to think that at aged 11, 15 and 17 they can make their own tea once in a while?

[freddiemisagreatshag]

Chicken goujons, oven chips and corn on the cob.

You would think I was asking them to cook some cordon bleu dinner.

I have to work. I have something that needs done. Tonight.

So, am I the only mother to ever ask her children to cook their own tea?

I used to cook a full Sunday roast every week from 13yo because I had the choice of going to church or staying at home and cooking . My mum had to write the timings down but I don't remember finding the rest of it particularly hard.

The only thing I definitely wasn't allowed to cook unsupervised was chips in our big old fashioned chip pan full of boiling oil.

Definitely doing them a favour by making them cook more often :) I hope to do this with mine so by the time they move out cooking healthy simple meals is second nature to them. That's the plan, anyway...

This reminded me of a lady I used to work with who I once overhead on the phone to her 16 (SIXTEEN!) year old daughter, talking her through, in great detail, instructions for poaching an egg. Unbelievable!

'The older ones CAN do it, they are just lazy.

They do know how to work the washing machine, and can put it on, but tbh I just do it as I go along because everyone doing their own washing means DS would put one shirt in or DD1 would put one dress in.'

Then fine them.

They're only lazy because you enable them. Then they go out and expect others to skivvy for them and will get a big shock when they realise the world is not their mother.

My 7-year-old brings the family washing downstairs and loads it up. She already knows how to sort it and how to move the temperature dial appropriately. The only thing I still help her with is pouring in washing powder and fabric conditioner. She even sprays for stains!

The 4-year-old turns it on and off.

Easier to cook them dinner? Easier not to do it all, they fend for themselves and anyone who doesn't clean up after him/herself gets fined/privileges docked.

Why make life harder for yourself?

HugeSigh - by that logic, I should have had 7 - 1 for each day of the week

Not sure the negatives would be enough to justify the positives though

my 3 year old (yes three) was learning how to do washing. he needed supervision so he did not melt eveything on a ninety wash as he had not learned consequences not put lights and darks in together... but he knew how full the machine needed to be and where to put the detergent. and how to sit and watch it go round for an hour. at 4.5 he has more or less got lights and darks now. this is

they are also being taught to cook. things like pizza bases and pizzas to start. and watching/listening to me cook.