Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 15:08     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


I agree. This seems odd to me. If you're not going to cook more often and your kids get home anywhere from 7 - 9, be prepared for them to order food. You don't want to cook, but you expect them to if/when the leftover situation is not feasible.


Why isn’t it feasible for them to make a sandwich, grilled cheese, omelette, quesadilla, etc.? Or eat leftovers. Ordering out shouldn’t be the default in a house with food available bc they don’t want to be bothered to take 10 min to prepare something. If I don’t cook- I will always offer to put one of the above easy meals together for them as well.


It’s usually because they’re not home. They’re not leaving home and going to get food and bringing it back.

They are getting food after school between school and practice or on a Saturday after sports event.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 11:55     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


I agree. This seems odd to me. If you're not going to cook more often and your kids get home anywhere from 7 - 9, be prepared for them to order food. You don't want to cook, but you expect them to if/when the leftover situation is not feasible.


Why isn’t it feasible for them to make a sandwich, grilled cheese, omelette, quesadilla, etc.? Or eat leftovers. Ordering out shouldn’t be the default in a house with food available bc they don’t want to be bothered to take 10 min to prepare something. If I don’t cook- I will always offer to put one of the above easy meals together for them as well.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 11:41     Subject: Eating out?
0-1 per week. Your child can't make a sandwich?
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 10:47     Subject: Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I only pay for takeout if the family is having takeout and/or I am not providing some other form of dinner, and leftovers count as dinner.


So technically, I do not provide food Thursday or Friday , and then Saturday I don’t provide any of the meals.

So what would you count that as 4?

I mean, I don’t count breakfast


Is there food provided by you available to them on Thursday, Friday and Saturday?

I'm not the PP you replied to, but in my mind if I have, for example the ingredients for an omelet, toast, and fruit in the fridge, and maybe another similar choice. I consider that "providing food".

If the fridge is empty, or there is nothing that adds up to a meal or that is within the kids' capablilities, I would consider that not providing a meal.


On those days I usually eat a pb&j or cottage cheese and fruit. I go to the gym on Wed/Fri/Sat. I don’t eat after and don’t cook.

There is usually leftover food for W/Th.

We have frozen pizza, soup, sandwich, quesadilla ingredients. They make their own food or eat leftovers often but once during the week after school they usually grab something with friends, on Saturday afternoon the same.




Seems like you prioritize your own schedule and eating preferences over those of your kids. Usually leftover food for W/TH implies that sometimes there isn’t. Who wants their kids to eat frozen convenience foods or sandwiches multiple nights a week?


I just find if I cook more than three nights a week there’s so much food in the fridge that I throw out on Saturday.

Also, this is our winter schedule in the summer my son’s jobs close at dark so sometimes they don’t get home till 10 PM.

I don’t think sandwiches or quesadillas or even frozen pizza is bad for your for you?

My kids are super healthy so that’s not a concern.


I don’t cook every night either, OP. And not out of laziness- just because it becomes too much food and too many leftovers and stuff gets tossed. So leftovers need to be mostly gone before I start a fully new cooked meal. I don’t buy frozen convenience food and make my own breads, naan, and tortillas. There is always something to eat
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 10:46     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


I agree. This seems odd to me. If you're not going to cook more often and your kids get home anywhere from 7 - 9, be prepared for them to order food. You don't want to cook, but you expect them to if/when the leftover situation is not feasible.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 10:29     Subject: Eating out?
I see nothing wrong with teens managing meals for themselves a few times a week. As long as there is food to heat up or to make something from.

Really not that odd to eat leftovers from a meal.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:47     Subject: Eating out?
We get takeout for the family about once a week. I don't pay for the kids to get takeout on their own. If I'm not cooking a meal that night for whatever reason, there's always something they can cook/warm up -- eggs, stuff to make quesadillas or burritos, frozen pizza, pasta and jarred sauce, individual servings of homemade soup or chili in the freezer.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:35     Subject: Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:on the weekends if she hangs out with friends.
On Friday night, we order out-
but 1-2 a week. She babysits now, so if she wants to spend her money on door dash is okay with us, we just go to the supermarket and buy a door dash gift card with the money she has. The other day she got pupusas is her money.


I discourage Door Dash. Waste of money.


This. I door dashed last night and the fees and excess charges before tip were over $100.


Uber eats has 50% off after 8 PM and if you pick it up, there’s no fees.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:34     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


It’s gross to eat food made the night before?


Are they eating Monday leftovers on Wednesday? Then Thursday and Friday eating soup and quesadillas? Seems like lazy parenting.


OP didn’t say that. She said leftovers on Weds. That could be from Tuesdays dinner. Normalizing teens eating leftovers is a good thing. As is putting together simple meals on their own. This isn’t some hardship that they need to conquer with Chipotle


Yeah, the leftovers are usually them cutting up some of the meat from the night, previous taking some leftover rice, throwing it in a tortilla with cheese and making a burrito or quesadilla.

I don’t know how people don’t eat leftovers.

Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:33     Subject: Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I only pay for takeout if the family is having takeout and/or I am not providing some other form of dinner, and leftovers count as dinner.


So technically, I do not provide food Thursday or Friday , and then Saturday I don’t provide any of the meals.

So what would you count that as 4?

I mean, I don’t count breakfast


Is there food provided by you available to them on Thursday, Friday and Saturday?

I'm not the PP you replied to, but in my mind if I have, for example the ingredients for an omelet, toast, and fruit in the fridge, and maybe another similar choice. I consider that "providing food".

If the fridge is empty, or there is nothing that adds up to a meal or that is within the kids' capablilities, I would consider that not providing a meal.


On those days I usually eat a pb&j or cottage cheese and fruit. I go to the gym on Wed/Fri/Sat. I don’t eat after and don’t cook.

There is usually leftover food for W/Th.

We have frozen pizza, soup, sandwich, quesadilla ingredients. They make their own food or eat leftovers often but once during the week after school they usually grab something with friends, on Saturday afternoon the same.




Seems like you prioritize your own schedule and eating preferences over those of your kids. Usually leftover food for W/TH implies that sometimes there isn’t. Who wants their kids to eat frozen convenience foods or sandwiches multiple nights a week?


I just find if I cook more than three nights a week there’s so much food in the fridge that I throw out on Saturday.

Also, this is our winter schedule in the summer my son’s jobs close at dark so sometimes they don’t get home till 10 PM.

I don’t think sandwiches or quesadillas or even frozen pizza is bad for your for you?

My kids are super healthy so that’s not a concern.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:32     Subject: Eating out?
We always have food they can make even if it is frozen food like chicken breasts. My kids can heat that stuff up. No need to order expensive take out.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:31     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


It’s gross to eat food made the night before?


Are they eating Monday leftovers on Wednesday? Then Thursday and Friday eating soup and quesadillas? Seems like lazy parenting.


OP didn’t say that. She said leftovers on Weds. That could be from Tuesdays dinner. Normalizing teens eating leftovers is a good thing. As is putting together simple meals on their own. This isn’t some hardship that they need to conquer with Chipotle
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:28     Subject: Re:Eating out?
We might get carryout or go out to dinner every other week. I pay for that but I don't give my teen money if he chooses to go out with his friends. He pays with his own money.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:25     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


It’s gross to eat food made the night before?


Are they eating Monday leftovers on Wednesday? Then Thursday and Friday eating soup and quesadillas? Seems like lazy parenting.
Anonymous
Post 01/01/2026 09:22     Subject: Re:Eating out?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think it’s odd that dinner is only provided three times a week. Leftovers 50% of each week and every man for himself once seems a bit much for a family.


This is gross. No wonder your kid wants to go out.


It’s gross to eat food made the night before?