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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not prepare lunch for my dc

81 replies

madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:27

I of course will feed them...

I’ve had an entire week of them moaning my lunches are not acceptable. They are ridiculously fussy: dc1 apparently only likes tomato soup; dc2 apparently only likes cheese on toast. I’m sick of making two lunches. To not have to make three, I end up having the same as one of them, which invariably isn’t what I want but of course i suck it up because, well, practice what I preach, innit.

I’ve offered them a ‘treat’ lunch as it’s Friday and I’m back in work next week but apparently that’s not acceptable either. Dc1 wants McDonald’s instead but dc2 doesn’t. I cannot be bothered to go to McDonald’s especially when there is food in the house.

I could actually scream. They are nearly 12 and nearly 9. The older one is capable of making their own and has done previously but is refusing to.

OP posts:
Waveysnail · 23/08/2019 12:31

Let them make their own. Even my 6 yr old makes his own ham sandwich for lunch

whocanbebothered · 23/08/2019 12:32

You have my sympathies. I was tearing my hair out during the summer holidays.

Invariably, one child sleeps longer than the other. One goes out to play, popping in only sporadically to eat and annoy me, other one stays home.

So, I end up making them different breakfasts, lunches and dinners. And whatever I make for myself. I had a breakdown one evening when at 8.30pm and having just resigned myself to chilling for the evening, I was requested to make toast. This resulted in me shouting "No I bloody won't make toast. I've made NINE MEALS today. NINE! There will be no more food!. Eat a yoghurt or a banana" Grin Cue the household looking at each other in abstract horror as the mother loses her mind before their eyes lol

Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:32

Believe me, if they liked absolutely anything at all they would be.

OP posts:
Greeborising · 23/08/2019 12:34

Give it a couple of years and lunch won’t be an issue.
In my experience teens don’t get up till 3pm

Toneitdown · 23/08/2019 12:34

They are both old enough to make a sandwich, just leave them to it.

Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:38

Dc1 will only eat one sandwich filling. Dc2 will only eat another type. Dc2 to be fair wouldn’t be able to prepare what they like (not quite got the motor skills).

Honestly I give up with all of this.

OP posts:
Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:39

The oven is on; they are getting what they are given. And I’m damn well having what I fancy today, too.

OP posts:
whothedaddy · 23/08/2019 12:40

my DD 9 makes her own lunches and breakfasts unless we are eating together.

However tomato soup with cheese on toast is definitely 1 meal [GRIN]

Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:44

I work on the basis that I’ve I’m making something anyway, it’s churlish not to make for them. Or at least that was my standpoint until this café shut up shop.

OP posts:
Ibakelotsofcakes · 23/08/2019 12:45

They're not really asking for complicated stuff though are they? It's only cheese on toast and soup. I've been making 3x different lunches too but they are just variations of sandwiches/eggs/toast/pasta.

Equally they are old enough to make their own lunch.

Windydaysuponus · 23/08/2019 12:45

6 x dc here.... Lunch is a non cooked affair.
Self service too!!
Or go hungry!!

Pinkblueberry · 23/08/2019 12:46

I think I would still make lunch, but definitely only one option - probably one I want Grin - if they don’t like it tough.

EnglishRose13 · 23/08/2019 12:47

What are you making?

katewhinesalot · 23/08/2019 12:48

Yep offer them what you are making for yourself. If they want something different then they are welcome to get it themselves.

joystir59 · 23/08/2019 12:49

Good grief! I grew up in the sixties and the very thought of moaning to either parent about what we were going to eat wouldn't have entered my childish mind! And we were so genuinely hungry after playing out for hours that food was food. We were lucky. We went off to play in the morning without phones, without our parents knowing exactly where we were going or what we were doing and reappeared tired and dirty at mealtimes. We rarely ate out, it really was an unusual event, and we never dictated what was cooked or prepared for us.

purplereindeer · 23/08/2019 12:51

Mine are 13, 10 and 7. They make their own lunch. They make mine and the baby's sometimes too!

Teddybear45 · 23/08/2019 12:53

They get one option and if they refuse then don’t give them anything - they should make it themselves. It they don’t they’re clearly not hungry

Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 12:54

In the oven is vegan sausage roll (from Aldi - they are really good) and chips. Which is exactly what I fancy.

I do tend to give some choice at lunch but dinner is absolutely this is what you are having and it’s tough if you don’t fancy it. Or decide you don’t like it even though you’ve been eating it quite happily for the past six years.

OP posts:
Runbitchrun · 23/08/2019 12:58

I have a 12 and 10 year old. They have made their own lunches for the past year or so. Like yours, they’re quite fussy about what they will eat for lunch, so I make sure there is something in that they both will eat, and they sort themselves out when they’re ready. We all have something different as I’ll often have leftovers from the night before. Tell them you’re not doing it any more and they’re responsible for their own lunch.

TheViceOfReason · 23/08/2019 12:58

You've not said if there are any SEN... so assuming not, maybe use this as an opportunity to teach them a bit of cooking as a life skill? If a 12 year old can't heat a bowl of soup and a nearly 9 year old can't make cheese on toast then it's about time they learned!

crustycrab · 23/08/2019 13:00

Honestly, if someone offered me a "treat lunch" I'd think we were going out. McDonald's would be a "treat lunch" for a kid, an Aldi vegan sausage roll and oven chips....not so much

Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 13:03

Nearly 12 year old can and has heated up soup/ made toast/heated up beans/made a frigging lemon drizzle cake. It’s pure laziness. (trying to cut s little slack though - v anxious about starting a new school).

Nearly 9 year old does have issues with motor skills.

OP posts:
Original poster
madnessitellyou · 23/08/2019 13:05

We rarely have chips at home so that is a treat.

They had McDonald’s twice last week courtesy of dh. Don’t like them having it particularly frequently.

OP posts:
Ibakelotsofcakes · 23/08/2019 13:05

I don't mean to be rude but why can't they just have what they want? If it's only soup and sandwiches, does it really matter?

If it was complicated meals it would be another matter, but sometimes we just fancy different things don't we?

Kungfupanda67 · 23/08/2019 13:06

@crustycrab Maybe she offered pancakes or waffles but the kids moaning made her change her mind! But my kids would think anything with chips is a treat lunch