Anonymous wrote:I'm literally half way through cooking dinner and my tween comes up to me and insults all of it. Without getting into detail, she says something like "ugh, this AGAIN, yuck," etc.
My face kind of falls and then she asks if she was being rude. I say, yes, rude, but more than rude, she was being hurtful. She immediately apologized and said she didn't mean to, she should have thought before she spoke.
She's asking if I'm mad at her, and I'm telling her I'm not mad at her, but I am hurt, because cooking for a family of 5 after a long day is hard work, and it is demoralizing to have my cooking insulted. I'm proud of her for realizing it was rude and apologizing.
I think maybe the best thing to do would be to let it go, particularly because she apologized. But I literally don't want to cook dinner anymore. I turned off the stove, everything halfway cooked, and I just want to quit. I will give my other kids plain pasta (which they probably prefer) and I don't want to cook a meat / vegetable after being so demoralized. My DH is working late tonight anyway. I feel like I don't want to eat.
How bad is this? I don't want to punish her by not cooking, I just had a really bad day and I cannot bring myself to spend another 20 minutes on something that no one freaking wants or appreciates.
I think it's fine OP. It's not like you threw it at her. We all have a breaking point. I expect your child is sobered but not traumatized.
Be kind to yourself and make weeknight dinners as simple as possible. Pasta with raw veggies on the side. Make one night 'clean out the fridge night' and everyone takes their choice of leftovers or eats a sandwich.
And don't listen to the rest of DCUM. I am your one true sister kitchen Saint.