Bring outside food to restaurant for child

[Anonymous]

OP sounds like the restaurant management was being a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Just ask for a plain item in the future. Plain bread - even if it just a hamburger bun , plain rice, and so on. They will charge you but you won’t be the first or last person to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has food issues, why are you going to restaurants with him?

Jeez, THIS times 1000. Do your homework before you go to a restaurant, OP. The restaurant is fully within its rights to tell you that you can't bring in your own food. ESPECIALLY for a child who is 5 (FIVE!!!) years old.

[Anonymous]

Here is where I'm struggling …

Why would any reasonably sane person go to a restaurant with a child knowing that the child will be intolerant to the food and will act out? As for the "retching," that is absolutely disgusting to the other diners.

This entire story sounds much more like an adult with bad manners and a very limited understanding of good parenting. Good parents don't prioritize their own desires over the needs of their children. If you know your child won't eat the food then don't go to the restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is where I'm struggling …

Why would any reasonably sane person go to a restaurant with a child knowing that the child will be intolerant to the food and will act out? As for the "retching," that is absolutely disgusting to the other diners.

This entire story sounds much more like an adult with bad manners and a very limited understanding of good parenting. Good parents don't prioritize their own desires over the needs of their children. If you know your child won't eat the food then don't go to the restaurant.

x100000

[Anonymous]

There are so many issues in you post. They didn't have a kids menu? Who cares? Kids can eat any food, the invention of "kids food" was the stupidest and the worst thing we ever did to our kids.
Also, exposure therapy? Right, you should be working on that with the foods, I am sure it was suggested. You are teaching your kid that he can't eat more than what he actually might eat. My nephew has a texture issue, except to McDonalds food!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is where I'm struggling …

Why would any reasonably sane person go to a restaurant with a child knowing that the child will be intolerant to the food and will act out? As for the "retching," that is absolutely disgusting to the other diners.

This entire story sounds much more like an adult with bad manners and a very limited understanding of good parenting. Good parents don't prioritize their own desires over the needs of their children. If you know your child won't eat the food then don't go to the restaurant.

Amen, sister, amen. Do you know how many times I took my then young dd with severe reflux to the restaurant or any even fast food place? Zero! Who wants to watch my child puke all over? I am happy to report that with great effort and medication, she is now healthy eating everything 19 year old that eats seaweed! (meaning eats everything you can imagine, heck that kid eats Japanese sweet potatoes and squid!) You could not pay me to take her to a restaurant until her issues were under control.

[Anonymous]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/patriciagbarnes/2019/06/05/colonial-williamsburg-tavern-can-be-sued-for-ousting-boy-with-severe-gluten-intolerance/

[Anonymous]

I always picked a place that would have something my child would eat-plain white rice, noodles with butter, once a very expensive plate of nachos that was just tortilla chips with cheese. I think a baggy with dry snacks for a toddler is fine, but otherwise, any food you eat at the restaurant should be food from that restaurant. Now my kid eats a wide variety of foods, but I would still pick a restaurant that accommodates the needs and preferences of everyone in the group, so if someone is vegetarian or gluten free of whatever, we pick a place that will have options for them.

[Anonymous]

Go somewhere where you know there is something he will eat. Even if it's a side item. If you want to introduce new food, have him try what you get. You can feed him something semi filling beforehand if you don't mind him not trying new food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's fine to bring a snack for a one year old, not a meal for a 5 year old. You do know that you can view menus online? Why don't you look at them with your child beforehand. Taking a child with food sensory issues to a restaurant that doesn't even have a kid's menu is completely avoidable.

Well usually it is, but in this case we drove two hours to meet family I haven't seen in years at a restaurant they chose and they wanted to see my kid too.

They couldn't have chosen somewhere with a kids menu? And you didn't think to feed him beforehand after a 2 hour car ride. Again, not bringing in a meal was avoidable.

They chose the BBQ place because they thought BBQ would be kid friendly. Nothing was chosen until we were in the car already on the way, it was all last minute as they weren't sure they would be able to and neither of us knew the area as we cboseya middle ground to cut the driving distance for both of us. And he ate before the car ride and wasn't hungry - it was an early, 4pm dinner. We aren't perfect parents as everyone else here I suppose, so it happened the way it happened, and trying to be good parents we had backup food/snacks with us.

I'm not a perfect parent wither, but I could google a few restaurants during a 2 hour car ride. Hey fam, this place doesn't have a kids menu and our child has sensory issues. How about these places that are near there? Stop being woe is me.

Because even at a restaurant with a kids menu he still might not eat the menu. He eats chicken nuggets but if they are too crunchy or any unexpected seasoning, he eats pizza but not if the crust is too crunchy, he eats Mac and cheese but if it's too soupy or seasoned weird, won't eat it (will try one bite then retch)... So yes, I could have, and still been in the same boat. It's always a crapshoot.

And I never realized there was such vitriol about a five year old eating his own thing at.a restaurant. Now I get it. We didn't want to be the people requesting special accomodations for our kid - either in the choice of restaurant or in asking the restaurant to make something differently or off the menu. But it seems having him eat his own thing is the special accomldation so we'll go a different route then.

Stuff happens, no parent is prepared for every situation. But, it's VERY common for restaurants not to allow outside food, so this is one where you should advocate for the needs of your family. It sounds like the relatives would have been fine with accommodating your needs if they had known.

[Anonymous]

Good Lord OP, don't take your kid somewhere and make him retch at the table. That's so mean. If you want him to try new food, do takeout. Otherwise be a good parent and do your research to make sure DS will eat something.

[Anonymous]

Restaurants are in business to make a profit. They have to pay rent. They have to pay salaries. They are not
in business so that folks can bring their own foods and
enjoy the ambiance for free.

If your child cannot eat anything on the menu choose another
restaurant.

I'm saying this as someone who is severely gluten intolerant.
Many many places I eat just rice or just a baked potato
or just drink black coffee.

[Anonymous]

I have heard of bringing snacks but I have never heard of someone bringing a meal to a restaurant.

[Anonymous]

Why would a restaurant allow outside food if they are
in the business of serving food for a profit?

This coming from someone with severe food sensitivities.
I don't go to restaurants if I can't eat anything there.
I go to restaurants at places I can order something from
the menu.