In laws with tiny stomachs

Indeed! 😅

Why is this relevant to anything? You just wanted to share?

The small portions are wrong but I personally can’t eat three proper meals a day, we eat brunch around 10.30/11 then dinner around 6 with perhaps a piece of cake with a drink around 1.30 or so. We eat heartily trust me, but I have my limits. I’ve never had a high metabolism hence being overweight

What could the man be expected to do but quietly conserve his energy and hope hometime came before he withered away?

And their Dad did…what?

Why are you being so cagey about this?

💯

Loving all your descriptions. My in-laws were the complete opposite. You had to roll us out of the house we were that stuffed.

To the poster who said people eat less as they get older, I wish someone would tell that to my metabolism.😁

Because it's a creative writing exercise and not a real post.

Why all the cloak and dagger? Furtively nibbling on tasty morsels like some naughty escapade?
Why would your DH not just be normal and cook for you all?

Why the guilt trip? - they are late 60s not late 80s - unless there is some underlying illness they may live another 20-30 years. Late 60s is not old as most people will be working until 67-68

Hahaha, nope. I have various friends from Italy, Spain, Greece, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Nigeria, South Africa and Mexico and they ALL feed us to absolute bursting and then some. Don’t know where you got that idea from!

Excellent reply to the nonsensical emotionally manipulative post.

@HumbleStumbleyou aren’t responding to posts about your dh role in this and why you are both happy to let your children remember a hungry Christmas. I think this thread is a wind up

Right?! I deliberately cook more than needed so I can freeze some most of the time. Or eat it the next day. I don't understand why it would be thrown out.

food waste is a real waste, can’t you freeze, use up, give to neighbours or just learn to reduce your cooking amounts?

My Dad is in his 80’s still has 3 meals a day and is partial to a couple of biscuits with a cuppa as well. His portion sizes seem average. He’s not overweight and in good health.

I hope OP (and the others struggling with problematic relatives) that when next visit comes your food needs/intake while being a host/visitor are going to be taken into consideration.

Sod under/over eating and the comments. This has to stop especially where kids are involved as it’s very damaging to them.

I had to point out to elderly relatives that kids are still growing and they need food and their food intake increases every year so toddler size meal is not going to fill them up.They were a bit put off to start with(as they had good reasoning for it).I was happy to supply extra food

It’s all about control. It’s insane.

I find it horryfing that OP’s DH let his kids go hungry in order to not to rock the boat with his parents. It’s also insulting that OP bought extra food and was denied access to it.

Grabby,rude,offensive and controlling.

I wouldn’t be shy in asking “where’s stuff I bought as we’re hungry”
Conversation is much needed about the expectations,if it doesn’t happen then I would decline further visits with clear explanation why.

Tackle your “D”H OP.

Can really relate. I love my dad and stepmum, but whenever we stay with them they constantly feel the need to stress about how little they eat, or the bad appetites of their friends or other family members. My stepmum has been watching her weight since the 70’s - everything in the house is low fat spread, low fat yoghurt, etc - and she eats tiny portions. The other week she was telling me how luckily Christmas dinner was going to be the only ‘bad meal’ they’ll have that week, and then started talking about how obscene their hosts portions always are. I find that such an incredibly sad view of food - that something like a Christmas dinner is something bad because it’s a feast and would blow up a weight watchers points system. They just cannot be relaxed around others eating and have to say things like “wow that’s a lot of food” or “blimey, can’t believe you ate all that”. Which then makes people feel self conscious. And if the portions are big, so what? They don’t have to eat everything! And my stepmum doesn’t even eat vegetables, never has, so I find her judgements on how people eat to be a bit rich in all honesty. But I would never make a point of it to her because quite frankly it’s none of my business and its so rude to comment on other peoples eating habits - live and let live. If only my parents had got the memo on that one!

Anybody in their late 60’s who “assumes” that a young healthy active family will eat the same as them is either fucking thick or just doesn’t care that their guests are hungry. Dont they remember bringing up children?

A round of applause for the normal BMI. You’re amazing! No, really, you are! Take a bow!

It seems fairly common especially when the DH won’t say anything!

That’s not a reason to starve your guests.

My Nan used to do that and it’s some of the fondest memories I have of childhood -my Nan spoiling us and my mum shaking her head and eye rolling !!
good times z

This would suck and I'd just directly speak to them about it or bring your own food for your family and they can have what they want.

However I have the opposite problem. My mother in law provides enough food to feed an army and overloads the kids on chocolate biscuits and cake and will sulk when we try to reign her in. I'm dreading tomorrow as it's just too much and she comments if I don't eat my whole portion (which for context, will be about 6 slabs of ham, a huge amount of toast potatoes, cooked carrots plus cheese plus a dessert plus biscuits, crisps etc). DH says it's normal and just to not accept things once I'm full but she sulks and says so you don't like my food? Argh?!!!

Also she overrules my decision to stop giving the boys chocolate and sweeties etc.