Eating out struggle

[Anonymous]

My boy, 6 years old, has limited diet, and my girl, 3 years old, eats everything. My boy can only find food off from american restaurant menu (chicken tender, grilled cheese sandwich, burger etc), and my girl can eat everything, from sushi, salad, curry, steak, seafood etc. It is always a pain to cater to my boy's needs (restaurant choice & meal at home). Family member nags about it, and we, as parents, nag about it all the time. DH complains as well because he loves to go to steakhouse & sushi, and I want to try other restaurants. We used to bring outside food for him to eat at restaurant when he was younger, but I feel like that he is "too old" & too weird for us to do so at his age. Any families are like us? What would you do? Is there a certain age that restaurant would not allow us to bring outside food for picky eater with limited diet? And I hope my girl would not pick up her older brother's picky diet one day.

[Anonymous]

We have a similar situation, but we just don't let the picky eater dictate what everyone else does. Everyone gets a choice of restaurants sometimes, but not every time. It isn't fair that his diet controls what everyone else eats all the time.

Just go to the restaurants you want, and let him eat or not. Make sure he knows he doesn't have to eat anything he doesn't want to but that there will not be another option for that lunch or dinner. Even really picky kids can usually find something on most menus -- many places have some version of chicken, even if it isn't the most favorite version of chicken tenders. Or we can ask for plain rice or noodles. Our son might eat only a little bit, but that's fine once in a while.

The key is not to make a big deal of it and make sure he knows it's not a punishment but that this is simply what you are eating that day for that meal. He can eat it or not -- up to him. Keep it very low-key. And make sure you let him choose the restaurant sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a similar situation, but we just don't let the picky eater dictate what everyone else does. Everyone gets a choice of restaurants sometimes, but not every time. It isn't fair that his diet controls what everyone else eats all the time.

Just go to the restaurants you want, and let him eat or not. Make sure he knows he doesn't have to eat anything he doesn't want to but that there will not be another option for that lunch or dinner. Even really picky kids can usually find something on most menus -- many places have some version of chicken, even if it isn't the most favorite version of chicken tenders. Or we can ask for plain rice or noodles. Our son might eat only a little bit, but that's fine once in a while.

The key is not to make a big deal of it and make sure he knows it's not a punishment but that this is simply what you are eating that day for that meal. He can eat it or not -- up to him. Keep it very low-key. And make sure you let him choose the restaurant sometimes.

This PP nailed it. Take turns choosing restaurants. It's just fun to mix it up with dining out - not a punishment.

[Anonymous]

We did the same as PP except that there is no way I would have denied my kid other food before or after we ate out. I didn’t make it for him though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a similar situation, but we just don't let the picky eater dictate what everyone else does. Everyone gets a choice of restaurants sometimes, but not every time. It isn't fair that his diet controls what everyone else eats all the time.

Just go to the restaurants you want, and let him eat or not. Make sure he knows he doesn't have to eat anything he doesn't want to but that there will not be another option for that lunch or dinner. Even really picky kids can usually find something on most menus -- many places have some version of chicken, even if it isn't the most favorite version of chicken tenders. Or we can ask for plain rice or noodles. Our son might eat only a little bit, but that's fine once in a while.

The key is not to make a big deal of it and make sure he knows it's not a punishment but that this is simply what you are eating that day for that meal. He can eat it or not -- up to him. Keep it very low-key. And make sure you let him choose the restaurant sometimes.

This. I'm dating myself but if children did not eat what was prepared at mealtimes (lunch or dinner) they did not eat until the next meal was served. This was not just my family,
this was every family in the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Get a babysitter. You and husband go out for dinner and enjoy
yourselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My boy, 6 years old, has limited diet, and my girl, 3 years old, eats everything. My boy can only find food off from american restaurant menu (chicken tender, grilled cheese sandwich, burger etc), and my girl can eat everything, from sushi, salad, curry, steak, seafood etc. It is always a pain to cater to my boy's needs (restaurant choice & meal at home). Family member nags about it, and we, as parents, nag about it all the time. DH complains as well because he loves to go to steakhouse & sushi, and I want to try other restaurants. We used to bring outside food for him to eat at restaurant when he was younger, but I feel like that he is "too old" & too weird for us to do so at his age. Any families are like us? What would you do? Is there a certain age that restaurant would not allow us to bring outside food for picky eater with limited diet? And I hope my girl would not pick up her older brother's picky diet one day.

Why are you nagging. Read the choices out on the menu. If he does not want anything he can just sit there. Another meal will come along in 4 hours.

[Anonymous]

Steak restaurants almost always have a chicken dish. Japanese restaurants have chicken tonkatsu.

My kids have a wide pallet because we introduced them to foods when they were young. I have 3 kids. 2 don’t like spicy food but neither does my husband. We can always find something for them to eat.

[Anonymous]

Your DH complains? What a ...

[Anonymous]

I would 100% stop catering to your older child. You are meant to take him places where there are more food choices. By making him the priority you are reinforcing his crappy diet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DH complains? What a ...

I get why he complains. It sounds like OP made the boy the boss of eating out and every restaurant choice is struggle! Sounds like dh says we are going to a steak house and op shuts it down to please the son.

[Anonymous]

We have a friend who has 2 out of 3 kids who won’t eat anything that isn’t a burger, pasta or chicken tenders. Both kids are overweight and everyone at the table thinks those 2 kids will be fine missing a meal. Their third kid is the slimmest and he eats everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your DH complains? What a ...

I get why he complains. It sounds like OP made the boy the boss of eating out and every restaurant choice is struggle! Sounds like dh says we are going to a steak house and op shuts it down to please the son.

I have 3 kids. Not every meal is a good meal. My older kids often don’t eat a good breakfast because they are in a rush to get to school. My toddler often skips lunch.

Op, your kid will survive not eating at the restaurant. I have noticed that my kids will eat when hungry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a friend who has 2 out of 3 kids who won’t eat anything that isn’t a burger, pasta or chicken tenders. Both kids are overweight and everyone at the table thinks those 2 kids will be fine missing a meal. Their third kid is the slimmest and he eats everything.

Nice friends.

[Anonymous]

I have a brother who is like this and is 32 years old. My parents still make me make sure there's something he'll eat on the menu when I pick restaurants. It's enraging.