Mumsnet Talk

Typical 15yr old, obsessed with computer games. Gets up and immediately goes on pc (during weekends and holidays - has tried this on school mornings and had short shrift).

When I'm working I leave before he's up, it's obvious to me that he's not had breakfast or lunch when I get home. He says he's not hungry, but I suspect he eats his selection box chocolate whilst at the pc.

I don't mind him being on the pc, he's out of trouble and I know where he is etc, but I'm getting fed up with him not eating!

Let him starve, I have one - it bugs the hell out of me that he wont even make a sandwich or a piece of toast.

I had one of these. I'm afraid in the end I left him to it. It really really pissed me off that he was so lazy. He would always eat if I cooked it, but left to himself he didn't bother. So he ended up not bothering. He's 19 and at uni now, so obviously it didn't affect him too much.

let him starve.

Hide the selection box chocs too! <mean mum>

I agree. Let him starve. If he is anything like my DS once he's realised he's hungry he will get up and make himself something. My DS 14 usually manages beans on toast and if not does it matter? They know they will eat later during the day probably made by you!

orange that's it exactly! He will eat if I cook it for him, but if I don't then he just doesn't bother!

How the hell can they be THAT lazy??

Ha ha! Get him a girlfriend

When I was 17, I went to see my boyfriend. Arrived at about 2.30pm or so, so well past lunch time. His mum came home at about 4.30pm and he went a bit loopy at her about how late she was for making his lunch! I stood ther like this

I have never let him forget it. Seventeen and waiting for your mum to come home and make your lunch

It pisses me right off tbh, a lumping 6 footer who will go without so much as a piece of toast!

Fruit bowl in his room? At least then he can grab something if he is hungry......you will however find apple cores and banana peel on the floor next to the xbox.

Fruit? FRUIT??

Not a hope in hell he'd eat fruit

God, they do my head in!

Unless you're making lunch for everyone, let him starve.

His problem.

And I wouldn't be letting him spend all day non the computer either. But I a hard line.

I also can't type.

Yep, when I'm here, he's turfed off it. I work p/t, so don't mind him being on it then as it's only a few hours x3 days

I'm afraid there is someone in my family who will do this - yes DH I mean you .

I absolutely refuse to make food for him if I have been out somewhere at a mealtime and he has been to lazy to make something for himself. I'm sure his mum would have immediately made him a sandwich as soon as she got in so the poor lazy sod mite didn't starve.

Agree with Seeker (not for the first time ), I would let him starve but not rush to cook him a meal when I returned. He should be making an effort to cook you something if you are out all day ...... he may well turn into the sort of useless husband that you hear about on the relationship threads.

I let them starve. Think a lot of teens go through similar regardless of gender. I come home, notice they haven't eaten. I remind them when I am not in, no-one is magically going to appear. Even when I am in no-one will magically appear and make them lunch.

I continue doing what I am doing and at some point I will eventually make dinner. That is, if it is my turn to make dinner. I am mean and I get them making dinner as well, so I know they are more than capable of making a simple lunch.

I buy my lot a few jars of pasta sauce and they know how to boil a pan of water and cook some pasta.Up to them if they get round to doing it though.
I also bung a few frozen french bread pizzas in the trolley so they can do those. To be honest leave him sort his food out as he will eat if hungry.

My DP still does this at the grand old age of 37 so please just leave him to starve and hopefully he will learn.

I don't understand why you think you need to 'do' anything?!

He'll eat if he's hungry or he'll wait until something is cooked for him later <shrug>

I'm glad I'm not the only one with one of these

11p packets of noodles. Cheap pizzas. Sliced bread and sliced ham. About a box of cereal/2 pints milk per day. And (yes! ) fruit - but only apples and bananas.

He can usually get it together to feed himself all some of that while I'm out. If he can't be bothered, that's his problem.

Oh, actually, I do him a disservice: he will also fry bacon/sausages/eggs for a butty, and open/heat tins of beans.

He is 17.9 and 6'1" or 6'2" though, so I think if he didn't eat constantly all day long, he'd probably fade away and die before I got home from work.

Can't see what the problem is, myself. If he is too idle to get himself lunch then let him starve (his selection box will eventually run out). If he gets hungry enough he'll make himself something. I'm with Chipping.