Poll Results: Is Splitting Kids' Meals at Restaurants Okay?

Last week we were inspired to contemplate an ethical question about splitting up full sized meals at restaurants for your kids.  Some restaurants frown on the practice, and some will even charge you a fee to bring an extra plate!  In most cases, your experience depends on the server assigned to you and their views on parents splitting up meals.
I see nothing wrong with it, and feel completely comfortable telling the server as we are ordering that we’re ordering whichever meal for these two (point to the kids) to share!  I think often problems arise when people try to be sly about their intentions, asking for an extra plate later like they hadn’t planned for the children to share.
Of course, I wouldn’t go to a super fancy restaurant and split meals. Then again, if I did go to an upscale restaurant, I would hope that it would be my husband and me there on a romantic date together and the kids at home with grandma!

Poll Results: Is Splitting Kids’ Meals at Restaurants Okay?

We conducted a poll over the last week to find out your thoughts on the matter:
“Is it okay to order adult meals at restaurants and ask for additional plates to split them up for your kids?”
53% said:  Yes, always.
19% said:  Yes, as long as you leave a good tip.
19% said:  Sometimes, depends on the restaurant.
3% said:    Sometimes, depends on how many kids you bring.
3% said:    No, never.
The results surprised me, in that I thought there would be more variation in opinion.  I think it’s not so much an ethical question, but an economic one.  If I know my kids won’t eat an entire meal, why not split it up to avoid food waste? It’s nice to see that the majority of you do the same.
Now the fun begins:  Have you ever had a bad or strange experience requesting shared meals at a restaurant for your kids (or even for you and another adult?)  Leave your experience in the comments!