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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel upset by my teens friends mum dropping off food

347 replies

Pearlofthesea · 29/06/2019 14:08

My teen DS (15) often has his gf over straight from school and although I’ll cook them both a main meal in the evening they complain they’re hungry and need ‘snacks’. I say no, wait until your dinner later (admittedly there’s not a great deal of snack type food in the house but there’s fruit).

It turns out the gf’s mum has been dropping off food bags to ‘tied them over’ until I get around to cooking in the evening. I’m not aware until recently as they sneak out the back to meet the mum in her car.

The bag contains sandwiches, crisps, fruit juice cartons, baby bels, cheese strings, pepperami sausages, grapes, strawberries etc, in my opinion really over the top!

AIBU to be upset and pissed off? This happens at least twice a week. My DS looks at me as if I should be grateful as he says gf’s mum is ‘helping out’ ?!

OP posts:
JellyBellyyyyyyyyy · 29/06/2019 20:12

Also ignore PPs who haven't RTFT!

Teachermaths · 29/06/2019 20:19

I'm starving at 5pm after work never mind waiting til 9 for my tea... I'd be eating someone's arm off by then! Why do you eat so late?

kmammamalto · 29/06/2019 20:20

Awww just read the full thread. Well done OP. Changes are so hard when we know they need to be made and you've faced up to every thing in a very admirable way which I think makes you an absolutely brilliant parent and one who I could do with being more like !
Good luck with your plan!

Beautiful3 · 29/06/2019 20:23

My kids eat at 12 lunch time so there's no way they could wait 6 + hours for dinner! They need something around 4pm when they get home from school! Can't you offer jam on toast, bànana, cheap biscuits, yoghurt after school? Please dont be mad at the other mum. Her heart's in the right place, shes just helping out by giving them some snacks.

SolsticeBabyMaybe · 29/06/2019 20:36

agree with pp who suggested getting reduced bread and freezing it. Teenagers can eat so much toast!

ssd · 29/06/2019 20:37

I kind of get the feeding at 9 routine. It's a habit, it's what you did when your mum was here. It feels like holding onto a part of her.

Graphista · 29/06/2019 20:45

What time are they eating lunch and what time are you serving dinner?

"I don’t cook until about 9" 😱why so late?! It's insane to expect anyone to go 8 hours minimum with no food! Potentially 9 hours! That's not at all healthy.

My mum served dinner at 6 and we still got toast or a jam sandwich or crackers and cheese, fruit and cheap biscuits (Rich tea type of thing) when we got in from school.

I've a rake thin 18 year old who needs feeding CONSTANTLY and while there's an element of that being due to her disability (causes elevated metabolism, high muscle mass, pain means burning more calories etc) her friends are mostly the same.

You then mention you're on a tight budget - so am I and so was my mum when I was this age, and so was her mum (and my dads mum).

I'm sure if you posted your budget and what kinda thing you currently buy/cook we could try and help you juggle things to include an after school snack/small meal.

Maybe your sons gf mum knows this and as pp said is trying to alleviate the pressure of her child's being fed at yours too because she knows it would be unfair to expect you to be able to cover this?

I know it's hard but teens do actually need more calories than adults, they're basically on a huge long term growth spurt.

As you don't know them try not to jump to conclusions too, just because they're well off now doesn't mean they always were nor that they didn't come from a poorer background themselves.

"I just feel like she’s providing all the things I can’t and my son wants to spend less and less time at home because he gets ‘treated so well’ at her house." So it's jealousy?

You need to get over yourself! There will be things you do/provide that her family perhaps don't - that might be time, your presence, less rushing about etc.

Different families work in different ways and there are benefits and down sides to all. You need to focus more on the benefits of your situation, but you also need to adjust your mindset on food.

I actually wrote a whole load on eating at friends houses and them eating at mine, I'm an army brat so I've moved around a lot and made friends with children who's families are from lots of different countries/backgrounds/cultures but I got a bit distracted remembering all the lovely (but cheap!) food.

Teens are somewhat nomadic, that's normal, they're making their world bigger and preparing to leave home and coping with being part of the wider world. Add in hormones and romantic fantasies and they can be frustrating little so and so's!

But honestly unless you want to alienate your child you need to be more flexible, more welcoming of people from different backgrounds to you and more accepting of people's kindness.

Being kind and generous yourself is kind of easy and satisfying - that's why you get virtue signalling.

But accepting kindness and generosity is a real skill, and it's good manners to accept graciously.

If it would make you feel better you can return the kindnesses in ways that don't cost you money we all have something to offer. Maybe they have younger kids that need babysitting sometimes or pets that need looking after if they're on holiday or plants that need watered or whatever - we all have something to offer.

I'm housebound with various health issues, my dd has lived with me being ill all her childhood and I remember feeling that twinge of jealousy when dd called her friends mums "cool" (except a different word cos apparently "cool"
Isn't cool any more 😂) cos they took their kids to things I couldn't (either due to health or lack of money or both) or bought them things, but then she's also mentioned to me that her friends thought I was "cool" because I'm very open minded, happy to talk about anything, very into music and still stay up to date on that score, also a huge film fan so good on recommending films they'd like, I'm also normally (I'm starting to struggle now though) quite good on tech stuff and how to quickly do stuff on phones/tablets...

So I had other "skills" to offer.

It sounds like you've had a tough time recently - give yourself a break on that score, but yes you need to adjust mealtimes/providing enough sustenance.

mcmen71 · 29/06/2019 20:47

I buy my dd1 and bf both 15 snacks but get her to take them with her so she not eating all their snacks. Maybe you could tell your ds for her to bring them with her or get her to tell her mum to give her money to buy them.

SolsticeBabyMaybe · 29/06/2019 21:08

I do think it's a bit weird that she delivers bags of food though... bit much? Surely she could give her daughter some pocket money and they could buy their own snacks

IDontGiveABagOfDicks · 29/06/2019 21:10

OP - I was shopping in LUSH a few weeks ago with my 3DC and one of the assistants there said to me “You just seem so chill and on top of everything”

I was like Confused HOW?! I had a messy bun, a very old tea dress on with battered Doc Martens, my toddler was trying to get out of the stroller (elder 2 were being angels Grin )

I hollowed laughed and said ohhhh if only you knew

I had to take 8mg of diazepam, and extra beta blocker on top of my usual anti anxiety/depressant that day so I could take my DC to LUSH for a treat as promised because I have crippling anxiety.

Back home my house was a mess, I had 3 University assignments due, I took them to McDonalds for lunch and then ordered pizza for dinner Blush

RumpoleoftheBaileys · 29/06/2019 22:10

People - please be kind here and read all OP's posts.

OP, sweetheart, well done on taking small steps to remedy this. It will be ok. Concentrate on the big stuff and the smaller bits will follow. If for now, the smaller bits include your DS's GF's mum bringing snacks, so be it. In due course, this won't matter a bit.

I understand totally why you are put out by this. But, at the end of the day, if this (and the presents etc) make your son happy, then it's all ok. It doesn't matter that she has a RR and can afford takeaways. That's fine. That's not a reflection on you, it just is what it is. Try not to be hard on yourself.

Good luck x

TanMateix · 29/06/2019 22:41

People - please be kind here and read all OP's posts.

I apologise, I didn’t realise there were so many pages after the end of the first one. OP, this just one mistake, you are trying hard to deal with so much stuff. Take one thing at a time.

nohria · 30/06/2019 08:50

Koka noodles from Home Bargains are your friend. Every teenager I know loves to snack on them regardless of the kind of food they're offered for main meals.

Dieu · 30/06/2019 10:33

You don't need to provide them with expensive snacks, OP. Cheap white bread makes excellent toast!

Flowerrose · 30/06/2019 10:57

Is there not a local shop they can go to after school, if your DS's gf has loads of pocket money. I know obviously this is out of OP's control but it seems odd driving there just to drop off some food when she could always just give her some snacks to put in her bag specifically for after school or some money to buy some

starzig · 30/06/2019 12:57

Although I agree with a 5pm snack I am surprised so many posters being shocked about a main meal at 9pm. Only in the world of mumsnet are people home before 6 and dinner on the table before 7. Most normal people work and aren't home that early. 10pm isn't uncommon for us by the time we get in, have a cup of tea and start cooking. Occasionally been as late as 11pm.

Skyejuly · 30/06/2019 12:59

I would be glad. Mine eat constant snacks after school.

Bluerussian · 30/06/2019 13:21

starzig, sometimes my husband and I don't eat until late so I get your point but you wouldn't expect your children to wait that long for their dinner. A compromise is usually reached when a couple has school children, they snack when they return from school and a bit later - eg 6.30-7pm, have dinner with the family.

However I'm not going to give the op any stick, she has explained she was used to eating later and just hadn't thought it all out. Things are going to change for her and her son now which is what matters.

speakout · 30/06/2019 14:28

starzig

Feeding dinner to children at 11pm?

Itssosunny · 30/06/2019 14:46

starzig, I think if I were to come home very late then I'd expect my 15-year-old to make a dinner for himself. If it were a younger child then I'd leave some food in the fridge to reheat. I'd write down instructions what and where for a child who isn't good around the house. However, OP's DS has a girlfriend at 15, he is old enough for this and so old enough to help.

I am curious to hear how it went yesterday. I hope OP is more relaxed today and had some talk with the two teens.

Itssosunny · 30/06/2019 14:48

I think a 15-year-old can either cook it's own meal or reheat something from the fridge. I wouldn't expect them to wait for me hungry till 9pm or even later. That's sounds absurd.

starzig · 30/06/2019 15:39

Speakout. We are talking about a 15 year old not a 5 yr old. No need to get all hoity toity and look out SS number.

speakout · 30/06/2019 15:42

starzig

How old atr your children?

randomncftw · 30/06/2019 15:47

What id he upset by here is the clear fact the daughter has told her mum you don’t give them food Shock and then she has decided to take it upon herself to drive over and for them to sneak out to get it! Very odd indeed. Your DS should have probably just grown a pair and said ‘mum we’re really hungry when we come back from school can we please have something now?’ or indeed at 15 he can make a couple of sandwiches himself! Or her mum could have popped the snacks in one day and gently mentioned her daughter gets quite peckish after school so she thought she’d try to help you out as her daughter is there a lot. Just a very odd way to go about things.

Pearlofthesea · 30/06/2019 17:35

Hi everyone thank you all for your replies.

I am feeling really positive and happy today. I spoke to DS and gf and said I’ll be providing a lot more to eat and I was sorry gf mum felt she had to bring food parcel (I’m not sure if that came out correctly but I was polite), they laughed so I don’t think I was rude!

GF must have said something to her mum as this morning I received a very apologetic text from the mum saying something along the lines that she was very sorry if I was offended and she was actually embarrassed as her daughter eats so much she was concerned she had eaten the contents of my kitchen - so all ok on that front.

For those who referred to the food bag as ‘toddler food’, gf asks her mum to buy baby bels, cheese strings and pepperami as she really likes them (DS does too) and they laughed they’d still be eating these snacks when they’re in their twenties.

My next concern is the intensity of the relationship - they are with each other every day in school, every evening either at ours or gf house and spend the entire weekend together (they sleep separately if staying over).

They both said they are very happy to be spending that amount of time together, they are totally smitten! They do school work together, they sometimes just sit together but not talking as they’re both on their mobile phones. They like watching Jeremy Kyle on YouTube (omg really?!) Sometimes she just watches my son play on XBox swooning at him 🤢

They do have a lot of friends - but they’re mutual friends who are both girls and boys so they even do all they’re socialising together- so they are ALWAYS together 🤔

I asked other mum (on text) how she felt. Here’s the shocker, I nearly fell off my chair. This lovely young lady who does well at school, has exceptional manners, polite and helpful is apparently the teenager from hell! She swears at her mum, has massive tantrums, was caught stealing vodka from their house, smoking etc you get the picture. Upshot is other mum said let them get on with it as if she puts her foot down gf will run away, or self harm. 😢

I guess our problems are maybe wider than the covert food parcel! At least I’ve broken the ice with other mum who seems so nice and down to earth, although I’m sorry she’s having so much to deal with her daughter, it’s also good to know I’m not the only one with a tear away teen!

I always thought they were a mismatch - it’s all making sense now!

OP posts: