I hate making dinner

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Does anyone else hate it? Prior to having kids I enjoyed it but now it feels like daily drudgery. I think it's because everyone has specific dietary requirements so no meal is exactly how I'd like to serve it – so lots of deconstructed dinners. Sauces separate; veg all cut up separately with no dressing; hubby doesn't like dairy much; I love cheese; plain food for kids; even though they are almost teens. In fact the kids would be happy with fish fingers, pizza, bolognese and hot dogs on rotation forever… Urgh. It's almost time again!

Me, too!

I'm thinking of just making a 2-week menu and rotating it so I don't have to think about it anymore.

Yes, me too.

DC are out with friends tonight so just me and DH. I’ve just asked him if he’s ok with a can of soup…

Good idea… It's boring isn't it but at least then everyone knows where they stand! 😂

Oh yes,I feel the same. I've lost all interest and cooking and there have been some very easy meals prepared lately.

I'm lucky DH until fussy and is happy to eat what's made or make his own.

Sorry about typos!!

I'm a single parent with an 8 month old. I cook everything for her from scratch (no shade to those who don't it's just my preference) and yes sometimes I really just CBA to do it. I know it's only going to get worse too! 😩

I make a weekly menu on a Sunday evening and we take turns cooking through the week so it's always one of our nights off.

We both work full time and really enjoy doing it this way.

🤣
Wait till you've been doing it 18 years, you'll have justeat on speed dial

God me too. I'm tired of it being my responsibility choosing what to eat every night. It's so boring
I might go on strike!!

Yep, absolutely the dullest duty on earth.

Tried doing the rolling plan thing and it’s okay if slightly annoying having to make sure you have all the ingredients you need for that day’s meal. And you still have to do all the thinking about making everything.

whispers - I am currently on a cheapo trial of Gousto and, don’t faint, but I’m quite liking it. I will probably get fed up, but four weeks in, I think I’m going to stick with it.

Hubby works from home too but he works FT, I am PT. Although he does like cooking; he's just a LOT busier than me… hence me being on Mumsnet. Will see if he'll do 2 weekday meals to ease the boredom

Hate it !!! No one in my house likes the same thing so I cook different meals , one week they like something and the next they don’t …couldn’t do a week rotation thing because that would just kill me inside to not have any variety/spontaneity…no one is ever grateful …I always say if I win the lottery the first thing I’m getting in a chef !!!!!!

Yes. I do a lot of cheat stuff like frozen chopped garlic/chilli/etc to make it easier and the kids eat a lot of microwaved veg.

There are 5 of us, 2 adults, 13yo and two tiny ones and we end up cooking 4 separate dinners most nights - the three of us do our own thing and the toddlers get something crap. Sometimes DS1 will make something the younger two can have as well and sometimes me or DH will make something for the whole family but not as often as we should, TBH.

My kids arent too bad but I really struggle to have the motivation to cook when DH is away from home. Those days we have really boring plain meals.

Saying that, DH is home tonight but I am cooking 2 separate lots of chicken (some flavoured and some plain) just to be on the safe side.

Yes and yes... Loved cooking and trying out new recipes before DC.. Now it's just more drudgery..

I think it's the fact that it has to happen.. Before DC if I didn't fancy cooking, could just eat crap and/or get a takeaway, eat later etc.. But DC are 4 and 6 so has to be a certain time, don't really have takeaways with them yet.

I don't particularly enjoy cooking and when kids were younger it did seem like a never ending cho, especially during the holidays. Now just me and my teenage daughter at home and I do rely quite a bit on partially prepared meals (like buying chicken kievs or lamb shanks ready to put in the oven).

I am so fed up, I think because the weather isn’t great either we haven’t been mixing it up with more ‘summer’ meals.

I told the DC today if they didn’t pick something it would be cereal as I’m so fed up of meal planning. So we are having bacon rolls 😁

normally try and do Gusto but we are away for the holidays on Saturday so running down the fridge/freezer.

DH works away Monday-Friday so can’t even share responsibility.

I did this! Didn’t always stick to it but it was there in case I needed it. Recommend!

Yes, 22 years of churning out daily meals here. I've absolutely had it. I refuse to make anything special for anyone. I just make the one meal and people leave the bits they prefer not to eat. No fussy eaters here, mostly clean plates thank goodness. It is soul destroying coming up with food constantly for other people. Really sick of it.

Do you have different meals each day of your 2 week rotation? 14 meals you rotate?

A nutritionist was in the paper the other day saying a sandwich can be fine for dinner.

Obviously should still aim for the best nutritional content but not to get caught up with what a dinner should look like.
Eg spinach leaves are great in sandwiches and the kids done notice as much. Put together with ham or chicken, some tomato, Mayo. Job done

Also fridge tapas. Just put lots of bits together, doesn’t have to be hot, doesn’t have to compliment each other, just look for the best nutritional combo.

Those meals take 5 mins!

Yes, good point! The fridge gets filled up and the food disappears just as quickly so don't think I can do that kind of dinner tonight. Right… can't put it off any longer!

This is what I do. Except it's a one week rotation. And two of the days are just slightly different variations of pasta.

We pretty much do this. The same 10 meals roughly, buy the same stuff each shop, makes it easier.
DH cooks 4 nights a week and I do 3. He only has 4 meals he cooks from scratch (sausage casserole, chicken curry, bolognese and chili) and the rest he does 'freezer food' or something with chips (home cooked, deep fryer). Often not much veg, if any.
I try to cook more healthy things on my days to make up for it. I also aim to do a new recipe each week, I do enjoy cooking a lot more than when I was doing it 7 days a week!
DCs aren't too fussy these days though (12,14,15) so we can usually just do one meal for everyone, occasionally something different for DS2 as he's not as keen on spicy food as the rest of us.

I must smugly share that I made a potato, lentil and spinach curry this evening and everyone ate it! DS2 left the last few mouthfuls as it got too spicy, but he managed most of it. I was expecting DD to turn her nose up, but she said it was delicious. DS1 and DH did ask where the meat was, but I said I'm trying to do at least one meat free meal a week for cost and ecological reasons.

Ugh hate it. Having to cook for everyone and then I can hardly eat any of it as I constantly have to watch my weight so only have lean protein and veg or salad will start everyone else has yummy sauces / chips/ pasta dishes / jackets with butter and cheese etc.
At least half of the week I get something out of the fridge or freezer to bung in the oven and even then it’s a chore!