16 should be able to sort own food out??

[Freezinghot666]

16 year old is doing my head in over food. When ever he's hungry he comes into the living room . Going on and on at me . He just won't stop and it stresses me. I have told him If he's hungry to make himself something. I don't care what he does I don't restrict him in anyway.

I do cook for him when doing family meals. But if he does not want what I'm cooking or he's out. Or asleep. Unless it's the type of meal that can be reheated/saved then he has to sort himself out .

Also if he wants to eat before I'm ready to cook then also I tell him To sort himself out.

I just think at 16 he's old enough not to go on at me like he does .

The money side of it I can't do. But I still think you get my point and understand where I'm coming from.

I agree with this. Dinner might be at any random time and any random item depending on whether someone opened the packet of chicken or the packet of mince. Might be fajitas at 5pm or chilli at 8pm. Might be enough for everyone or might be just enough depending on what ingredients have already been snaffled. Dinner might be made by parents or you might have to make your own. So what if dinner was 6pm yesterday and now you’re hungry at 6pm today, go away.

It’s much much easier to have set mealtimes – it doesn’t have to be down to the nanosecond – and a basic meal plan. Then those who are capable of cooking cook for everyone, take turns to lay the table, take turns to clear and wash up. Opening the chicken and cooking one breast only for the rest of the packet to be cooked later is chaotic. If he wants to cook, have him cook dinner for all. You could even, shocking suggestion, all sit down and eat together and he might talk about something other than hunger (which I suspect is actually code for “pay me some attention but I can’t say that because I’m 16”).

My 12 year old can do her own lunch and breakfast.

my 15 year old will cook lunch for her and her sister if I’m at work.

15 year old is doing GCSE food tech so if I’m working and they have inset she makes us dinner, she can cook all kinds of dinners and puddings and teaches the younger one whilst doing it.

he could easily make a sandwich and grab a bag of crisps falling that a bowl of cereal

YANBU OP

I would tell him he knows where the kitchen is, stop whinging like a toddler and get on with it.

As for the cooking at 3am, tell him to stop doing that, make himself, fe, a pasta dish, or whatever he likes in the afternoon and he can reheat in the microwave.

It's not chaotic for ds to cook for himself if he don't want to wait till I'm ready to cook. And for me to cook for me and the others later.

We do eat together if ds does not decide to cook because he don't want to wait
There's no hope in hell of ds cooking for everyone .

Yeah I'm not so worried anything say the microwave or air fryer being used at night. Judlst not the oven /hob

Abd thank you for not complicating the whole thing. As you say he's not a small child . If you want to eat , eat I'm not stopping you 🤣

My DS can cook for himself and will do often but I still get nagged at that he's hungry and what's for dinner etc the rest of the time

My DD and DS have been using the oven and hob for years now

It becomes second nature to turn them off

Oh yes my DD 16 cooks most of her own meals. Mainly pasta dishes because she loves pasta and wants to eat when she's hungry so just cracks on

DS 17 will cook chicken, steak, pork, bacon and eggs but tends to not add any green veg just pure protein and at a push mushrooms and tomatoes. He can cook but like to be cooked for too.

I'm actually very impressed. I took my younger children out for the day. Ds did not want to come. He's made him and his boyfriend chicken stir fry . Without ringing me and demanding

You need to use your big girl voice.

Tell him "get yourself something. Look in the fridge or do a cup-a-soup. I'm not your maid, you need to be able to feed yourself "

Because you've so far raised a son who thinks it's for the women in his life to make him a sandwich! Your daughter in law will love you if you can train him to be self sufficient. As it stands right now,...she will resent you.

For what it's worth, at 16 I could cook pretty much everything that my parents could cook. Including a full Sunday roast. But my dad was a chef. Maybe your new year resolution could be to teach your son some cooking skills. Omelette, pasta, etc.
It's sad that he can't fend for himself at his age.