Last weekend, we went out to eat at one of our favorite local restaurants. They have strong coffee and eclectic foods.

LD was with us. Keep in mind that although small for her age, she is 11 now and in middle school.

So we arrived at the restaurant and waited to be seated. The hostess quickly grabbed some regular menus and a "kids' menu". She seated us with two adult menus and the kids' menu and walked off briskly before I could say anything about LD not needing a kids' menu.

The "kids' menu" is a plastic toy with some colorful beads that travel along a wire, and also there is a stylus and a small doodling surface. On the back side there is a small selection of cheap meals for kids, mostly of the yellow/beige food group.

So I stood up and put the "kids' menu" back in the bin and got a "real menu" for LD. Our waiter came and took our drink order. I clarified for him that LD would have a regular "adult" soft drink. She is 11, after all, and doesn't need a small plastic cup with a lid on it. She outgrew "sippy" cups long ago.

LD took a while to pick what she wanted. Our first waiter seemed to have some sort of crisis, so the hostess came back to take our order.

LD ordered the grilled cheese from the large bead and doodle-free adult menu. The adult grilled cheese includes five cheeses including cheddar, swiss, asiago, etc. and LD is a cheese afficianado. It is also about $7. So the hostess/waitress confirms that she wants a "KIDS' grilled cheese".

"No, she wants an ADULT grilled cheese."

And that is what she ended up getting, and she liked it.

Two other families ate near us, and both those families (with much younger children) ate from the children's menu. Both families selected pancakes for their children. The pancake meal was huge, and undoubtedly a great value. It even came with a cup of fruit. One of the families even split the pancake meal between their two children.

But of all the things that the restaurant has on the menu, the beige food is what makes its way to the kids. Pancakes. Chicken nuggets. Macaroni and cheese.

Tell me, why would a child not enjoy soup in a bread bowl? Or a crepe with chicken? A grilled cheese with five cheeses on hearty bread? A chicken breast or piece of fish with some nice sides? Why are these things not on the kids' menu?

What if you went out to dinner for a first date, and your date said, "You can have anything on the menu that is $2.99 or less."

People, that is what we are saying to our kids when we let them select from the kids' menu. Stop telling our kids that they are worth three dollars while we are worth thirteen. Or twenty. Or fifty. Let them eat what we eat.

Another sad thing is that kids are not used to, nor are they expected to, sit down and talk to others while they eat. When we arrive at a restaurant, our kids shouldn't need crayons and puzzles to keep them busy while we socialize. We should be socializing to include the kids. We should be socializing to include everyone at the table. Instead, we order our $20 entrees and talk amongst ourselves while we expect the kids to be happy with a $3 meal and a crayon.

Shame on us.