To ask if you are a guest in someone's house, do you cook at any point?

[GunpowderGelatine]

Say you're staying with a close relative for a week- a parent, sibling, adult child etc. What do you do around cooking - do you expect a cooked meal watch night or do you offer to cook at some point, or do you go out/get a takeaway in the evening? Also, would you offer to buy/pay for food?

I try and cook when I stay at my in-laws at least once! My mil always cooks amazing food and no one ever cooks for her, so it's the least I can do. She does find it hard to sit on her hands while I cook though, but I don't mind that

Oof that sounds tight!

When my mum or MIL come to visit they cook. All other friends / relatives / siblings / parents come and pay for a meal.. might be a takeaway, or treat us to lunch or dinner outside. And they all bring booze and chocolates. Many of them stay for weeks.. so in general politeness is rewarded.

I tend to stay with rellies/close friends about 5 consecutive days once per year. Different folks. Have fallen into the habit of taking them out to nice restaurants of their choice first and last nights and paying for takeout the middle night. They choose 2nd and 4th night. Seems to work. Also send ahead a box of wine or take an expensive whisky depending on the audience.

Syfy we never visit her (for good reasons)

No, because I'd poison them. I get takeout & a posh cake or dessert.

Your mum sounds like a CF. I'm guessing there's a backstory

For a week, I would ask if the host wanted me to cook something, probably on the third or fourth night. But in my experience I'm more likely to just make hot drinks and maybe lunches, not cooked meals. Usually my host has their own cooking style and wants to impress me with it!

It gets worse 😩 she gave us cash for the Chinese last night (we paid her back for ours today) and today asked if there was any change from it. There was 20p, which she took back. We also went to the Body Shop where she bought a few things and I gave her my loyalty card to add on the points. She used a £5 voucher that I had on there without asking she's not skint. She's just bought a £300 pizza oven. She's just ungenerous

I wouldn’t object to cooking all week but I would expect my parents to eat what I cook (regardless of how expensive the tomatoes were!)

Re the Chinese, given that it was her choice and they you are feeding her for a week I would have expected her to pay.

I hate when people offer to cook in my house. Either offer to take me out or put up with what I cook. It's an invasion of space IMO. I love having guests but not cooking for me in my house.

Ah, well with the newer updates, that makes a difference.
I was going to say - same as pp on P1, that there are so many variables it is hard to answer, but this is more of a "How annoying ins my Mum?" thread . Which is fine. You are right - she is.

With people that stay with you though, I think it all balances out if you then go and stay with them. Particularly as you would be 4 that she was hosting, not just 1 that you are hosting.