do you (and how often) let your los eat takeaways?

[shivi]

If we are in a nice restaurant it doesn't guarantee DS will eat anything healthier anyway  and he would rather eat at home.

same here...they prefer their daddy's food any day of the week!

[Aishi]

Hmm thats interesting. I was under the impression from irl ppl that im too strict with letting kids eat out regularly and/ or giving them chocolate and crisps..but seems most ppl here are the same

I wouldnt mind them eating out in restaurants and other healthier places but ds is really fussy. He doesnt eat pizza sandwiches, soups, wraps etc. He will eat fish burgers, chicken wings and vegetable pasties (greggs) oh and curries of course. But i make curry at home every day so it seems pointless eating that outside...

I like the fact that its bonding time for dh and the kids where he cant put the tv on! lol but i do think that once a.week is way too muchand whereas it prob wouldnt be routine for a lot of kids it would with ds! hes a stickler for routine and he doesnt like changes so once a habits formed its really hard to break (hence st was a nightmare!!)

Im going to have to think of places where they can go eat. dh would have to like it too...he loves his food and is also very fussy! dd is like me, will pretty much eat anything when hungry lol

[cuckoochick]

We eat out a fair bit and have takeaways. I probably wouldn't have that much of an issue with it to be honest. The vast majority of food we eat is herby but we probably have a less healthy lunch/dinner once a week I'd say (could just be pizza from supermarket or sausage and chips on rushed nights ). I can see why a dad think McDonalds is easy to take their kids to- you see plenty of solo dads in there at weekends- no waiting around, inexpensive, informal atmosphere, the toy! I'd probably encourage him to mix it up though. C loves going to a cafe for sandwiches and hot chocolate. We haven't eaten out as much in the last few months since we had G but C loves restaurants and we've always happily taken her to gastro pubs, finer restaurants and places like zizzi and pizza express, Nandos etc. I am very laidback about her eating but that's because she is a really good eater and loves healthy foods so we've never had a worry about her being fussy, she loves cheeseburgers so has enjoyed Maccy Dees but equally loves homemade ones or ones from the farm shop cafe.

I'd be snapping your DH's hand off for the Y time but I'd probably see if there are any other options too! Xxx

[creations]

I was under the impression from irl ppl that im too strict with letting kids eat out regularly and/ or giving them chocolate and crisps..but seems most ppl here are the same

IRL mums are amazed DS doesn’t eat sweets, chocolate or crisps regularly, he doesn't even know what a pack of sweets is but then I don't hold him back if we go out to a restaurant even if I know there's likely lots of sugar or salt in the meals for instance we had a big meal out at a Chinese restaurant for his birthday and he ate tons of sweet and sour king prawns, for all I know the sauce could have more sugar than a bag of haribo but I'd rather he had the prawns and the experience of enjoying a celebratory meal in a lovely restaurant.

[j.and.e]

I'd be happy for my kids to eat mcDs once a week. I dont particularly like mcDs food but I think anything in moderation. Personally i think the kids meals are quite healthy for young kids. Just a bit high in salt. Xx

[skatty]

Well I guess it is different now Leorah is 7 but DH often takes her swimming at the weekend and while they are at the pool they always eat lunch and she always has a burger! I think it is fine because for one thing I get almost a whole day to work, plus they have a great time bonding and she is being very active at the pool so a burger and maybe even an ice lolly really isn't a big deal. She eats healthy all week plays football and goes to gymnastics so I am not worried about her health. She also gets sweets on Saturdays so weekends are a time when she has more treats, in the week we don't really do any unhealthy foods, if there is dessert it is fruit or yoghurt. I think the important thing is to look at it over a whole week balance.

[anna*]

Stan never does - not because of any overarching values against, it just doesn't enter into the sphere of our routine. We do eat out - pub lunches, tea in a cafe or whatever. I am much more likely to COOK junk (shop pizza) when I need fast food because it's cheaper and in many ways easier than have to drive and go and get something. Oh he does get a packet of crisps 1 x per week after his football class. Audrey has fast food about once every 6-8 weeks with her childminder 

Audrey most definitely eats more unhealthily than Stan. She absolutely knows what sweeties and chocolates and crisps and lollipops are - and woe betide anyone who tries to sneak something past her to Stan!

[Aishi]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts...i feel more confused lol i would love them to eat out in other places and whereas they would prob be fine with me eating there. I know they wouldnt be with dh which would stress him out and prob spoil the day yk?

And to be fair they do eat really well and pretty much homecooked daily (birdseye fish fingers or scampi once a week) and junk eg chocolate once a week and thats only a recent thing, prior it was only on special occasions...

I think ill let them do it. Im always complaining (on here) dh doesnt spend enough quality time with them and this could be a really nice way for them to bond. Dh works a lot so he doesnt really get time with the kids especially meal times so this may be a.way forward. And i will get more me time too

btw creations dixys is like kfc but uses halal meat

[creations]

I have a long term craving for KFC, love it!

It's great your DH wants to do this. Great bonding time for them and Y time for you.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Sounds like the pros outweigh the cons for you...once DD3 is a bit older I know DH will be carting all three off on adventures, which generally involve junk food of some sort - whether chips/candy at the store or fries/popcorn chicken at the rink. For me it is a smal trade off for the Y time I will someday get again!!! So long as every trip to the store doesnt involve candy I am good with it!

[louis-mummy]

I would totally do it, especially if most of the rest of the week they eat healthily.

I try not to let food be an 'issue' and for that reason they can have mcd's etc (Oscar has only had 2, I think, but had Chinese and lots of other meals out) but I don't sell it as a treat, they think it's for my convenience and of course they like the toy 

I do think its hard striking the right balance though and such a personal thing to decide on...if you start to feel that it's becoming an issue for any reason you can always cut it back to less often?

Enjoy your me time!

[skatty]

Glad you made a decision! My dd still doesn't eat the fries when she has a happy meal, she is another one who wants the tacky toy but she will eat a cheeseburger. TBH I don't really tell DH what he can and can't do with L, it is their time and even if she ate fast food every week it wouldn't effect the other 20 meals plus snacks so in that perspective it isn't exactly harmful

[barbaraz78]

I agree, it is like me with grandparents: MIL and FIL use to give a lot of junk to F (and luckily he doesn't really eat it actually because he is happy to eat a candy or two, and he's done with sweets, and he really doesn't love chocolate). But really, what can I say? If they give him candies and treats every two weeks when they have him, I don't feel to complain too much, I think that the bonding time that they spend together is more important... and I still remember when my grannie bought me chocolate that my mum wouldn't have bought me, it was one of the magic things of staying with my grannie, so I understand this so well! Differently would be if F was eating sweets or chips every single day at home and refuse other food.

[cuckoochick]

Hope you get to enjoy your Y time and the kids enjoy their time with their daddy. Xxx

[skatty]

and I still remember when my grannie bought me chocolate that my mum wouldn't have bought me, it was one of the magic things of staying with my grannie,

I remember when I was very little my nan would put a sweet under my pillow for when I woke up, it seemed so naughty and fun getting to eat a humbug before breakfast and neither my brother or I played her up at bedtime