Kids that eat like a bird?

[aubriee]

A situation at a restaurant the other night got me to thinking. I've read so many posts on here about parents complaining about the price of kids buffets at WDW when their kids 'eat nothing' or 'eat like a bird'. Anyway the other night we went to an 'all you can eat' seafood buffet. Apparently they charge according to the kid's age. This family checking in, in front of us got really irate saying there was no way their son ate enough to justify the new price and that he ate 'like a bird'. Not being able to help overhearing, we glanced at the kid in question. He was about 10 years old and I swear as wide as he was tall. He looked like a round waddling butter ball. Well, we round up getting seated next to this family and I swear that kid ate more than I did and more than his older brother and sister. He made several trips to the buffet filling his plate each time and eating everything on it. He also made himself a huge plate of desserts, including a sundae with all kinds of sprinkles and gummy worms when he finally finished. If they hadn't created such a scene as we were checking in, I probably would not have noticed, but that little boy ate like a linebacker. His parents and both siblings were also very overweight. I couldn't help but wonder if they really didn't realize how much their kid ate or if they were just trying to argue with the new pricing structure at the restaurant. I've seen other parents who say their kids 'eat like birds', but the kids are overweight and seem to always have food in their hands. My neighbor's son is one of these. I don't think I've ever seen that boy without food in his hands yet his mom is always talking about how he eats like a bird and is worried he's not eating enough. Do some parents just not realize how much their kid is eating?

OT: 'eat like a bird' is really a misnomer anyway. I have a macaw parrot that is always eating. In fact with all the fresh fruits and vegetables he eats everyday, in addition to his dried fruit, nuts, and rowdybush he eats better than we do. I'm refilling his dishes at least twice a day.

 

[Ellester]

I think that family might have some "issues". My kids eat varying amounts. My oldest generally eats the least, although she must be getting ready to grow because she is eating like "a bird". (I knew it was a misnomer, a horse actually eats much less than a bird when you take body weight into consideration!) I figured we broke even on our last trip. I had to pay for my 8yo who ate barely anything (a small helping of pasta and maybe two strawberries some meals) but my 2yo was free and he more than made up for it! My 5yo is in the middle, some days like a linebacker, others like an Olsen sister. At least at a buffet I can usually find some fruit and possibly a veggie that my 9yo will eat! I figure you're paying mostly for the atmosphere anyway. The family you described reminded me of some that we see at our local Chinese buffet. They literally hover over the area where they bring out the crablegs and pounce like wolves to fill a heaping plate. Sometimes the tray is empty before the next person even gets one! We don't eat crab, so it doesn't affect us. But it does make me wonder where some people learned (or didn't learn) manners!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

That's interesting. I guess I never thought that parents of hefty kids would think their kids didn't eat much! But I suppose maybe they could see it that way, or just be really cheap.

DS11 is honestly very, very tiny. He is in the 5% for weight. He looks about like he is in 3rd grade, but he is going to 6th. At buffet meals he will eat less than a kids meal worth of food. One waffle and some grapes, or one chicken strip and a scoop of mac & cheese. Paying $30 for a Disney buffet dinner is just stupid, so we try to stick to TS places with menus where they will often allow him to order from the kids menu.

I wouldn't argue with a place about their pricing policy, even though my DS eats like a gnat. When we go to Luby's he still gets a child's plate (which he never finishes). Last night we went to Outback and he ordered from the adult menu. Even with DH "helping" DS still had food on his plate. But I didn't argue with the restaurant about the price of the meal!

 

[disykat]

I think the parents were outright lying to get a better price, or pretending to themselves that they weren't lying because even though the expression means they pick at their food, birds do eat constantly.

Although it's shameful that they were lying to get out of paying, I think it's even more sad if they truly don't see that their child eats too much.

 

[Princess Roo]

I always felt like we never got "our money's worth" out of buffet restaurants, because I'm not a big eater (more of a many small meals a day type) and DH eats an average amount for a man, I think. But now that DS gets to eat for free - and eats more than I do - I finally feel like the pricing structure is "fair"!

I do think it is all relative when you are gaging how much your child eats. My next-door neighbor thought her toddler didn't eat much, because she had only seen my child eat, but then when the boy went to preschool it became clear that he ate quite normally. In DS' situation, in each new room his daycare teachers have always told me that he eats more than any other student they've had. (Not sure how to take that, so I'll take it as a complement - LOL.) Luckily, he likes healthy foods, and he's off the chart for height and ~85% for weight, so I don't think there's anything to worry about.