‘Am I wrong for telling my son to eat what he ordered or skip dinner?’

Anna Martin

Going out for dinner is the perfect opportunity for some family time.

You can all sit together, chat about life and just catch up but it’s expensive to feed the whole crew.

That’s why seeing plates with food still on them at the end can be frustrating, especially when you warn your child to order something they know they’d like.

At least that was the case with one father on Reddit who was looking to see if he was wrong when he told her son to eat his meal or skip dinner.

Explaining the situation he wrote, “My son is 12 and he will order the adventurous stuff on the menu when he knows that he has issues with different textures.

“We have done this dance many times at this point. He will order something out there, take a single bit and then want my food.”

This time the mystery man told him beforehand if he didn’t like what he ordered he was not allowed to eat the food on his plate.

In the end, the child didn’t like the food that arrived and started begging his dad for his. dinner, complaining that he was hungry.

The Redditor continues, “This is when I told him I don’t care that he doesn’t like the food and that he needs to eat what he ordered or skip dinner.

“When we got home he complained I starved him. (He literally said this while making a sandwich). This resulted in an argument with my wife.”

Many people who came across the post supported the dad, stating that since he explained the consequences of his actions clearly, his son should have known better.

“You were very clear before your son ordered about the consequences of picking a more adventurous food that he possibly wouldn’t like.

“Now he is suffering those consequences. Sounds like a good life lesson to me. He could try some new foods if he is taking a bite of your food, but he needs to order what he is willing to eat,” one person commented.

“You’re not wrong, 12 is old enough to be able to pick off a menu and to know what foods he likes/ dislikes. You’re right not to swap, giving in and letting him have your food all of the time would set a terrible precedent going forward,” another added.

“It’s a harmless lesson, especially given that he’s allowed to eat what he likes at home.”

While a third wrote, “I’m a picky eater, and when I want to try new things, I’ll ask my girlfriend to split meals.

“You need to agree ahead of time, or both of you are only getting half meals, or you always get sick eating a meal you don’t want. Teach your kid to be more independent, if he orders it, that’s his order, end of story.”