Only offer one meal for the guests?

[NotInchristmasSpirit]

Hello all,

I have Changed my name for this post :)

To cut the long story short I am currently looking after a family members children whilst she is away visiting her new partner for three weeks ( I know!)

The children nearly 2 and 6 years old and I am finding meal times incredibly stressful and the " holiday " has only just started , before agreeing to look after her children I knew meal times would be difficult but not this difficult.. They have been refusing to try anything I cook and they chuck the food on the floor and scream / cry

Their mum has happily spoken about what she gives them to eat and she said the other day that on average she gives them 5 take aways a week and the rest of the time finds something out of the freezer because she isn't confident in cooking but she does feel guilty about this and wants to change. I know she loves her children to bits and would do anything for them and also I can't judge because I enjoy a good take away but I don't get it often.

But Would I be unreasonable to only offer one meal and that's it? Or should I get things I know they will eat because after all they're not my children and they need to eat?

As we don't know the back story regarding the visiting of her partner, we shouldn't really judge....I wouldn't leave my kids for 3 weeks personally but I'm not a clearly vulnerable single parent either.

The food issue bothers me but you won't fix that within this timeframe...maybe suggest some recipes for her to try? 5 takeaways probably McDonald's a week is hideous and expensive...how does she afford it?

What takeaways?
I'd at least try and emulate these, e.g. Make your own pizza, or burgers, let them help too.
My kids completely refuse certain things, but make them in nursery/school and wolf the fucking lot

I would start with freezer stuff but sneak in bits of veg, then next night change the chips to mash etc.

Hard not to judge....

They may well be upset and unsettled by being away, especially the little one. Try them with simple things that they're likely to be familiar with ( eg beans on toast, fish fingers, yoghurt). What sort of take away do they get? Would they eat chips, you could do oven chips if you don't t have a frier. You're right though, more important to feed them than to worry about how healthy the food is - that's their Mum's job not yours.

I was wondering what takeaways they have if they're fussy - they probably end up with a bit of rice of chips and not much else ... I think you should stick to what you do, give them a yoghurt/banana something after and leave them to decide when they'll give in and try something. My youngest who is now 13 is very fussy and it was my fault to an extent because I kept making stuff I knew he'd like, so he's still reluctant to change - at their ages, change should be easier and by the time she comes back, hopefully they will have adapted properly. Just unfortunate she'll probably get straight back on to the 5 takeouts

Honestly, in your position, I would just buy a box of potato waffles and some fish fingers.

Of course their diet could be better but you're not going to achieve anything while they are missing their mum for 3 weeks. You will all end up miserable.

Hi OP - just wondering what you decided to do in the end and whether you mentioned anything to their mum when she came to collect them?

The chidren especially the older one is exerting control over their life in the only way they can. How else can they express the confusion and instability that they feel?

Those poor children but it's not up to the OP to change their eating habits that's for the mum to do when she gets back and when things are chaotic food is often the first to suffer most of us are guilty of the takeaway when stressed or overwhelmed.

we don't know the story

OP try serving it as help yourself and having bread and butter etc available too that way there is no pressure