Do your DC constantly hassle you to find out how long dinner will be?

[HennyPennyHorror]

We're in Oz. So it's teatime. Both of my DC who are 15 and 11 constantly ask when it's ready.

Coming in...asking "How long now?"

OH MY GOD! It's driving me mad. Is it normal?

They seem hungry...

Much dc are younger but do this too. Even if they’ve just eaten they want to know whts for dinner and how long it will be.

Get off Mumsnet and back in the kitchen woman!

Do you have a regular dinner time? Surely that removes the need for the question?

Dolly It's cooking! I have an Auntie Dolly in real life. Maybe you're her!

Why not set in stone no...because it depends what I'm cooking really.

We more or less have dinner somewhere between 5.30 and 6.00 but there's no guarantee! And different things take different times to cook.

So you start a but earlier if it takes longer...

Lol, they just sound hungry and as though they like your cooking.

When they ask you "how long now" what are you saying to them?

Ask them to cook dinner at least once a week. Then hassle them

Isn't this just the car equivalent of "Are we nearly there yet?"

Yes. It's my fault though as dinner time can be any time between 5 and 8, especially as it's the summer holidays.

Mine always ask repeatedly"What's for dinner?" from about 12pm, it's drives me crackers.

Tell them the time you think it’ll be ready +15 minutes.

And get them setting the table. Oh, and at that age they should be cooking a night a week each, particularly on the holidays.

Why aren't they helping to cook ? Then they'd know !

Mine are all grown up now but I always used to tell them 5 more minutes, every time they asked

It’s breakfast with DS! He wakes up starving. Easy and quick to do cereal though 😊. However, if like today he says he wasn’t sausages or bacon (only allowed on weekends) he then starts with the “Is it cooked yet?” within two minutes of me turning on the oven.

He’s 5. I’m dreading the hungry teenage years!

wants, not wasn’ts

Can't they get something to eat while they're waiting of they're hungry?

I remember hassling my mum like this at times when I (thought I) was starving. It won't do them any harm. Can see why it's so annoying to you!

LoafofSellotape That spoils dinner though! Barring medical issues, there’s nothing wrong with being hungry for half an hour!

Someone said to me recently that they hadn’t been hungry for years! They literally never felt hungerpangs because they kept themselves full! There’s an obesity epidemic and people fill their cupboards with easily grabbable and grazeable food.

I'm 39 and currently living with my parents... I still do this to my mum on a sunday

Yes my 7 year old always does this and says "can't you just cook it in the microwave".

To be fair I often get impatient when my dinner is cooking when I'm hungry or when I'm waiting for a takeaway to arrive

Yeah, I don't get the spoils dinner thing, they're obviously hungry, a banana or something won't spoil anything .

Tell them for every time they ask you'll add 10 minutes to their wait time.

And then when they are actually in the process of eating a meal it's "What are we having for ?"
FGS let's get this one over first.

Yes! And I also often get a what's for dinner tomorrow question before they go to bed!

I tend to blank it out or laugh but it really annoys DP.