In-laws and their kids eat all our food

[Anonymous]

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.

You clearly do not have athletic teens. At home, I make sure there is a lot of variety and I know what specific foods they like and will keep them full. But at a family cookout, which happens what 2 or 3 times a year? Where the choices are usually burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit, soda, etc. And we are all afternoon and into the early evening. They will definitely eat three burgers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you host a Memorial Day cookout for your family. You guys grill out, and then the kids raid your pantry and fridge? Why are you allowing this? And you're obviously not used to having athletic teens. I have two; they eat way more than you think. You aren't serving nearly enough food at your Memorial Day cookout.

Your teens should learn some manners.

I'm the person you quoted. What are you talking about? My teens are borderline shy and would never open someone's pantry door or fridge.

DP

Do your teens go into your pantry at home?

How about at grandma’s”

How about at Uncle Bill’s?

My kids teens don’t behave like this at the neighbor’s or at friend’s houses, but family is family. Maybe we are just tighter knit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of toddler parents chiming in here. I have teen nephews and we literally triple what we usually make for dinner (typical household: two active adults, a preschooler and senior citizen) when they're visiting. You have to FEED these kids, and they're starving again in an hour.

It's not poor manners, it's not gluttony, it's teenagers. People advising OP to starve them out by not buying groceries ahead of time are insane. None of you know how to host a party or even guests - there shouldn't be any chance of not having enough food.

OP if you cannot afford to host this party then tell your brother it has to be at his house. But if you're going to host a bunch of people including teenagers for a party that centers around food, then don't sit around snarking about how terrible they are for having large appetites. Feed them.

Op, you should set up a food trough in the front yard so teens can go at it like cows.

That would work. My kids row crew. We essentially do this at events.
I cook 4 pounds of ground beef, 4 pounds of chicken, etc. for dinner. Rarely have left overs.

[Anonymous]

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.

You clearly do not have athletic teens. At home, I make sure there is a lot of variety and I know what specific foods they like and will keep them full. But at a family cookout, which happens what 2 or 3 times a year? Where the choices are usually burgers, hot dogs, chips, fruit, soda, etc. And we are all afternoon and into the early evening. They will definitely eat three burgers.

They will be overweight adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just don’t go grocery shopping before they get there or take what you don’t want eaten and hide it in your bedroom. Leave the old stuff that needs eaten up anyways.

This is actually a good idea

[Anonymous]

I tend to forget how WASPy this site is until a food/hosting thread. A holiday cookout is not the time to police how much your guests are eating. You're not supposed to guess how much people are going to eat and then make exactly that much food and hide the rest. It's a Memorial Day cookout, you should expect neighbors to wander over and people to tag along. You're supposed to make a huge spread of food, make sure everyone has enough, and send people home with plates. You should be thrilled if people go back for seconds and thirds. If you run out of food you figure out how to fill the gap right now and make a mental note to make much, much more of whatever went fastest next time.

I stg my DH would commit seppuku if our guests had to resort to eating cereal to fill up after he shut the grill off. The fact that this has happened in your house and you've decided the guests are the problem is bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of toddler parents chiming in here. I have teen nephews and we literally triple what we usually make for dinner (typical household: two active adults, a preschooler and senior citizen) when they're visiting. You have to FEED these kids, and they're starving again in an hour.

It's not poor manners, it's not gluttony, it's teenagers. People advising OP to starve them out by not buying groceries ahead of time are insane. None of you know how to host a party or even guests - there shouldn't be any chance of not having enough food.

OP if you cannot afford to host this party then tell your brother it has to be at his house. But if you're going to host a bunch of people including teenagers for a party that centers around food, then don't sit around snarking about how terrible they are for having large appetites. Feed them.

Op, you should set up a food trough in the front yard so teens can go at it like cows.

That would work. My kids row crew. We essentially do this at events.
I cook 4 pounds of ground beef, 4 pounds of chicken, etc. for dinner. Rarely have left overs.

Sounds good and throw some chips and potato salad into the trough. 😀👍

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

This is what happens when you host. Do not host them if you are not comfortable with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tend to forget how WASPy this site is until a food/hosting thread. A holiday cookout is not the time to police how much your guests are eating. You're not supposed to guess how much people are going to eat and then make exactly that much food and hide the rest. It's a Memorial Day cookout, you should expect neighbors to wander over and people to tag along. You're supposed to make a huge spread of food, make sure everyone has enough, and send people home with plates. You should be thrilled if people go back for seconds and thirds. If you run out of food you figure out how to fill the gap right now and make a mental note to make much, much more of whatever went fastest next time.

I stg my DH would commit seppuku if our guests had to resort to eating cereal to fill up after he shut the grill off. The fact that this has happened in your house and you've decided the guests are the problem is bizarre.

You don’t have to fill up at every meal. It is not like it is their last meal. Gheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you host a Memorial Day cookout for your family. You guys grill out, and then the kids raid your pantry and fridge? Why are you allowing this? And you're obviously not used to having athletic teens. I have two; they eat way more than you think. You aren't serving nearly enough food at your Memorial Day cookout.

Your teens should learn some manners.

I'm the person you quoted. What are you talking about? My teens are borderline shy and would never open someone's pantry door or fridge.

DP

Do your teens go into your pantry at home?

How about at grandma’s”

How about at Uncle Bill’s?

My kids teens don’t behave like this at the neighbor’s or at friend’s houses, but family is family. Maybe we are just tighter knit.

Well, it sounds like the OP doesen't want her niece and nephew raiding her kitchen because as she describes, they eat every single item of food in her home. Which, honestly, I think OP is exaggerating.

[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.

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.

Are you sure your daughter is not bulimic? That sounds concerning seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tend to forget how WASPy this site is until a food/hosting thread. A holiday cookout is not the time to police how much your guests are eating. You're not supposed to guess how much people are going to eat and then make exactly that much food and hide the rest. It's a Memorial Day cookout, you should expect neighbors to wander over and people to tag along. You're supposed to make a huge spread of food, make sure everyone has enough, and send people home with plates. You should be thrilled if people go back for seconds and thirds. If you run out of food you figure out how to fill the gap right now and make a mental note to make much, much more of whatever went fastest next time.

I stg my DH would commit seppuku if our guests had to resort to eating cereal to fill up after he shut the grill off. The fact that this has happened in your house and you've decided the guests are the problem is bizarre.

You don’t have to fill up at every meal. It is not like it is their last meal. Gheesh.

Yes, athletic teens do have to fill up at every meal. And then they will be very hungry again before the next meal. But I know the almond moms on this site projecting their own horror at the concept of satiety onto teenaged boys at a holiday cookout don't even realize how broken their brains are.

[Anonymous]

BYOBacon.

[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.

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.

I wouldn't discount bulimia.