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Original poster

Saw this on the way out of swimming lessons earlier...

143 replies

SleepWarrior · 07/01/2019 22:31

The front entrance to the leisure centre has a few tables with school-type chairs which are usually being used by children to do homework while their siblings swim.

Today as we were leaving there was a mum serving up steaming spaghetti and meatballs out of a giant glass dish onto proper dinner plates with proper cutlery laid out around the plates. Her two very embarrassed looking children (about 10/11yo) were talking in those cross hissy whispers through gritted teeth "that's enough mum", and she was all "no, no don't be silly, you need more meatballs. Here." while she dished up with proper pasta serving spoons.

Spaghetti and meatballs at the swimming pool! Made my day! I normally hate the faff and palaver of swimming day, but this is a new day and time for me so now I can look forward to seeing if she's there each Monday, and find out what's for dinner Grin

OP posts:
Isitme13 · 08/01/2019 10:54

I’ve been that mother, sometimes with real plates and cutlery, sometimes plastic.

But i’ve done years of food in flasks, dishes, whatever, you name it.

There are several foods you can put in a flask (pasta, curry, risotto, soup, I’ve even put sausages/potatoes/veg or salmon/potatoes/veg), and proper plates/bowls make it easier to eat without spillage.

It just necessity - hanging around at endless lessons and activities doesn’t mean I want my dc eating sandwiches every day, and dietary restrictions and allergies meant that cafés usually weren’t an option.

Agree with a previous poster - it’s not the mum making her children embarrassed, it’s everyone gawping, smirking, and possibly commenting (at the time, or potentially later as another poster pointed out - eg being made fun of at school - for what? Eating a decent meal?!)

thegreatbeyond · 08/01/2019 10:57

Yeah, the photo thing is pretty off. Don't do stuff like that.

This wouldn't really be on my radar - super common in the Med and Latin America. Also, she might not have lots of money for café food or takeaways.

JustSomebodyThatIUsedToKnow · 08/01/2019 13:01

Oh god, I used to feed my younger dc bolognaise in thermos flasks (proper cutlery but no plates - a yoghurt for pudding...) once a week in a sports centre café while older child did a (lengthy, 5pm - 6pm) activity. Had never considered it remarkable until now Blush. It did take some pre planning but otherwise I’d have arrived home at 6.30 with exhausted children to feed. If we’re in this situation again I’ll make them eat in the car!!

DarkDarkNight · 08/01/2019 13:24

JustSomebody that sounds fine, it’s just the proper plates that would strike me as odd.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 08/01/2019 13:35

I didn't read it as faux, didn't think OP was being disingenuous or bitchy either, nor are the comments from other posters actually. It's just something that you don't see every day perhaps.

I'd never be that organised - and that is not any kind of boast, it's a cold, hard fact.

ReaganSomerset · 08/01/2019 13:36

Maybe she is plastic-free and thinks that paper plates either are wasteful or wouldn't last against the sauce plus proper cutlery.

TheBhagwan · 08/01/2019 13:42

I’m hardly a brave nonconformist. My kids go to a private prep in west London and there are definitely strong social norms around how to dress, what car to drive, where to go on holiday, that sort of thing. It is a bubble in many ways. But I honestly can’t understand worrying that much about fitting in that it would extend to something like how you feed your kids at the pool. It feels to me like that would not be an easy way to live. To be fair I am an expat so I do miss certain cues but I really don’t think anyone would worry about taking out plates and spaghetti at the pool. There’s so much pressure on mums to do things a certain way, and yes it is people like OP who really notice these things that adds to the stress. I’m glad I live somewhere that is at least slightly more tolerant.

arranbubonicplague · 08/01/2019 13:49

In the story I told upthread about my friend and her dad who cooked/kept food warm on the car engine - she and her brother knew how much their father cared for them and was doing his very best by these thoughtful actions.

OP - if you are interested in some hot food, are you out too long for a thermal bag or thermal cooler (pre-heated) to keep the food warm enough for your needs?

macaroniandpizza · 08/01/2019 14:44

Thats genius Grin

Flowersonthewall · 08/01/2019 15:22

My kids get their pjs and onesies on after swimming saves getting the ready for bed an hour later at home! Can someone explain why it's terrible?

Original poster
SleepWarrior · 08/01/2019 15:39

Goodness, definitely no photo next week - that would be a bit unfair wouldn't it?!

OP posts:
Somersetlady · 08/01/2019 15:48

I don’t think I would ever do this but my 2 and 4 y/I love a picnic any place anywhere! We have been known to wrap up warm and eat spaghetti Bol on a table in the tree house in December!

WindyWednesday · 08/01/2019 15:58

Actually I think this is genius, we do swim lessons every week and I have to gear myself up for the insane rush to the pool (rural living) and back am doing prepare something in zero time when we get in.

Although if I trusted my oven if leave a jacket potato in cooking while we are out,

Namechangearoo · 08/01/2019 15:59

Oh my god, if this has been 15 years ago it would have been my mum. I was cripplingly embarrassed as a young teenager but I’ve not been left permanently scarred and I do occasionally bring it up with her now and laugh at her!

She was the worst for this on train journeys. She’d bring along a tablecloth, proper plates and cutlery, salt and pepper in a shaker and tupperwares of hot food. She’d even bring wet wipes and wipe down the plates when we weren’t finished for packing away. The shame of her doing this on a busy commuter train from Leeds to London one morning when we were going down there to stay with my aunt. I was about 12 and I remember it vividly!

Namechangearoo · 08/01/2019 16:00

*when we WERE finished

Catsandbootsandbootsandcats · 08/01/2019 16:13

My kids would be moaning that it wasn't fair and why hadn't I brought a proper dinner for them to eat. I'd then be nagged every time and reminded about the fab mother who'd brought real food for their children and not fobbed them off with a sandwich or pot noodle.

Then I'd hate the poor woman.

Or befriend her and become a CF and insist she cooks for my kids too. Grin

ParadiseLaundry · 08/01/2019 16:31

'She sat slicing cucumber for a salad at the cinema when we went to see jurassic park about 20 years ago.'

@gaggiagirl GrinGrinGrin absolutely creased at this!! Your mam is a legend!

icannotremember · 08/01/2019 16:34

Wow! I used to feel like superwoman if I had remembered to bring juice and crisps as well as clean pants and towels for everyone. Good for her.

arranbubonicplague · 08/01/2019 16:41

We have been known to wrap up warm and eat spaghetti Bol on a table in the tree house in December!

tbh, I'd be so excited about being in a tree house that I would be thrilled to eat anything - a hot meal there would leave me feeling like the Ruler of All I Survey!

She’d bring along a tablecloth, proper plates and cutlery, salt and pepper in a shaker and tupperwares of hot food. She’d even bring wet wipes and wipe down the plates when we weren’t finished for packing away.

I was on a train journey once that had a lot of WI groups sending people to a conference. There was huge rivalry as people brought out cloths, full meals, even candles (those were the days) and cloths for cleaning/wiping up and other groups commented on each other' tables.

Original poster
SleepWarrior · 08/01/2019 16:48

Tree house meal sounds utterly amazing and the dinner on the train more on par with the swimming woman i.e. hilarious and unusual but why the heck not - good on your mum namechangearoo!

OP posts:
Original poster
SleepWarrior · 08/01/2019 16:50

(Bit of a gamble taking plates on a train though - what if you don't get a table seat!?)

OP posts:
ImTakingTheEssence · 08/01/2019 17:16

I saw a man on a bus with a bag of spaghetti and what looked like cheese. It stunk to high heaven! Anyway he got the bag of spagetti and mixed it with the cheese then put it back in his bag. Grin

user1471426142 · 08/01/2019 17:18

In lots of ways it’s a shame it’s embarsssing and a bit wired as it’s probably far nicer to have a proper meal than having a soggy sandwich and a packet of crisps. I say this as someone who has become very lazy at cooking recently so If never have the time or energy to do what she’s done. It probably says more about society and our busy lives that she is the strange one and not everyone else.

arranbubonicplague · 08/01/2019 17:22

(Bit of a gamble taking plates on a train though - what if you don't get a table seat!?)

They'd clearly booked in the WI case. And, those were the days of inter-cities with what now feel like plentiful tables.

NutElla5x · 08/01/2019 17:24

Mmm homemade spaghetti and meatballs yum. I wonder if the mum was Italian, because I can imagine several of my Italian relatives doing something like this and then rinsing out the plates under the showers too lol. I think it's rather sweet,and her kids will laugh about,and maybe even appreciate this in years to come.