We've just got in from being away for half term, and DM has brought us a food parcel...

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

What would you put in a food parcel for 2 adults and 2 teens to tide them over til tomorrow? DM has always had a disordered relationship with food, but this is one of her "best" efforts! I appreciate the gesture - which she insisted upon - and I have enough experience of her "meals" * to have got milk, bread, ham and a few bits in on the way home. To which we can add her food parcel of:

1 bottle wine
6 pack individual Mr Kipling type apple pies
2 bags of marshmallows
1 box Christmas chocolate biscuits

Apparently we'll all be very tired (we are, very early get up for flight) and need the sugar. She genuinely thinks that this is the basis for a good, light evening meal. (And yes, she's type 2 diabetic!).

Lovely gesture however far from the mark it is.

One day when she's not here, you will miss her little food parcels and laugh about them with fondness.

It's really not worth getting upset about.

This.
But then again i'm more a savoury than a sweet food kind of person.

What a lovely gesture.

That’s not even a treat meal though. You could eat all of it and probably not even feel full, just a bit sick. It’s not going to fill up 2 adults and 2 teens until the next day.

My dm would probably offer to pay for fish and chips. She’s not a cook and not practical at all.

We don’t know she said that though?

(just saw update - sorry!)

As a side note, I wish I still had a Mother in law or even a Mother to do this for me. Appreciate her little gestures because one day she will no longer be here to do them and you'll probably wish she was.

I didn't think that @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads was cross or irked or upset or anything else like that.

I thought that she was just a bit bemused that anyone would offer a 'food parcel' to help out after a return from holiday and that those were the contents!

This.

At least the thought is there. You read about some right horrible mums on here. Least this mum tried 😓

It’s cute. Wish my mum was still alive to think of me x

Then why come on and invite people to comment?

She knows her mum has disordered eating and planned accordingly. There's no need to get a bunch of strangers to give their opinions and criticisms too.

This.

Appreciate the weird little quirks now as one day she won't be here.

How kind of her.
You sound quite spoilt and ungrateful
I don't know a lot of parents that would have done that.

You don't sound sneery, OP. That IS a weird thing to bring people as an evening meal! One of the snacky items would be fine, if paired with actual simple food, but sweet treats and wine do not make a meal for most people.

I find the mental gymnastics that many posters adopt in order to judge an OP highly entertaining.

But OP knows that her mum has issues with food and has a habit of doing things like this. She doesn't need a bunch of strangers to confirm that it's unusual and tell her how "weird" it is.

I read it more as a slightly amused bit of chat. People share all sorts of things on here. People are weird. Beloved family members are weird, sometimes. It's not sneery to write a lighthearted 'oh, mum!' post about quirky behaviour. I wouldn't write about half of the things people share on here, but if everyone on MN did as I do, there'd be very little content.

Was it really 'a parcel'??

Or a carrier bag from the co-op kind of thing?

She could have picked you up some fish fingers and bread at least..

Yup

I think that’s really nice.

As you say, you wouldn’t be relying on a food parcel for milk/bread/essentials etc post holiday so anything in it would be an “added extra” so why not a treat?

And you can now give us the back story but I wouldn’t automatically see a gift of sugary treats as a sign of disordered eating in the giver.

It's a very kind thing to do

I honestly think that's such a sweet gesture.
Taking someone a food parcel really is such a lovely thought, I would feel so touched if someone ever did that for me 🥹.

Wine and snacks and order yourself a takeway. Sounds like a lovely evening!

If I was making someone a basket it'd probably be something along the lines of...

Milk, bread, banana, apples and a Chilled pizza with some goodies.

You are so lucky op, how lovely! I am sure the dc enjoyed them.