A Mom Shares The Relatable Truth About Raising Kids Who Aren’t Picky Eaters

One of the most prominent modern struggles you hear parents talk about is probably living with a picky eater. It doesn't matter your income, where you live, or who you are — picky eating can "strike" any family. And with some studies showing upwards of 50% of elementary-aged kids are fickle around food, it's no surprise it's a common topic among parents. But one hilarious TikTok mom is going viral for sharing the opposite of having a picky eater in the house: having a kid who'll eat anything.

Some kids are just born adventurous eaters. And when your kid is not picky? Well, that comes with its own host of issues, explains TikTok mom Tenley Schreindorfer (@tenschrein). "I'm a millennial parent, and I do not have picky eaters. I'm not bragging. It's not that great," she begins.

"My oldest will be, like, 'Haha, I'm not a macaroni and cheese and chicken nugget kid.' Oh, great. I don't know how I did it. I just made food, and they would eat it."

So, what's the problem? Well, having an adventurous eater hits ya right in the wallet.

"I don't remember the last time they ordered off the kids' menu. They order calamari when they go out. It's really f*cking obnoxious. We used to think it's cute ... It's not cute. It's expensive."

Schreindorfer is right. Have you been to The Cheesecake Factory lately? The kids' grilled cheese is still around $8. If they want something off the "grown-up menu?" Holy sh*t, their meal will easily be twice as much. Plus, many kids' meals include drinks and dessert. If your kids are ordering off the rest of the menu, you'll have to add those extra costs. So, eating out with a little foodie means losing out on those fantastic kid-sized prices and paying for an additional full-grown adult meal.

Parents feel Schreindorfer's pain.

"Mine ask for sushi like it's McDonald's. We have McDonald's money; we don't have sushi money," commented @RoxieRip85.

"Same 😳," commiserated @Sara_Joy. "So glad they love real food, but really, you're 8; you cannot send your steak back because it's not rare!!"

"It's so bad," confirmed @It’sme. "My oldest asks for lobster and steak for birthday dinner. Like, dude? In this economy?🤣"

"My son ordered a $26 lobster roll, and that's why 'we got food at home' now," shared @Asterisk.

@KatieTCG captured the pure audacity of adventurous-eating kids in her comment, saying, "Are your kids also my kids?? Mine (8&4) asked if they could each have a plate of broiled oysters at dinner for a STARTER😭😭"

Another tough pill to swallow: Just because your kid isn't picky doesn't mean they like everything.

What if you pay for those adult-sized portions of food they genuinely love, but the particular restaurant you're at does something that doesn't sit right with your kiddo's preferences? Now you've paid a small fortune for a meal that still won't be eaten. And a kid who likes calamari may still have their own hang-ups about home-cooked food.

So, what have we learned? Yes, it's stressful to watch your picky kid go day after day without taking a bite of a fruit or veggie (even when, and maybe especially when, doctors tell you not to worry and that your kiddo will grow out of their stunted and stubborn eating habits). It's clearly also stressful to be a parent out here trying to keep their kid with a bougie AF, er, adventurous palate fed in this economy.

In other words, if you've got a nuggets-and-macaroni kid, don't stress. Most pediatricians will tell you that as long as they’re growing and developing on track, the kids will be all right. And, honestly, your budget could use that kind of money-saving reliability right now.