One Mom’s Hack For Getting Toddler To Eat Turns Into Mommy Shamming
A mom shared a hack she used to get her toddler to eat when they go out to dinner at a restaurant, but some people are slamming her for it….
A mom shared a hack she used to get her toddler to eat when they go out to dinner at a restaurant, but some people are slamming her for it. Accounting to Today, earlier last week, Karlie Smith posted a TikTok video where she explains, “Call me cheap, call me whatever, but if we’re going out to a restaurant, I’m packing my kid a meal.”
I'm not mad at her! My oldest son Cash is the pickiest eater you have ever seen. He eats eight things, and they HAVE to be a specific brand. Example: He eats chicken nuggets, but they have to be Costco organics, and this kid can sniff out a cover in a heartbeat. Thus I have done the same thing a time or two. I will cook and pack his nuggets ahead of time and just order him fries at the restaurant (he's much more open to different types of fries). My younger son will eat ANYTHING, so no problem there. I also always tell the server that Cash is just picky, and we'll take care of him or her either way. We're not being cheap.
Now in the clip, the 21-year-old mom of two shares that it’s “crazy” for her to pay $6.99 for chicken tenders and fries if her son is “going to throw half of it on the floor.” Smith also points out that what she packs for her kid is healthier than fried food on the restaurant’s kid menu, showing a meal she’d made for him that day that includes a PB&J, bananas, cheese cubes and a chocolate Lara bar. She also likes that she can feed her son right away when they are seated, so he doesn’t have to wait for orders to be taken and food to arrive.
I do agree with that part too! I always order my kids food as soon as I sit down so that the food keeps them busy at the table.
While some commenters are fans of her idea, including moms of picky kids and a mom of an autistic toddler who only eats specific foods, Smith received a lot of negativity over the hack.
- “This is so wrong,” writes one.
- “Maybe don’t bring your children then,” comments another.
- “Seems like you are teaching him that he will always be catered to immediately,” shares a third. “No patience. Maybe teach him table manners and that he has to wait.”
- Some servers also point out that bringing outside food into a restaurant isn’t allowed or can violate allergy-friendly policies.
- But Smith shares that she’s a former server herself and that she’s never been told it’s a problem for her to bring in food. She also says she always leaves appropriate tips and a clean table.
I have to be honest. Why can't we live and let live? I don't judge any mom for a packed lunch, Ipad or anything else they need to do for a moment of peace. Being a mom is hard and we have to take the little wins were we can and if a healthy packed meal is her win for a moment of sanity of going out to eat... you do you girl!
Source: Today
