My dad wanted to. I don't think smells bothered him much, but I'm not sure. |
| I definfitely didn’t make breakfast for my kids most days. I did when they were small but by middle school, they were capable of grabbing cereal, yogurt and fruit, making scrambled eggs, etc. As long as there is some food in his house, this shouldn’t be a big deal. As for dinner, I’ve always cooked one dinner. Eat it or don’t. Or eat just the parts you like. As my kids hit HS, they could heat up something from the freezer, make a simple meal or get take out. This doesn’t seem like the hill to die on considering all of them co-parenting issues that exist. |
I know you have to justify being a SAHM somehow. I'm happy for you. I provide all of the food and love my child needs without making him a total moron at 17. |
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The funny thing is books for picky toddlers literally tell you not to offer alternative meals and just serve what mom and dad are eating.
But somehow when the kids are 17 we're supposed to be catering? |
You're thinking like an adult who already has the skills of self care, not like someone who is in the process of developing those skills. Being denied the chance to develop and exercise those skills is precisely infantilizing. It's possible (I hope not) that you've so successfully infantilized them that they don't realize what you're doing. Hopefully, they're just playing along with your game, but what you're emphatically NOT doing is helping them. It may feel like an act of love, but it's actually profoundly selfish. |
But making every meal for them is. |
I'm going to add that I'm sure this is hard to hear, but you have a chance to hear it and become a better parent. If you choose not to do that, it's probably because you love your vision of yourself as a "helper" more than you love your kids. A lot of moms are like that, but they don't have to be. |
This kind of parenting is the actual problem. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with making a hot breakfast some mornings but you have created the expectation that you’re running a restaurant and she is not capable. Real life is not like this. A 16 yo is absolutely capable of making all of these things for herself. My son knew how to prepare that entire menu in middle school. He and my other kids were able to make a healthy entree with a veggie by HS. I’m actually a SAHP and I often cook but I felt it was an essential life skill. |
It’s not that big of a deal. They’re learning how to cook and just prefer that I make their meals. I don’t really see the issue. My parents didn’t teach me to cook. I figured it out on my own right before I had kids. Before that, I didn’t see much need to learn and mostly lived off crackers, sandwiches, fries, and pizza, because I didn’t like eating a lot. It all worked out fine. |
But most white Americans don't. So, it is very true. You eating a ton of fish doesn't negate what I stated. |
So, I guess OP will have to expect her kid to mostly live off crackers, sandwiches, fries, and pizza when her DD is off on her own. I don't want my kids to only eat those things when they are off on their own, so we taught them how to cook before they left home. |
So why does that mean it's unreasonable for her Dad to eat fish? Also, have you been to a sushi restaurant recently? It's a ton of white people. |
the most seafood Americans eat is shrimp, and canned tuna. |
? yet all those non white people (Africans, Hispanic, Asians) seem to be buying a lot of fish. Also, fish is less expensive than beef, and better for you. |
You know you can look this stuff up, right? This doesn't show Americans eating mostly canned seafood. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=108936 |