If you have kids....this is way off topic but thought I woul

It must have been very annoying for you. I have a fussy eater. She only eats "white food", i.e. potatoes, fish fingers, pasta, cheese, etc. She will not eat salads, vegetables apart from carrots. She is now 10 yrs old and weights in at around 4st. Not a healthy weight at all. We have struggled with this since she was about 2 yrs old. If we are going to friends/family for dinner, I explain her diet and offer to take food with me that she will eat that way no offence is caused.

Unfortunately there are kids who can control their parents. I don't have kids, but have foster siblings. My rule and my moms is that if you don't eat your food, you don't get desert. There are some one their first day who ask for a substitution, so it's a learned behavior.

My mum lives in France and last year when my brother and his family visited her, his daughter who is 12 kicked up such a tantrum as she didnt like the food my mum prepared he drove her 80 miles to the nearest mcdonalds, i could not believe it, I would put my foot down, surely there is something the child would eat, i think some parents are too soft x

i have 4 children, my son is 15, eldest daughter is13 and younger daughters are 5yrs(twins) and a step son of 15 as well.

My 15 & 13 year olds will eat just about anything and love fruit veg salad etc their favorite meal is a sunday roast,

the younger two will eat any fruit and veg but are a bit picky with meat -- will only eat chicken, and they dont like things with sauce or gravy, they love rice but wont touch pasta no idea why im hoping they grow out of it.

My 15 yr old step son has a big appetite (he is 6ft 4 though) but doesnt eat vegetables except carrots and sweetcorn.

i normally cook two meals a day one for the younger ones as they eat earlier and then one for the older children and my partner & i, except on a sunday when we all eat together.

if im going to a friends for dinner with the younger ones then i usually take a selection of fruit and cheese and crackers & nuts with me so if they dont eat much of whatever is being made for them they have healthy things to snck on until i can get them something else. but the older ones either eat it or go hungry! I wouldnt take them to Subway or anywhere else for that matter, they could wait til we got home and then have a sandwich.

In my opinion, when it come to food and food choices, caving in to a kids demands is a sure fire way to create an eating disorder/ bad habits which will plague them in later life.

My kids were never fussy eaters, but that is because the house rule was try it. I understand that not everyone likes everything... I don't eat Cheerios... can't bear the smell of them... lol ... that being said, I wouldn't let it bother me about your friend's son. He is their problem. They created the monster and now they have to deal with the issues, i.e. going to subway because he wouldn't eat your dinner. 13 is a difficult age anyway.. raging hormones and all that. I would just let it go if I were you... so many more important things to stress over!

All the kids in our family have a 2 bite rule with new foods (1 to try it, 1 to decide if they like it). Each of them has their own pickiness (no green veggies, or nothing on a bone, no egg yolk, etc), but overall they eat 3/4th of all food (even sushi, quinoa-spelling?, etc.).

It definitely is on the parents to encourage trying new things, and 13 is a bit old for this behavior BUT good for them that subway was his choice and not McD or something worse. I have worked with kids who only eat fast food/french fries, noodles with ketchup and white bread with nutella. Every day. No joke.

A lot of kids are naturally picky. Mine are. But I insist that they try new foods before saying they don't like them. I think it's ridiculous to let a child that old be such a baby about food, and then to cave like that and take him out to eat when there's plenty of good food right in front of him.

The only exception I can think of, though, is if this child has legitimate problem like food allergies or a sensory issue. But if that were the case, I'm sure the parents would have explained that to you.

I have 3 kids- 6, 4 and 3. My husband and I were raised to eat what ever was on our plate. Food is not cheap and that's what we've taught and we're still teaching our kids. I personally think it's up to the parents to teach their kids to broaden their taste buds. My oldest wanted to bring his lunch to school, but in order for him to try new things..he needs to eat at school. We just don't believe in picky eaters. Now if it's something completely new to my kids they'll have a small amount on their plate. We also aren't the type of parents to make a separate trip somewhere because our children doesn't like something. This of course doesn't include children who have allergies, in this case..I would let the host know so they won't be offended and I would bring my child's "special" food (my youngest is allergic to peanuts, so I understand that).

I must be the meanest mom around, I cook all my food fresh and the Twins of 4 and my 12 year old must eat what I have cooked or they go hungry. My home is not a hotel nor am I a short order cook. They may choose their breakfast and their lunch, but that is as nice as I get.

Our little one(22) has a bit more choice, but always on my terms.

Way to go mom!

My kids,whether they were my own, my day care kids, or even now my grands, either eat what I fix or there is no dessert or snacks til next meal. If it is something new then I only give two bites worth, they can try it. My one daughter only eats chicken and venison for meats, she never has liked beef. Both my daughters are great veggie and fruit eaters. Two of my grand kids eat just about everything, though my oldest girl (8) doesn't like fried food, she likes it "naked". She and her brother eat all day with healthy snacking and are outside all the time. I hope they continue their healthy eating habits. The other two grands are really picky. They think I am grumpy because I make them eat what I fix. With that said, since they are grands and only visiting I do try to mainly fix what they will eat, with only one new thing. They have eaten great breakfasts after refusing to eat dinner.

Unfortunately in today's US culture, the kids rule more and more.

I have two sons 3 y/o and almost 8 y/o. My youngest is great and tries anything and likes most of it. My oldest on the other hand is picky. He started with picky from the get go. When he ate his jars of baby food that have chunks in it, he didn't like the peas. If I gave him pea on accident, he would refuse to eat the rest of the jar thinking he would get another. Then when he started eating real foods, he did good and would eat meats, rice, whatever he was able to and we offered him. Then after a few months, he got picky again and would only eat cup of noodles for almost a year! I would offer other things and he would refuse them. Then I tried like people say "if he won't eat it, make him wait until the next meal" etc. But, he would just refuse to eat ALL day. He has always been on the tall skinny side so I couldn't let that go on long. When he finally started eating something else, it was chicken nuggets from Mcdonalds...without the skin. Yes, if I wanted him to eat them, I had to eat or pick the skin off them. He thankfully grew out of that stage after a few months and started eating the whole thing. He is still VERY picky. Won't eat meats besides chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and Mcdonalds cheeseburgers. A few years ago my mother-in-law made us eggrolls and he tried them and loved them. He saw the meat and didn't want them after that but I told him it wasn't meat, it was "flavoring" and to this day, he is fine with it! He won't eat meat in hamburger helpers, sandwich meats, hotdogs (though did start with corndogs last month!), steak, regular chicken, etc. Over the past few months, he has gotten where he will try new things though. I have always told him to try something again because his taste buds are always changing and tell him how I didn't like things when I was younger but love them now. We just had something like what you experienced tonight with him. We went to a friends for dinner and I told him on the way there that it was going to be meat and he had to try it. To my surprise, he did try the fajita burrito I made him with two strips of chicken in it. He didn't like the chicken so I allowed him to take it off and he ate the rest but he did try it. He wants to stay the night at his friends house and I told him that when they make dinner, that is dinner. They will NOT make him something else. He asked if I could pack him a dinner! LOL Uh, NO! I will not do what your guests do though and leave to go buy him something. He will be told to eat the things not containing meats and if it's not enough, he can wait until we get home and have a pb&j sandwich. I think that is just rude of them. Especially when their son is so old. Eat or wait until you get home. Maybe that will change their minds and make them try something if they know you won't jump right then and there to get them something.

We have a few rules with dinner. You have to try it and if it has been awhile or I make it a different way, you have to try it again.
My 2nd rule is you have to finish your dinner before you get a treat. If you aren't hungry enough for dinner then you aren't hungry enough for dessert.

I have 4 kids. My oldest is the pickiest. I do not cater to her and she doesn't expect it. If we are somewhere and she doesn't like anything then she's more than welcome to come home and make her a pb&j. Her Mom won't do it for her. Same goes with dinner. You eat what I make or if you don't like it you can make something else.
However, I share custody with her father and her step siblings are catered too. They only like chicken nuggets or if they get pizza they have to get bread sticks for them because they won't eat pizza. So my oldest has started pulling the same thing over at her Dad's because he tries to hold our kids to the same standards for dinner while allowing his step children to do what ever. I've made it clear she will not get away with that here. Ever.

My 10 year old and 3 year old will eat just about anything. The baby so far will eat anything but he's too little to know.

I have two sons 3 y/o and almost 8 y/o. My youngest is great and tries anything and likes most of it. My oldest on the other hand is picky. He started with picky from the get go. When he ate his jars of baby food that have chunks in it, he didn't like the peas. If I gave him pea on accident, he would refuse to eat the rest of the jar thinking he would get another. Then when he started eating real foods, he did good and would eat meats, rice, whatever he was able to and we offered him. Then after a few months, he got picky again and would only eat cup of noodles for almost a year! I would offer other things and he would refuse them. Then I tried like people say "if he won't eat it, make him wait until the next meal" etc. But, he would just refuse to eat ALL day. He has always been on the tall skinny side so I couldn't let that go on long. When he finally started eating something else, it was chicken nuggets from Mcdonalds...without the skin. Yes, if I wanted him to eat them, I had to eat or pick the skin off them. He thankfully grew out of that stage after a few months and started eating the whole thing. He is still VERY picky. Won't eat meats besides chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and Mcdonalds cheeseburgers. A few years ago my mother-in-law made us eggrolls and he tried them and loved them. He saw the meat and didn't want them after that but I told him it wasn't meat, it was "flavoring" and to this day, he is fine with it! He won't eat meat in hamburger helpers, sandwich meats, hotdogs (though did start with corndogs last month!), steak, regular chicken, etc. Over the past few months, he has gotten where he will try new things though. I have always told him to try something again because his taste buds are always changing and tell him how I didn't like things when I was younger but love them now. We just had something like what you experienced tonight with him. We went to a friends for dinner and I told him on the way there that it was going to be meat and he had to try it. To my surprise, he did try the fajita burrito I made him with two strips of chicken in it. He didn't like the chicken so I allowed him to take it off and he ate the rest but he did try it. He wants to stay the night at his friends house and I told him that when they make dinner, that is dinner. They will NOT make him something else. He asked if I could pack him a dinner! LOL Uh, NO! I will not do what your guests do though and leave to go buy him something. He will be told to eat the things not containing meats and if it's not enough, he can wait until we get home and have a pb&j sandwich. I think that is just rude of them. Especially when their son is so old. Eat or wait until you get home. Maybe that will change their minds and make them try something if they know you won't jump right then and there to get them something.

I would go with this approach.