She can’t even get her 10 year old to eat the dinner. You think she’s going to get him to cook a full meal for a family of 4? Have you lost your mind? OP, I’m with you. I would really like to cancel this whole dinner thing. My kids go to sleepaway camp for a few weeks and it is so much easier. I barely need to grocery shop or do dishes. No complaining. I have one kid who really will eat and the other one is a giant pain in the butt. He’s not even a picky eater, just impossible! |
There are some behaviors that most kids do grow out of but I don't think constant complaining and fighting over meals are some of them. Teach them what you find acceptable and have consequences when they don't comply. |
| Omg it’s the brazen nonchalance with which they say it too. I literally prepare the food, set every single thing I know they will ask about on the table (salt, “water in the angel bottle”, the special fork, ketchup), finally sit my exhausted a** at the table and just as I am about to take a bite….”can I have a waffle with fried ham instead?” |
So say no. What's the big deal? "No, this is what's for dinner tonight." |
I was right there with you till the end, cause dang, a waffle with fried ham sounds totally delish right now, can’t blame a kid for asking; I want that too! |
"No. If you don't like it don't eat it" No more discussion. They can fend for themselves or not eat. They will not starve. I say this as a mom of an EXTREMELY picky teenager. She's 18 now so I don't bother making her dinner. I make what I want and if she doesn't want it she's on her own. My 13 year old will choke down a few bites even if he hates it. Then he gets something he wants. You need to nip this in the bud or it will never end. |
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My nanny feeds the kids (9, 7, 4) Monday through Friday. I could never cook 7 meals per week. They would eat cereal most nights if it was up to me to cook. I hate cooking.
We will keep our nanny as long as possible because of dinner. We pay her 5.5 hours a day to work 3 and it’s so worth it |
| Discipline them |
| NP. My mom turned me loose to feed myself when I was in high school and my diet was absolute garbage. All carbs, 50 percent of my diet was from soda, and I ate no vegetables. I was an athlete but I always struggled with fatigue and soreness and found out later ai was very anemic. Not letting my kids do that to themselves while they are still developing! |
| This is one reason why fast food is so popular. |
Same here. My SAHM declared she was done cooking for us and I ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast, Maruchan ramen for lunch and egg on toast for dinner probably for my entire adolescence. I ended up anemic as well! |
lol! |
That DOES sound delicious...
I would say sure but you have to cook it. Done. |
We also have a nanny, but DH loves cooking. So the nanny has the kids setting the dinner table and preps dinner (the salad, marinating meat, chopping veg, etc.) and then DH finishes work and cooks dinner. But we go out twice a week and I cook one night a week so he's only cooking four dinners each week. |
So you never eat dinner together as a family during the week? |