5-year-old refuses to eat until his foster parents buy him a $65 toy, fellow restaurant patron insists his foster parents should give into his demand: 'She argued I get paid to care for him and need to do whatever it takes to make sure he's happy'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jul 9, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

If you've ever watched the show Supernanny, you know how far kids will go to get their way, especially if their parents have proven time and time again that they're pushovers. They will throw a tantrum until their parents give in, learning that bad behavior gets them exactly what they want. Until parents can stand their ground and understand that even their "very good" kids will take a mile if they give an inch, they won't be able to control their young children. 

Standing your ground is, of course, easier said than done. I can watch reruns of Supernanny to my heart's content, but until I actually mother a child who is disobeying me, I won't know how hard it will be to discipline them. Some kids will believe, "If you don't start behaving, we're going home," and won't try to challenge it, but many kids don't believe that their parents will actually follow through. 

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  • 01

    AITA for letting my 5 year old go hungry while I ate?

    Myself, boyfriend and my kid stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast this morning. There's a store in the front and restaurant in the back for those who have never been. Kid begged for a $65 toy and we said, no. It was
    via u/Odd_Trifle_2604

  • The parents in this story did not back down. Their 5-year-old foster son was refusing to eat until they bought him a toy, and they didn't give in and buy it for them. Instead, they gave him the option to eat, and he didn't take it until he realized he was not going to get that toy. 

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10527309824
    via Sandy Millar

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 03
    overpriced and he has a very similar toy at home that he ignores. He decided to first try a tantrum complete with stomping and crying. We went outside and had a come to Jesus meeting and he hushed. He then decided to go on a hunger strike to get me to buy the toy. He informed me he
    via u/Odd_Trifle_2604
  • 04
    Cheezburger Image 10527286784
    via yang miao

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 05
    wasn't eating till I bought it. I said fine, boyfriend and I ate and he sat quietly with a sprite and a kid's menu in case he changed his mind. A woman noticed us eating and him not eating and offered to buy him whatever he wanted to eat, since we were selfish monsters who were eating in front of him. He requested the
    via u/Odd_Trifle_2604
  • 06
    toy, she priced it and said no. She then tells me I need to buy it. My kid is a foster child and it's obvious as we're different races. She argued I get paid to care for him and need to do whatever it takes to make sure he's happy. I think that's ridiculous and unrealistic. He was offered food
    via u/Odd_Trifle_2604
  • 07
    multiple times and refused. We ended up getting McDonald's on our way to the movies for the record, but AITA for going ahead and eating?
    via u/Odd_Trifle_2604
  • 08
    M McDonald's MC DRIVE
    via Jurij Kenda

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 09
    Hey-Just-Saying NTA. Woman: You are so cruel. I'll buy the toy for your kid. Woman (Looks at price): Oh, wait...
    via u/Hey-Just-Saying
  • 10
    RoyaltyN188 It was at that point that Nosey Rosie should have apologized to OP and BF, then exited, stage left.
    via u/RoyaltyN188
  • 11
    subWoofer_0870 Nah, that's an “Exit, pursued by a bear” level offence.
    via u/subWoofer_0870
  • 12
    qazdrt Lmao fr she was ready to play hero till she saw that $65 price tag, kids be testing everybody's wallet these days.
    via u/qazdrt
  • 13
    Beautiful-Click-6983 At that point, the mom should have demanded the woman buy the toy and say she's cruel to offer to purchase and then reneg on the deal. Then she should have told her to mind her own business.
    via u/Beautiful-Click-6983
  • 14
    RepeatSubscriber If he gets hungry enough, he will eat. NTA but that woman is for interfering. He's the one that was going on a hunger strike, you weren't withholding food. You are doing the right thing, it seems.
    via u/RepeatSubscriber
  • 15
    MjMcWesty I'm a full time single dad who's been raising my son by myself since he was 5 and the first time I had to take him shopping for the new school year for clothes and stuff he wanted some ridiculous toy and I said no. Tantrum ensued and so I got down on his level and explained that he's shopping with Dad now and I won't give in to blackmail so he has one chance to stop the tantrum or I'm going to put everything we had in our basket back on the shelves and we're leaving with nothing. He di
    via u/MjMcWesty
  • 16
    Then as he'd had his one warning I just put all the stuff back and picked him up under my arm and we left with him screaming and crying. Parents everywhere were looking at me like I'd just murdered him but I didn't care. Out to the car and home we went. He's now a well adjusted 21 year old and he NEVER threw a tantrum in a shop ever again. Job done.
    via u/MjMcWesty
  • 17
    JustDraft6024_v2 More parents need to do stuff like that. so many people are too scared to properly discipline their kids and have actual consequences that you follow through with
    via u/JustDraft6024_v2
  • 18
    ThisWeekInTheRegency Exactly the right approach. One of the proudest moments of my life was when I overhead my then-four-year-old son say to his best friend, who was about to have a tantrum, 'When your mum says no, she means no!'
    via u/ThisWeekInTheRegency
  • 19
    stella 1822 I have a friend with two small kids that don't listen to her. At all. They are usually good kids but when they act up...wow. She recently complained to me that they don't listen to her and how frustrating it is, even when she threatens. I asked if the kids have consequences that she follows through on when they don't listen. She just stared at me, opened and closed her mouth, and then changed the subject. She has also told me she and her husband have to bribe the kids to go to bed. T
    via u/stella1822
  • 20
    Fairmount1955 NTA. "It's super weird you feel entitled to insert yourself into a situation that doesn't involve you. Also, caving to a child having a tantrum is terrible parenting advice."
    via u/Fairmount1955
  • 21
    Ok_Maintenance7716 The kid chose not to eat and had the opportunity to order food at any time. NTA. But I would have unleashed holy h_ I on the nosy busybody who tried to make it her business.
    via u/Ok_Maintenance7716
  • 22
    Normal-Brain-181 As foster carers you are supposed to future the children and teach them to be good people, not entitled little monsters. NTA you're good parents
    via u/Normal-Brain-181
  • 23
    Conannah Nope. Him not eating was his choice. It's your right to not give into his emotional manipulation. You don't raise him for her, you are caring for him for his own benefit. Fostering is a labor of love. Good job sticking to your parenting methods in the face of pressure. It'll probably happen again so just stay strong.
    via u/Conannah
  • 24
    Conannah Emotional manipulation is most likely too strong of a term but children his age are capable of applying care and effect and will try different actions to see if they can get their desires granted.
    via u/Conannah
  • 25
    Frnk27 The child was refusing to eat. You weren't refusing to buy him food. He had a menu in front of him in case he changed his mind. There is nothing neglectful about your actions. On the way home the child decided he would eat McDonald's despite not getting the toy. This is an example of good parenting. If you were the one refusing to buy him food, that would be another thing. The child was refusing to eat.
    via u/Frnk27

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Cracker Barrel tantrum breakfast tantrums eating out parenting advice restaurant parenting good parenting parenting WIN little kids restaurants food eating children
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