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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH, kids and food

53 replies

ImMissHannigan · 24/12/2017 10:06

Background: I'm at my wits end trying to feed my family. Eldest DD will and does eat most things. Middle DD changes what she will and won't eat every week. DH is intolerable. Will only eat dry food (no sauces, stews, casseroles etc). Won't eat any veggies at all (like a small child if a veggie touches his plate!). Doesn't like pasta. DSS will only eat pizza, chicken nuggets or super noodles. Or a Morrison's salad bar of tuna pasta. Can't make it, has to be in a plastic container. Baby is quite good but turns her nose up at veggies like her dad. So there are 6 of us and I have to go to the supermarket every day after pulling teeth to get an idea of what they will eat. Most days it is 2 meals. Sometimes 3 or even 4 different meals. It's time consuming and expensive to boot.
Anyway on to my AIBU. A few days ago I sat them all down and asked for ten meals they would eat and ten they would consider trying. Didn't get much but got enough to plan the meals for the next week. I didn't fancy battling through the supermarkets in the Christmas rush every day. Yesterday I was ill with food poisoning and in bed. OH comes in and says he has made a pizza for DSS. This was for Boxing Day and not just a standard pizza. It's a super large family pizza. Meant to feed the whole family, not just one child. And now leaves me a meal short and a trip to the shops. Again! Anyway I told him it was a meal for later in the week and he sent me a nasty text and then went out and replaced the pizza. All good and should end there, you would think. But no. He has declared now that he will buy and cook all his own food from now on. That he won't touch a thing that I have bought for Christmas and will take care of him and DSS meals. But all in a very PA way. Saying that I was out of order for him wanting to feed his son. I should also say that when I asked what they wanted from the supermarket I got everything he wanted and DSS was meant to be at home with his mum for tea yesterday so didn't plan for him. However his regular chicken super noodles (I hate these things and wouldn't have my kids eat them so regularly but it's OH choice) were in the cupboard as were chicken nuggets in the freezer. So why take a large 18" family pizza for one child. So now he thinks I'm the bad bastard for not letting him feed his son and is ruining Christmas with his frankly childish stance. AIBU? Should I just let him get on with his crisp butties for tea (at least 3 times a week!) and concentrate on feeding the rest of us healthy meals.

OP posts:
cansu · 24/12/2017 10:10

Leave him to it. He will soon get bored of doing all his own shopping and cooking. In fact maybe he should take over doing everyone's meals.

BusyBeez99 · 24/12/2017 10:12

Just make meals you like and they will soon eat it if hungry. I've given up pandering to DS and DH. We have what I like because I do the shop and I do the cooking

user1493413286 · 24/12/2017 10:14

Sounds a nightmare; I would have told DH he can sort out his and DSS meals ages ago and just made one meal for the rest of the family.

user1493413286 · 24/12/2017 10:15

Also making a massive pizza for one child is stupid but sounds like something my DH would do if DSD said she wanted it

RitaMills · 24/12/2017 10:22

Call his bluff, a nice cheery ‘yeah no problem dear, knock yourself out’ don’t back down and don’t pander to him. Enjoy cooking decent normal meals for the rest of the family.

Bringmewineandcake · 24/12/2017 10:28

If he’s going to be such a child then I would definitely just cook for yourself and the DDs. If he wants to eat crisp butties, fine.

LadyintheRadiator · 24/12/2017 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BarbaraofSevillle · 24/12/2017 10:30

Trouble is, he won't be eating crisp butties will he? If the pizza is anything to go by, I can see the amount spent doubling and food quality in terms of health/vegetables and general cooking effort made decreasing markedly

ijustwannadance · 24/12/2017 10:32

Leave him to it. One less headache for you.

Does he not see how his attitude and behaviour around food is being seen as acceptable and normal to his children?

CurryWorst · 24/12/2017 10:34

How could you have ever found the man child attractive?

Bambamber · 24/12/2017 10:35

Does he realised that as parents you're supposed to lead by example and his children will be picking up on what he does? That includes eating habits and acting like a petulant child

bumblingbovine49 · 24/12/2017 10:36

Blimey. I would be delighted that he is now cooking for himself (and his DS if that is his choice)

Dailystuck71 · 24/12/2017 10:40

Tell him to crack on. Don’t let it ruin Christmas for you.

gunsandbanjos · 24/12/2017 10:41

What a massive manchild, what do you see in him? He is treating you appallingly! Sending you nasty texts because he fucked up?

Baubletrouble43 · 24/12/2017 10:46

From now on your fussy DH will be looking after all meals for himself and fussy DSS? Result! Let them get on with it and you can feed the normal members of your family. NO WAY would me or dp be going to these farcical lengths over the simple process of being fed.

OnTheRise · 24/12/2017 10:48

That's great! He's taken a huge amount of work off your hands. Thank him effusively and let him do it.

Meanwhile, cook your lovely meals and enjoy them.

PourMeAGlassOfMilk · 24/12/2017 10:49

I would find this behaviour absolutely intolerable op. The picky eating and tantrums similar to those you might expect from a 3 year old would have me seriously considering what the future of the relationship would be. In the short term I would definitely be doing as you suggest and letting him get on with it. In the long term I'd be having serious conversations with OH about his attitude towards you and good.

PerfectPenquins · 24/12/2017 10:51

Ha! take him at his word and cook for the others not him and your son. Sounds like a very difficult household though regards to food I really feel for you on that.

formerbabe · 24/12/2017 10:53

I'd cook only for the children and leave the husband to it.

I can't abide fussy eating in adults and wouldn't be pandering to it.

expatinscotland · 24/12/2017 10:57

Leave him to it.

tendergreenbean · 24/12/2017 10:57

Unsolicited advice incoming!

How old are the children?

Personally (and this is coming from someone who used to be a dreadfully fussy eater), I would just cook one "family dining" style meal an evening. Put all the components separately on the table for people to help themselves (so veg doesn't have to touch anyone's plate Hmm ).
Don't stress over what people will like or what they won't eat.
You just focus on doing your job - to provide a nutritious dinner - and they can worry about how much of it they're willing to eat.
Anything they want in addition to this meal can be paid for, shopped for and prepared by them.

DSS doesn't sound like he's getting any real nutrition at all, and this needs addressing pronto. My parents made no attempts to address my fussy eating, and my adult life has been plagued with a plethora of health conditions that have been caused by childhood malnutrition and eating a diet very similar to your DSS. I would barely eat anything, only dry food: chips, toast, maybe cheese on toast on a good day. When I went to boarding school at 16 and was made to eat dinner round a table in the way I've described, my eating problems vanished in a term. I still won't eat some things, but no longer do I get cooked different or special meals.

Your DH is not setting a good example at all. The issue isn't that he made your DSS the family pizza (although he was BU to do so), the issue is the fact your DSS wouldn't eat anything else and that your DH was more than happy to indulge this.

I'd be less concerned that cooking all these different meals is stressful and time consuming, and more concerned that members of my household we're lacking nutrients. The problems from a poor diet don't show up right away, so my whole childhood my parents just shrugged it off and assumed I'd be fine. It's terribly frustrating to eat incredibly well as an adult, knowing that however much I try, I can't reverse all the damage done in those formative years. Think stunted growth, brittle bones, terrible joints. Pain every day.

Your husband, quite frankly, needs to get his shit together.
Now I might be reaching here, but it seems his influence is causing problems. It seems your oldest DD has no issues - did she learn to eat well before he came into the picture? Your SS seems to be the worst eater, with middle DD picking up on his habits.
I absolutely cannot fathom an adult that won't eat vegetables. I hate the things, can't abide them at all, taste horrible to me. But I still shovel them down, because they contain stuff that my body needs and my DD needs to see adults eating like normal people.
I just can't picture it, I've known many a fussy child, but an adult? Where do you go out for a nice romantic meal? Pizza Hut? McDonalds?

Sorry if I seem like I'm jumping down your throat, I don't mean to be goady, I really don't. I just wish an effort had been made with me before long term consequences had been secured. Make sure your children's nutritional needs - macro and micro - are met. Please. It's neglectful.
& cooking only one meal will only save you time, it's a win/win.

TL;DR - yes, your DH was BU for cooking the pizza. YABVVU (assuming these aren't all adult children) for not feeding your children properly. Super noodles aren't a meal.

LemonShark · 24/12/2017 10:58

Jesus. You have bigger problems than this one incident. You need to nip this picky eating bullshit in the bud asap and start cooking one meal each night for everyone to eat. You can take into account peoples preferences (someone loves turkey but doesn't like chicken so you cook turkey more often) but no more running around bending over backwards trying to accommodate a load of people who seem to pay no attention to the stress this is putting you under! If they don't like the meal you've made they're welcome to help themselves to a slice of toast. They'll soon get the message.

And alternate cooking FGS! One night you, next night husband. Don't martyr yourself doing it all. You need to sort out these problems with eating in your family asap or they'll continue to cause massive resentment, stress, financial difficulty, and health problems.

shakingmyhead1 · 24/12/2017 10:58

fuck that shit!
Make ONE family meal and if they dont wish to eat it then they starve, dont indulge their fantasy eating any more... dont be making 6 different meals a night, its not a restaurant! Take charge!

C8H10N4O2 · 24/12/2017 10:59

Let him get on with it. Cook for yourself and the children, leave the idiot to his crisp butties.

Honeycombcrunch · 24/12/2017 10:59

He's given you the best present ever by telling you he will sort his own food out! Leave him to it.

How long have you been together? Is the relationship good apart from the food issues? It sounds like you could do a lot better than this man.

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