Self-catering holiday: an oxymoron

[RumAndReisling]

Whose idea was the self-catering holiday?

I am ‘fortunate’ to have access to a holiday cottage. We go every year.

But… there are no restaurants. So I have to produce three meals a day - more, as I have young children. Snacks.

If I don’t produce the meals, no one else will. Sandwiches for every meal.

Sometimes I go on strike and will refuse.
But then… I’ll go to make a piece of toast and DH will appear ‘oh I’d love a sandwich too’.

The entire holiday then revolves around planning, shopping, food preparation and washing up. Or I’m pissed off because I’m hungry but if I try to feed myself I’ll end up
having to produce food for others. Every morning starts with having to tidy the house and kitchen - normally a weekend-only activity.

The most irritating part of this is that I work full time - so normally I am at most responsible for one meal a day.

I cannot be the only person who feels this way. I want to eat three meals a day in restaurants and pay someone else to wash up.

But then why is she going on about washing up?

I think (for me) meals and cooking is tedious at home because I've got to fit it round working ft, other housework, ferrying teens about and potentially trying to maintain fitness etc

In my mind, once the work, taxi-ing and other housework (I do less laundry and barely any cleaning on hol) are taken out of the equation, shopping for food or making a meal isn't as stressful. DH does a lot of cooking on holiday but I've had a few holidays where I've taken my DC and my dad (who was not in the best of health and essentially like having another child) on my own, and it seemed fine.

I'm sticking up for you OP. Not criticising. It's HIS attitude that annoyed me -him thinking you are there to make him meals and tidy up. If he wants a sandwich he can make his own sandwich and clean up afterwards. I wouldn't do self catering with a partner who wouldn't do their fair share of the work either, I'm not surprised you don't want to do it.

Don't really understand this, why can't you do a big shop on the way to the cottage, do a weekly dinner plan, have simple breakfasts (two boxes of cereal and some toast/pancakes on the table), sandwiches at lunchtime, and take turns to cook the evening meal? As for 'snacks'- crisps, nuts, fruit, cereal bars are pretty easy?

If your husband refuses to cook a dinner once every two days, when he is doing absolutely shit-all else, the problem isn't the location!

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP GOING TO THIS PLACE!

It is not the holiday for you, based on your replies.

not being funny, but none of that remotely sound like a holiday to me. I prefer self catering with young kids, but having to plan, buy, and prepare food EVERY DAY? I don't think so.

OP still hasn't said if they go out during the day and the reasons why they can't take good ideas from here, which make perfect sense.
Are you cooking meals from scratch OP? What ages are the dc? That is another factor not mentioned,

I work full time and still prefer self-catered holidays because the exercise means DC will eat anything I make rather than spend hours arguing with me. I do tend to keep things simple though - a whole heap of scrambled eggs with toast and beans in the morning, lunch tends to he coffee & sandwiches, and dinner’s usually some form of pasta. And we buy a lot of snacks. DH does all the washing up / putting away

I don't like this type of holiday and have young kids too. The difference is that if my dh wanted us to go one one he would take over all meal prep and planning. At best I'd load the dishwasher. I wouldn't choose to go on a self catering holiday as I don't want to cook and clean on my holiday (aside from keeping room tidy and organised). I do enough of that at home.

Your issue is you have a voice but aren't using it. It might well be his choice of a holiday doesn't mean you need to tag along or if you do make it clear that he does the meal prep and cleaning after or you'd rather stay in a hotel or somewhere you can go out for meals.