVERYTHING we eat on a regular basis. My 3 year old likes a lot of our "adult" foods and is welcome to them, but often wants what her older brother is having. My 7 year old knows that we are a "trying family" - he tries it all and knows he will still be able to eat something he likes. They know they can't ask for snacks or desserts later if they don't eat their fruits and veggies. To me, that is good enough for us. In fact, I think it's pretty darn great! I'm happy to be the kind of mom that allows this "gasp" horrible behavior of allowing my kids to be their own person with likes and dislikes, and I'm lucky enough to be able to provide them with the foods that they prefer. I'm also lucky enough to be able to try to make the holidays special for my kids, in many ways, and I look forward to doing that with food too, or creating a "food tradition". I appreciate all of the suggestions - lots of great ones! Happy Holidays to all. |
Anonymous
What a flock of compliant little sheep in your brood! My mother tried the same nonsense with me. I chose the "go hungry" option with some regularity, as do many kids with fully intact spinal columns. Setting up that kind of confrontation is foolish--no matter the end result, you're teaching the children a bad lesson. |
Anonymous
Yet here you are asking for dinner out suggestions b/c your kids are picky... 
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