Do your teens expect you to cook meals for them over the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never cooked a thing until I went to college and I turned out fine as did my family.

Same here.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I cook for my teen most nights. And I guess he “expects” it and would be disappointed if I didn’t. He loves my cooking!
Also, my teen works 35 hours a week as a camp counselor, working with rising kindergarteners and 1st graders. He gets home about 6:15, tired, sweaty, starving, and often having been peed, puked, or bled on. He definitely has earned some time to clean himself up, enjoy a little peace, and then eat well. More often than not I’ve been working from home with time after I finish to get a decent meal going that we both will enjoy.

[Anonymous]

This may be cultural but I truly believe it’s my job to provide dinner for the teens every single day. Some days, I might prearrange with them to make dinner but the default is always that mom or dad will have dinner ready.

[Anonymous]

Haven't you people heard of eating as a family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never cooked a thing until I went to college and I turned out fine as did my family.

Pretty much the same for me except I could boil pasta and heat up jarred sauce. Or make a sandwich, toast a bagel, etc

My teens won’t starve if we don’t feed them dinner, but they each much better if we do, and I am okay with that. I want the time with them anyway.

[Anonymous]

This thread explains so well why my white American MIL is such a horrible and ungenerous host.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains so well why my white American MIL is such a horrible and ungenerous host.

Well how did your DH turn out? Does he know how to cook since presumably his mother didn’t do it for him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains so well why my white American MIL is such a horrible and ungenerous host.

Well how did your DH turn out? Does he know how to cook since presumably his mother didn’t do it for him?

No, he doesn't know how to cook. He got accustomed to eating canned vegetables and boiled chicken. Just low expectations and standards passed on through the generations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We try to always eat together as a family. Sometimes, I cook. Sometimes, one of my teens cooks. Sometimes we get take out. But whoever cooks or procures the food cooks or procures for all of us, or at least whoever is home at dinner time.

This. Not sure why summer is any different from the rest of the year. I or my partner make several meals a week, and whoever is home eats at the table together. The kids still have responsibility for at least one meal each, for everyone who is at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't you people heard of eating as a family?

You can eat together as a family when you kid cooks for you too. If my kid laid around all day and then hit me up for dinner after I worked all day, they would be the one and only time he did. Everyone works in my family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains so well why my white American MIL is such a horrible and ungenerous host.

This thread explains why my professor friends say kids today cannot do anything and their parents are hyper involved managing their feelings and needs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread explains so well why my white American MIL is such a horrible and ungenerous host.

This thread explains why my professor friends say kids today cannot do anything and their parents are hyper involved managing their feelings and needs

It doesn’t sound like OP even wants to eat dinner with her son, regardless of who prepares it.

[Anonymous]

I or DH did it when they still lived at home. So far, one was out at 19 and two at 18. SS bounced between DH and his mom’s until he was 21.

Now that they are launched, they better understand how being responsible for dinner e every night is a huge ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine are still in high school and yes I cook for them or purchase them takeout if I am not cooking. I feel it is our responsibility as long as they are in HS. If they go out with friends, that is on them. Even when they are in college, DH and I still need to eat and I can’t imagine leaving them out. If DH and I have other plans, yes I’m sure they can fend for themselves.

Agree

[Anonymous]

I don’t know. Last night I didn’t feel like cooking. My 12 year old and I went to the pool and had hot dogs. DH had a sandwich and some leftover beef stew. My 16 year old got home at 9pm from driver’s ed and made himself a BLT.
If it were during the school year, I probably would have made my teenager dinner or at least made sure that he got something to eat before he left. But things are a little looser in the summer.