How to stop other travellers eat your food supplies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every time we’ve ever gone on a vacation like this, everyone brings waaaay too much food and we end up giving it away to the cleaning staff or neighbors. Our last camping trip every family brought their own s’more supplies and it was so overkill that we had tons of leftover graham crackers and chocolate.

I’m so perplexed by OP and her friend group.

Me too!

[Anonymous]

So, OP knows some of the families but not all. There is between 10-15 people. She does not want to cook for other families. Individual cabins were all booked so she is stuck sharing a house with them. She does not want to coordinate with the other families. She does not want to redirect the greedy rude kids to their own parents.
Solution:
NO BACON
Boxed cereal - after pouring it in the bowls for just your family, put the box in a plastic bin (preferably lockable and not translucent so the greedy kids can’t see what’s inside)
The others should get the hint when you do this. If they ask for any, just say it’s been put away for the day.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like these kids have more boring options and their parents are too distracted "relaxing" to care about getting them fed at a reasonable time before they start scrounging. I get that you don't want to be the default cook/food provider for the whole camp. I see a few options:

a. Set up a spreadsheet/sign up for EVERY meal. Divide meals by family (if there are nine meals, each family picks 3 to provide for the whole camp).

b. Declare, "History has proven that we're the early risers and breakfast aficionados. How about if we prepare breakfast for the camp each morning, and your two families can split up the lunches for all. We'll continue with our usual dinner plan."

c. Bring something boring for breakfasts: 1 box of cereal per day. After you've served your kids, if other kids want some of the cereal, who cares? Let them finish off today's box and open a new one tomorrow. If you want to have one fun breakfast, do it and plan to make it for all. Even announce, "On Sunday, we'll be making our famous pancakes and bacon. All are welcome to enjoy!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best. Thread. Ever!

+1
The highlight was definitely the bizarre "occasionally drink an artisanal root beer" defense

This thread is somehow 25 pages long. Yesterday, it was 2 pages, and I thought the conversation was over after a few people posted "Either bring extra or tell the kids no or stop vacationing with others."

Can someone give me the highlight reel? I'm curious about the root beer but don't want to scan 25 pages...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like these kids have more boring options and their parents are too distracted "relaxing" to care about getting them fed at a reasonable time before they start scrounging. I get that you don't want to be the default cook/food provider for the whole camp. I see a few options:

a. Set up a spreadsheet/sign up for EVERY meal. Divide meals by family (if there are nine meals, each family picks 3 to provide for the whole camp).

b. Declare, "History has proven that we're the early risers and breakfast aficionados. How about if we prepare breakfast for the camp each morning, and your two families can split up the lunches for all. We'll continue with our usual dinner plan."

c. Bring something boring for breakfasts: 1 box of cereal per day. After you've served your kids, if other kids want some of the cereal, who cares? Let them finish off today's box and open a new one tomorrow. If you want to have one fun breakfast, do it and plan to make it for all. Even announce, "On Sunday, we'll be making our famous pancakes and bacon. All are welcome to enjoy!"

According to OP, kids have already eaten with their own family, they are just greedy rude pigs.
I like the idea of one box of cereal per day! OP won’t because she shouldn’t have to bring any extra. Hauling two extra boxes of cereal is too much effort and she shouldn’t have to.

[Anonymous]

OP enjoys hiking, correct? If I were an extremely stingy person who enjoys the outdoors, I would pack a simple breakfast for my family, like yogurt and peanut butter sandwiches or protein bars, coffee and water, and I would hike to a scenic spot and have a picnic breakfast. If hungry “Johny” follows along, OP could throw a handful of scraps on the forest floor. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best. Thread. Ever!

+1
The highlight was definitely the bizarre "occasionally drink an artisanal root beer" defense

This thread is somehow 25 pages long. Yesterday, it was 2 pages, and I thought the conversation was over after a few people posted "Either bring extra or tell the kids no or stop vacationing with others."

Can someone give me the highlight reel? I'm curious about the root beer but don't want to scan 25 pages...

OP flip flops on whether she has vacationed with these people or not. Then she says it’s a mix of new people and old people.
She is adamant it’s not about money, but she doesn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen the entire trip. For some reason cooking extra bacon means you’re stuck in the kitchen for hours on end. She also thinks it’s only stay at home moms that I want to do communal cooking. She thinks moms who cook for a big group When it’s not a holiday are just being subservient to the men. No solution offered works. There were many.
The other families‘ kids are greedy and rude to ask for part of their food. Pigs in fact.
She is ultra health conscious and would never have doughnuts at breakfast. People who do - even if just splurging when on vacation- are setting their kids Up for life long obesity and diabetes.
OP just wants to hike and swim. Bringing extra cereal is too hard and she shouldn’t have to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it the type of thing where you’re making omelets for your kids and other families brought Cheerios?

If it’s something like that, you need to bring similar foods. There’s no way around it. If the other kids see a mom cooking something that smells good they’re going to ask for some.

The only way to avoid this is to bring things already in single serving containers: For example, mason jars with overnight oats, etc. But really, just work out meals with the other families.

I'm guessing it's more like OP brought Captain Crunch, Poptarts and donuts.

Doesn't sound like the kids are asking for something OP is cooking -- it sounds like the kids helped themselves.

Yes the kids who have the super health food parents are like locus when they encounter good food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it the type of thing where you’re making omelets for your kids and other families brought Cheerios?

If it’s something like that, you need to bring similar foods. There’s no way around it. If the other kids see a mom cooking something that smells good they’re going to ask for some.

The only way to avoid this is to bring things already in single serving containers: For example, mason jars with overnight oats, etc. But really, just work out meals with the other families.

I'm guessing it's more like OP brought Captain Crunch, Poptarts and donuts.

Doesn't sound like the kids are asking for something OP is cooking -- it sounds like the kids helped themselves.

Yes the kids who have the super health food parents are like locus when they encounter good food.

I always was. We had boring, nutritious food and I would have been looking at OP's sweet cereal and bacon with puppydog eyes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it the type of thing where you’re making omelets for your kids and other families brought Cheerios?

If it’s something like that, you need to bring similar foods. There’s no way around it. If the other kids see a mom cooking something that smells good they’re going to ask for some.

The only way to avoid this is to bring things already in single serving containers: For example, mason jars with overnight oats, etc. But really, just work out meals with the other families.

I'm guessing it's more like OP brought Captain Crunch, Poptarts and donuts.

Doesn't sound like the kids are asking for something OP is cooking -- it sounds like the kids helped themselves.

Yes the kids who have the super health food parents are like locus when they encounter good food.

I always was. We had boring, nutritious food and I would have been looking at OP's sweet cereal and bacon with puppydog eyes.

DH and I both grew up in households with bland food. I love food as do my kids. We love flavorful food. Luckily we are naturally thin people. I eat whatever I want and still weigh 120 pounds. My kids have always hovered around 20th percentile in weight. We eat dessert every night after dinner. I love hosting people. I love feeding people. I love being fed. We have a lot of friends and our social lives are full.

During this pandemic, we have not hosted. We have gone to a beach house with a friend. The food sharing was a non issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Best. Thread. Ever!

+1
The highlight was definitely the bizarre "occasionally drink an artisanal root beer" defense

This thread is somehow 25 pages long. Yesterday, it was 2 pages, and I thought the conversation was over after a few people posted "Either bring extra or tell the kids no or stop vacationing with others."

Can someone give me the highlight reel? I'm curious about the root beer but don't want to scan 25 pages...

OP flip flops on whether she has vacationed with these people or not. Then she says it’s a mix of new people and old people.
She is adamant it’s not about money, but she doesn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen the entire trip. For some reason cooking extra bacon means you’re stuck in the kitchen for hours on end. She also thinks it’s only stay at home moms that I want to do communal cooking. She thinks moms who cook for a big group When it’s not a holiday are just being subservient to the men. No solution offered works. There were many.
The other families‘ kids are greedy and rude to ask for part of their food. Pigs in fact.
She is ultra health conscious and would never have doughnuts at breakfast. People who do - even if just splurging when on vacation- are setting their kids Up for life long obesity and diabetes.
OP just wants to hike and swim. Bringing extra cereal is too hard and she shouldn’t have to.

Ah got it. Classic ask-for-help-and-then-reject-every-suggestion thread.

[Anonymous]

I imagine OP is one of those people that counts grapes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You people are ridiculous and being unnecessarily mean to OP. Your kids are probably the ones who would beg for other people's food because they have no home training.

OP, can you just talk with the other adults before you go? Mention what happened last time, and that you'd like to avoid a repeat of that. IF you all insist on not sharing for breakfast and lunch, they need to prepare their children, and you should be prepared to say no to greedy requests. I would call out there parents every time. "Oh Karen, it looks like Larla is hungry, what did you all bring for breakfast today?"

An easier solution might be to do more coordinating with the other families so that everyone can share and you dont have this problem. That doesn't have to mean you do all the cooking, just handle 1 meal each day. If you have the type of friends who let their kids eat all your food, didnt bring any extra themselves, and would sit back and watch you cook all trip, they suck and you shouldn't travel with them.

Do you bring your own food to a party, pp? Because sharing a vacation home is sorta like that: communal fun.

Question: how do multiple families cook meals separately when sharing a kitchen? Presumably only one person can use the stove at a time. So I’m supposed to wait 20 mins for you to finish with the stove?

Ridiculous.

This is the problem I can't get my head around. There are going to be three separate bacon cooking sessions? Hard to go hiking if breakfast takes all day to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I don’t get why OP is being so petty about a few foods. We bring some cereal, bread, eggs, cold cuts. So do other families. Food has never been an issue in any trip we have taken.

But, OP brought bacon. That's the problem. Who doesn't smell bacon and not want some?

NP, but I would be mortified if my kids were these entitled beggars.

Yes, contrary to popular belief, people -- and even children -- can smell "yummy" bacon and not beg for other people's food. It's called manners. Their parents suck at parenting.

Perhaps those kids weren’t told that some of the food cooked during the trip would be off limits to them. Just a stab in the dark here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to coordinate grocery shopping better. Not "every family for themselves" but Family 1 brings 5 boxes of cereal and 24 eggs. Family 2 brings 4 loaves of bread and 4 lbs of turkey. Etc.

This. Everyone chips in, makes a communal list, and the groceries are for everyone. When the Froot Loops run out, there's toast. If you're not flexible enough to go with the flow, this kind of vacationing is not for you.