To hate cooking?

[Alwaysgrey]

Apparently my mother thinks I am. I have three kids. Eldest has coeliac, middle has autism and adhd and sensory issues so has issues around food and youngest has autism, adhd, sensory issues and has coeliac plus a very restricted diet. When they were young I did the whole Annabel Karmel thing and really tried a variety of foods. I’m so tired of binning food and exhausted from caring and the daily battles but my mother is constantly on my case about how I should love cooking and should cook them a big meal (we normally have them over for a takeaway as my dad likes quite plain food so my mum gets the chance to share a curry/Chinese etc). But I hate cooking. I find it stressful and boring.

Nope.
I like cooking (though have issues with OCD now so can't engage with it like I used to) but I don't enjoy the daily battle over food and the constant throwing away when the 3yo refuses it.
Don't let it get to you.

YANBU we have the same here. I just give them what I know they will eat. The rest of my family all love cooking and are not impressed how badly mine eat.

Pre DC I loved cooking. I still enjoy it occasionally but since having DC, it's just another chore. No allergies but they are fussy. Tonight I made chicken goujons with plain boiled pasta and peas. They seem to prefer plainer things.

Yanbu it’s dull
I now have about five different meals which I rotate for myself
Same with DD. She has about 7 different meals I know she likes and are reasonably healthy and varied. I just cook one of those and if it’s rejected she gets nothing else. I cannot be arsed with it all

Op, don’t listen to your mum. The stress isn’t worth it. Are your dcs tired or regularly sick.

My ds is 10 and eats good sausages, pizza, cheese, eggs, good fishfingers, with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, beetroot. And shop-bought meatballs with home-made tomato sausage & wholemeal pasta.

And home made veg soup with granary bread.

I could turn out a Michelin starred meal and he would still want one of the above.

If your children get a balance of food, it doesn’t have to be more complex.

I don’t cook I assemble.

My DC also want the same things.

It is sometimes nice to cook things for me and DH though, we take it in turns cooking e.g.a curry at weekends.

Maybe suggest your mum takes the children for one of her meals see how she copes with accommodating everyone...maybe then she will change her tune.

We have the same sort of meals every week. I regularly ask mine if they want a change from Spaghetti Bolognese on a Friday followed by ice - cream, and everyone says "no!!!" Including DH.

I have found as well regarding fussiness, that my youngest (8) now eats loads more....my eldest (14) has got slower and more fussy (but I am less bothered).

make food simple and as far as possible what they will all consume. For many - food is a means to satiate hunger...it doesn't have to be a culinary experience and certainly for most kids(regardless of special requirements) I don't think they care!

Take it easy on yourself.

I once spent ages making a chicken casserole. Kids turned their noses up at it. But if I served the chicken, potatoes and veg all separately, they'd eat it. I agree, I don't cook as such. I heat up and assemble.

According to my mother the autistic children need to be starved out. They rarely get sick or are tired. They eat a lot of veg. Eldest and youngest eat a decent amount of fruit. I’m just so tired of binning meals.

Jeez of course they'll eat if you give them no alternative! No they bl**dy won't! Mine eats loads of fruit and veg but our protein options are 3 items. When step-mum mutters at me occasionally I point out ds is fit and healthy and eats lots of fruit and veg. She usually shuts up. So no you are not at all unreasonable to hate the cooking. It's mind numbing. I'm hoping things improve as he gets older!!

YANBU I hate cooking at the best of times let alone if I had all those needs to contend with, I hate it so much it’s just such a boring chore and the cleanup is always so time consuming, the meal planning, the shopping 🙃 god just wish I could eat our every day lol

I’ve always hated it and I haven’t got the issues you have to contend with! It’s such a chore. I make things from scratch because we were brought up with fresh, homemade food and I prefer the taste but I do hate cooking. I wish I enjoyed it like my friends do! I absolutely despise baking though, I never bake.

I hate meal prep as well. It's so boring and messes up the kitchen at the end of the day when all I want to do is rest. The two dcs are older (adult and teen), but still come downstairs asking what's for dinner when they're quite capable of making something. Trying to think of what to eat day after day is difficult and the dcs still don't want to eat more adult food. I'm still feeding them fish fingers and beef burgers when it would be nicer and easier to have a stir fry or something.

YANBU, I hate cooking. I'd feed the dc beans on toast every night if I could get away with it. Luckily my dh is a good cook and enjoys it.

YANBU one bit. Cooking is only enjoyable if people enjoy what you make. I’m getting back into it as the DCs are out of toddlerhood and tolerate more variety. At one point it was pasta or bin.

YANBU - my kids are just "regular" fussy eaters and even that has sucked the fun out of cooking when I used to love it. Coping with coeliac and sensory issues too would really tip me over the edge. Just do what it takes to get everyone fed a reasonable diet without driving yourself crazy