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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Teenage food

88 replies

MoreCoffee52 · 16/07/2024 19:18

Im trying to loose a lot of Weight. Im Half Way. Lost 16 kiloes since Christmas 🥳
But I have 16 to go. I'm alone with teenage daughter and she is not impressed with the daily menue - I eat a lot of vegetables, as in oven baked red beets, carrots, onion, haricot verte, peas, whatever greens. Steak or grilled chicken- and for her, potatoes, feta and bearnaise. (Example but usually varied as this)
She want a lot more pasta. Cream. Cheese.
And I happily buy and point out she is welcome to cook all she wants.
She, on the other hand, think it is my responsibility as a parent to cook for her taste and she is not to be "left to fend for herself ".
Who is wrong? As it is, she eat frozen pizza, chips or pay for take away while feeling very neglected . She is 16.

OP posts:
S0livagant · 16/07/2024 19:31

MoreCoffee52 · 16/07/2024 19:27

Under no circumstance will she join me cooking. At all. Parental responsibility she say

Mine have no interest in actual cooking but are happy to be kitchenhands. Well they've never had a choice or known different since they were young. They'll cook themselves pesto pasta or similar!

RookieMa · 16/07/2024 19:31

Just cook a load of pasta and put them in tubs in the fridge so she can warm them up with whatever sauce she wants

I'd do this for DD

DD always cooks pasta for herself

She loves it

And will make it at whatever time she's hungry

PixieLaLar · 16/07/2024 19:30

Sounds like she needs to grow up then and start learning to cook.

Shes 16 not 6. In 2 years she will be an adult.

Solocup · 16/07/2024 19:28

You sound very reasonable. You’re providing excellent meals and allowing her to cook. I vote you stick to your guns.
Mine are 14 - they can plan, by ingredients for and cook for the family and bake a cake too, they frequently fend for themselves or do dinner for us all when we’re home late or I can’t be arsed to cook. They were probably cooking decent full meals when they were 12

Anonym00se · 16/07/2024 19:28

She doesn’t have to fend for herself, she could eat the healthy food that you eat. But she chooses not to, so she can sort herself out!

RookieMa · 16/07/2024 19:28

Mine had to cook for themselves out of necessity because I'd come home late from work

They had no choice

RookieMa · 16/07/2024 19:27

My DD has a friend whos MUM never ever cooks for her

DD, her friends and us the parents all see this as sad and neglectful

MoreCoffee52 · 16/07/2024 19:27

Under no circumstance will she join me cooking. At all. Parental responsibility she say

OP posts:
RookieMa · 16/07/2024 19:26

My teen DC do cook for themselves at times and have done for a while

But yes as they regularly point out I am their mum and they'd like me to cook for them too

My DD has a friend who never ever cooks for her and DD, her friends and us the parents all see this as sad and neglectful

Octavia64 · 16/07/2024 19:23

I spent some time teaching mine to cook.

Sold it as a valuable life skill.

Sandcastles24 · 16/07/2024 19:22

I am tied on this. Yes she should be able to cook but I was a teenager who had to "fend for herself". It is kind of depressing and lonely. It is much nicer to eat and talk together.
Could you cook together and spend some time together

Titsywoo · 16/07/2024 19:21

Learning how to cook is also an important skill. Help her learn if it makes you feel better.

Titsywoo · 16/07/2024 19:20

My kids were cooking for themselves from 13ish. She can have what you are making for yourself or cook for her IMO!