to be annoyed at my mother and MEALS

[bandstand]

she babysits a couple of days per week, says I will make a meal for the children and leave enough for you so you don't have to cook. A couple of times there has hardley been enough left, I give majority to DH and what is left, (less than dc had) to myself. i said I just give the dc more sauce as we need our food. But the children have been at school all day and you don't need feeding up! she says, looking at my stomach!

If I cook the same meal, I can make it stretch betwen the 5 of us

First of all agree that your children come first and that means if we as parents go without so be it.
I would love to have that kind of support weekly.
My mother died 14 years ago and my MIL lives away so that kind of help should'nt be unappreiciated.

This thread has made me think though.
When DH and I go to his mothers with our 2 children who are 6 and 4 they always have dinner at 8pm,the full works wine,tablecloth etc and see it very much as an adult meal no children allowed ,should be in bed etc.
They may have other family staying as well with children.
So the rule is we feed the children at 5pm.She normally gets in pasta,pesto ,hoummous, frais stuff,more snack meals really.
She also limits how much they can have and gives small portions and gets annoyed if they ask for more.
We then have a meal with top quality produce and the best bottles of wine ,does'nt seem right to me.
By the way they live in a £750,000 house and are not short of money.

We then at 8pm sit down to a proper meal meat,vegetables,salmon,salads ,cheese and wine,whatever the menu is MIL is a very good cook and quite snobbish.
I just feel guilty that we have to pack the chidren off to bed and they miss out on a proper meal at the dining table with their family,grandparents we see maybe twice a year if we make the effort.

My two children love sitting up the dining table and socialising .

Sorry bandstand to steal your thread it just struck a chord with me.

Gotme,your MIL sounds as mad and selfish as Bandstand.

Gotme, I have similar family circumstances. Except when we visit MIL we spend most of our time trying to avoid her cooking! Sainsbury's cafe is our favourite.

at OP.
I hope your mother isn't a MNetter; if she read this I think you'd be looking for another childcare provider and cook!

My mum and Mil both give my dd's hugeeee portions when ever we have a meal with either of them, there is plenty for everyone though both of them cook enough for an army!!

They have both said to me that when they serve dd's food if I am not there it never looks enough to them so they put more on I wonder if that is what your mum is doing Bandstand

If dc's are eating it then guess your plan to up the portion sizes is a good one