To ban cooking for teenage boys

@TheBestThingthatAlmostHappened

have you never heard of “skinny fat”??

Firstly, you should be proud that they know how to cook and secondly that they prefer healthy food instead of junk snacks.

FFS does anyone actually read the OP's posts? It's like fucking Chinese whispers on here these days, one person somehow conjures up a completely false scenario and then other people just blindly copy them.

The OP says that the DSs eat a lot of bacon, sausages, white pasta and protein powder. The only vaguely healthy things mentioned are the oats and bananas. If you think that knowing how to cook bacon, sausages, pasta and protein brownie things is something to celebrate in a child I think you have a very low bar.

If you're overeating, you will gain weight.

That’s rather dramatic.

they should cook for her

@TheBestThingthatAlmostHappened

your daughter might not be just eating because she can, but we can’t say the same about OP’s sons because we don’t know. You can also overeat and be greedy and not be really overweight also.

Or also maybe if everyone enjoys cooking, you could all take a different day?

Could you all maybe sit together once a week and come up with a meal plan? And air fryer is deffo a good recommendation! And maybe an instapot!

Where did it say they were healthy meals . I know teenage boys. Fried eggs burgers chips . Even the more healthy options they might choose ..... If the electricity bill is killing her budget they need to stop

If she was eating too much, she would be overweight, which she isn't. She eats a lot of steak, salmon, prawns, berries, avocados, nuts and dried fruit.

She'd be just as happy with pie, pizza and chicken nuggets but I will spend more money on food which she likes which is actually nourishing her body.

Good quality food with high nutrient content is expensive.

Given her attitude, that was going to be a given.

I disagree with lots of the replies to this. I totally get your issue and I don't think you're unreasonable to expect to be listened to in your own home and for your children to have some time consideration of costs and how their current behaviour impacts this.

I'd tell them that protein snacks must be cooked weekly in advance in batches to last the full week. They ration them and when they're gone, they're gone.

Pasta - as the weather is getting warmer, they don't need hot pasta. Again, the rule is they cook a huge load of pasta (twice a week) and keep it in the fridge, when they want it, they make pasta salad.

Cooked breakfast can all be done in the air fryer and microwave.

I'd also have to have a serious chat with all of them regarding respect and behaviour. Buying foil trays and paper plates so you stop 'moaning' sounds extremely disrespectful. I'd make it clear that if they're not going to be considerate and instead use wasteful workarounds rather than learn to clean up after themselves, then once they reach adult age, they can leave and then there's no moaning and they can live as they choose. Or they can get a job and pay their way properly, which includes a cleaner every day to clean up after them.

I'd switch the electric off at the mains after dinner. Mine's in a lockable cupboard so quite an easy fix. And if that means no TV, no gaming etc, that'll also impact them hopefully.

And just as a final point, money being right does not mean people can't /shouldn't buy organic oats or avocados or generally good food. People make choices. Money can be very tight AND you can buy nice food. The two can coexist! It's rude and judgemental and based on outdated biased skewed views

Everyone, regardless of economic status (in the UK,eg) should be able to choose good quality food without being stigmatised and made to feel guilty ir told 'money can't be that tight". Why shouldn't less well off people be able to choose to eat avocado or organic products? It's their choice. Trying to shame or question the veracity when someone says money is tight is unkind and shows complete lack of empathy.

It's absolutely bloomin' freezing where I am. Lunch has needed to be pasta or jacket potatoes just so I don't get really cold. Teenagers eat ridiculous amounts of food. It is probably saving you a fortune that they're cooking pasta rather than demanding expensive snacks.

She shouldn’t. That then leaves a bit more food for the boys

When does she get to eat then?

Look at a ninja combi 12 in 1.
Great air fryer but also you’re able to cook pasta/rice etc in it https://www.argos.co.uk/product/4014308

@Mayana1

they don’t prefer healthy. They are cooking sausages and brownies.

But she charges them for the fuel bills

You should be glad they are cooking and eating well I understand your point about leccy bills but show them ways of cooking either less intensity - lower steady heat, use the pans lids .

It sounds like you're scared of your own kids.
Make them stop.

She said she can't afford that much electricity. Nothing wrong with a healthy cold breakfast. There's plenty of choice about.

The problem is they cost her too much. She will raise a rent to the older one to cover her electricity bill. What a mother! Did she think they will always be little and not costing her so much? Why having 3 children if you then complain how much they cost you just because they're hungry?

You have 3 boys, who are all growing and appear to be fairly health conscious if they are making protein bars etc. Unfortunately, if they are hungry then they need to ieat! Are you giving big enough portions at meal times? It also seems that teenagers no longer want to eat just a sandwich, mine (girls) are always cooking pasta/omlettes/pancakes. They enjoy cooking and do tidy up after themselves. I also echo others with getting an air fryer - they can cook sausages/bacon in that.

Boys of that age are often very hungry OP and need something hot.

A bowl of pasta is cheap and filling and doesn’t use that much gas/electricity surely, especially if they eat together.

Where on earth are all the professional martyrs coming from today?

I'll tell you what kind of mother charges rent. A single mother who has sacrificed her career to bring up children on her own, ending up working a series of part time low waged jobs, who CANNOT 👏FUCKING👏AFFORD to house a working adult without some kind of contribution from him. Or similar.