Anyone else find cooking lonely?

[SaturdaysSunday]

Family of 4, I'm the designated cook and I find it such a chore. I've been trying to work out what is it that I dislike so much about cooking, and it's that I find it really lonely!

I'm in the kitchen alone cooking the meal, serve it up and then it gets left for however long it takes for DP and DC to make their way downstairs.

We've tried meal boxes to get other family members to contribute to cooking and it worked for a week or two then defaulted back to me.

I've designed a wondeful family space as a kitchen, dining and sofa TV area and I looked up from the oven this evening and the other side of the room was in darkness

Anyone else here in solidarity that cooking is lonely? What can I do to try and get some enjoyment out of it.

Set up a timetable and give everyone (depending on age) a day to cook. Oh and who ever cooks does the clean up too, that stops people using every pot and pan in the kitchen.

Who decided that you were the cook?

if you don’t like it stop doing it and designate it to someone else

I like to cook alone with music on.

Not coming when food is ready is annoying.

we now have a rota flexible to weekly plans as I want relaxing me time too. There are 4 adults in the house. All can cook and wash up. Since we started sharing the load, all much more enjoyable.

This reply's a whole lot better than all the suggestions for how to make it more tolerable. FGS, the woman's alone all day, she feels left out when her family gets home and disperses to other parts of the house. She's being treated like the caterer - day in, day out - and she's sad about it.

OP, don't pour yourself a glass of wine and learn a new language to take your mind off the fact that your family's using and ignoring you! Tell them they don't get fed until they take part in the food provision. Serve cereals to make the point.

Personally I do love cooking & the 'have a drunk'..lol, .yes, i know, a typo.....maybe put the ingredients out and leave them to it if that's not your thing? Plan, ask for choices, & take it in turns.....or serve tinned soup or just toast until they get the message? Although when I cook, (almost everyday) they do the washing up........🤔

Is it not possible to DP to cook on some days? My DP at first was only cooking fish fi gers and pasta. I would grin and bear it. Yesterday we prepared lunch together and he made a roast dinner last night. His cooking skills have definitely improved! DC will not help anymore as they are being teenagers but if they are hungry, they know to cook simple things. I try to avoid buying snacks though

Possibly, cooking perceived as a sociable activity because it is creative.
Vacuuming and doing the laundry I have never seen as particularly creative 😜

I still prefer to have my kitchen to myself. My DH comes in and pokes and prods things that are cooking and it drives me nuts.

The only thing that irritates me is my DH’s belief that every new recipe will be tasty/successful/simple to prepare and he seems aghast when things fail or don’t work out. I suppose in a way it is a compliment.

I can’t say I have ever had an issue getting DH or DS-Sons (or their kids nowadays) to a meal. They flock like vultures.

Podcasts - Unexplained - Richard McLean Smith is brilliant.