In-laws and their kids eat all our food

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have a problem with any guests helping themselves to food that was not out/offered. I do think you have to realize the 16 year old boys eat a ton...so like 3 hamburgers is not unexpected. Be sure you are serving enough at the meal.

You'd have a problem with your nieces and nephews getting enough to eat at your home? Your wierd!!! I hope my family is comfortable enough at my house to handle their needs without relying on me if I've missed something - like having enough food.

I would have a problem with nieces and nephews being gluttonous. Gross and rude.

It's not your job as a host to decide how hungry your guests should be. It's your job to feed them until they are full. Trying to decide how much someone else should want to eat is the weird choice here.

So if you host a dinner and you provide a normal meal plus dessert and appetizers, if a guest is still hungry you are ok with them wandering into your kitchen and helping themself?

DP

again. . . they are family!

However, I would feel like an inadequate host if my guest came for dinner and I did not provide enough food! I would say “please, let me make you something.”. Then I would immediately offer something filling and quick, e.g., charcuterie or ice cream.

[Anonymous]

How many people in total? And what ages.

6 pounds of burger meat isn't very much for two families. Teens are less likely to eat ribs and ribs usually don't have much meat on them.

As long as you have enough food for everyone to be full, I would make the pantry off limits. But you need to be sure you are upping your food as clearly the kids aren't full.

[Anonymous]

I’m still confused. If you know they eat a ton then why not put out a snack table with fruit, cheese, chips, salsa, yougurt cups on ice, and such. This way they eat the snacks you want them to while you are prepping lunch. After lunch have a desert table filled with stuff.

Would this keep them out of your pantry?

[Anonymous]

Well, let this be a reminder to everyone that when you stay at someone's home, you should bring food with you! We are frequent weekend guests of family (we're the only one that lives far away). Our family members have always been lovely hosts, but we always try to do several shows of gratitude - a case of wine, dinners out/takeout in, gifts from where we're visiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here! I am enjoying this, even for those who are slamming me. Believe me, we have more than enough food: six racks of ribs, 6 pounds of 80/20 burger meat, packs of Nathan's hot dogs, fruit salad ( well we will have it) , potato salad, beer, wine, soda, juice, Fried chicken, watermelon, the works. I am telling you though, these kids are bottomless pits and what generally happens is that they start eating like cups of applesauce or yogurts, or fruits, chips, etc that we don't even put out and are meant for school lunches. We also have one kid who is an athlete in training and likes to have certain things around- rice cakes, quinoa in cups, peanut butter, chocolate milk etc, and all of that gets annihilated too. I just think it is kind of rude to watch your kids sack someone else's pantry family or not .

How many people and how many hours?

Dont allow access to the pantry.

8-10. I forgot to mention that MIL likes to wait until the last second to say she is coming. Not sure why, but in her mind there is this big dramatic buildup and then a massive flood of relief engulfs the family as she announces that she will be coming.

8-10 people, or 8-10 hours?

You aren't serving enough food if this is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many people in total? And what ages.

6 pounds of burger meat isn't very much for two families. Teens are less likely to eat ribs and ribs usually don't have much meat on them.

As long as you have enough food for everyone to be full, I would make the pantry off limits. But you need to be sure you are upping your food as clearly the kids aren't full.

+1 I don't get how the OP is giving the teens that much food and they're still hungry. The portions may be too small.

[Anonymous]

I know food prices have gotten really high, but how much money are we really talking here? Cookout food is not expensive and it’s all on sale this week.

It just seems like you could easily have enough food for $200 or so….were you expecting it to be more like $100 or less? It just seems like you’re complaining a lot over what is not a very large sum of money for a one time yearly event.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here! I am enjoying this, even for those who are slamming me. Believe me, we have more than enough food: six racks of ribs, 6 pounds of 80/20 burger meat, packs of Nathan's hot dogs, fruit salad ( well we will have it) , potato salad, beer, wine, soda, juice, Fried chicken, watermelon, the works. I am telling you though, these kids are bottomless pits and what generally happens is that they start eating like cups of applesauce or yogurts, or fruits, chips, etc that we don't even put out and are meant for school lunches. We also have one kid who is an athlete in training and likes to have certain things around- rice cakes, quinoa in cups, peanut butter, chocolate milk etc, and all of that gets annihilated too. I just think it is kind of rude to watch your kids sack someone else's pantry family or not .

But when they raid the pantry is there still party food left?

If not, then you have failed as a host and should be really embarrassed that you didn't provide enough food.

If there's still plenty of food that they could reasonably be expected to eat (so, stuff like chips and desserts, not potato salad that sat in the heat all day, or hamburgers for a vegetarian) then it's extremely rude for them to eat your household snacks and ingredients, and their parents should be very embarrassed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have a problem with any guests helping themselves to food that was not out/offered. I do think you have to realize the 16 year old boys eat a ton...so like 3 hamburgers is not unexpected. Be sure you are serving enough at the meal.

Eating 3 hamburgers is overeating.

Not for a teen boy athlete.

Then he should eat a snack before he comes over and not act like a starved Neanderthal. Rude.

DP

OMG! No!

As a host you need to prepare for this. Plus, my teen daughter (15) is 5’7” and 95lbs. She is very athletic and can easily eat 3 hamburgers! Yesterday we had a BBQ and she ate 2 steaks and some chicken. I was the same at that age. The host needs to prepare for this and if she cannot afford it, then she needs to tell her brother “please bring a side and dessert” or whatever.

Yikes! You need a nutritionist.

She’s an elite athlete we have one. . . and a trainer.. . .and a coach. She’s heathy strong and eats a ton.

Sorry you cannot imagine that girls like this exist. They do!

Ha! If everyone’s child is an elite athlete (and this is the case on DCUM) then no one’s child is an elite athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have a problem with any guests helping themselves to food that was not out/offered. I do think you have to realize the 16 year old boys eat a ton...so like 3 hamburgers is not unexpected. Be sure you are serving enough at the meal.

You'd have a problem with your nieces and nephews getting enough to eat at your home? Your wierd!!! I hope my family is comfortable enough at my house to handle their needs without relying on me if I've missed something - like having enough food.

I would have a problem with nieces and nephews being gluttonous. Gross and rude.

It's not your job as a host to decide how hungry your guests should be. It's your job to feed them until they are full. Trying to decide how much someone else should want to eat is the weird choice here.

So if you host a dinner and you provide a normal meal plus dessert and appetizers, if a guest is still hungry you are ok with them wandering into your kitchen and helping themself?

DP

again. . . they are family!

However, I would feel like an inadequate host if my guest came for dinner and I did not provide enough food! I would say “please, let me make you something.”. Then I would immediately offer something filling and quick, e.g., charcuterie or ice cream.

It’s insanely rude for someone to eat the food provided and announce that they are still hungry. Have something after you leave. You’re not going to faint from hunger after eating a normal sized meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have a problem with any guests helping themselves to food that was not out/offered. I do think you have to realize the 16 year old boys eat a ton...so like 3 hamburgers is not unexpected. Be sure you are serving enough at the meal.

You'd have a problem with your nieces and nephews getting enough to eat at your home? Your wierd!!! I hope my family is comfortable enough at my house to handle their needs without relying on me if I've missed something - like having enough food.

I would have a problem with nieces and nephews being gluttonous. Gross and rude.

It's not your job as a host to decide how hungry your guests should be. It's your job to feed them until they are full. Trying to decide how much someone else should want to eat is the weird choice here.

So if you host a dinner and you provide a normal meal plus dessert and appetizers, if a guest is still hungry you are ok with them wandering into your kitchen and helping themself?

DP

again. . . they are family!

However, I would feel like an inadequate host if my guest came for dinner and I did not provide enough food! I would say “please, let me make you something.”. Then I would immediately offer something filling and quick, e.g., charcuterie or ice cream.

It’s insanely rude for someone to eat the food provided and announce that they are still hungry. Have something after you leave. You’re not going to faint from hunger after eating a normal sized meal.

My nephew faints when he doesn’t get enough. He needs about 3x what we would consider a normal meal. He was a tight end on a D1 college team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your pantry is filled with fruit, vegetables and baking supplies, then you won't have an issue.

Skip chips, soda, juice, and cookies. Now and forever.

This x1000!

Do not buy soda, chips and dessert in advance. Run out to Safeway or Giant on Memorial Day and get it before the cook out or if you do Costco, hide it in the garage or shed.

Have water, even better if you have those large water dispensers that can infuse lemon or orange, or get a huge pack of bottled water from Costco. Let them pig out at the cook out or snack on healthy fruit and veggies. It’s rude for kids to devour a pantry before a cookout.

Chances are that their parents don’t keep soda, chips and cookies constantly stocked at their house so they go crazy at your house.

[Anonymous]

Tell them to take a delicious piece of fruit and eat it outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell them to take a delicious piece of fruit and eat it outside.

Yes, in the fresh air.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell them to take a delicious piece of fruit and eat it outside.

Hahaha. I love you!!!! I recognize this reference.

THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED