To ban cooking for teenage boys

[Boysfood]

I have 3 teen ds 15,17 and 19.

They cook all the time. Breakfast lunch , I make dinner they then cook in evenings and when getting home. My electric bill is too high.

I’ve asked them to have cereal or toast or instant porridge etc for breakfast. Sandwiches etc for lunch and snacks to be something that doesn’t need cooking. We always have these type of things available but they ignore me and start cooking. I can’t remove the oven etc and they often do this when I’m out or in bed. Only 19 year old works so I can charge him more rent to cover his share but others still in education and I don’t know what to do .

I’ve reduced the pocket money for 15 and 17 year old already to make them realise but then they seem to think they are paying to cook ..... I like their reasoning.... canny lads you've got there!! 😀

No she hasn't. She said they don't eat what she wants them to eat for breakfast and lunch - she offers them cold, so they cook. They may eat extra in the evening, sometimes protein brownies by her own admission. That's not 2 extra meals in addition to 3 family meals.

Seems really mean to restrict their pocket money because they are cooking for themselves.
Do you resent your sons op?

I echo those who’ve suggested an air fryer. Very quick and lower cost than heating up an oven etc. Is the issue protein? Could you increase the amount of protein in dinner?

She calls a brownie a meal, that says it all.

OP has ignored this question all the way through the thread.

No, she resents them costing her massive amounts in electricity when she's explained she can't afford it and asked them to eat cold/not-cooked for for breakfast and lunch.

Yes, and he should be learning to clean up, not wasting money and polluting the planet by using so much disposable stuff. You cook and then you clean up. Don't want to do it? That's life.

ftr, we had a new hob/oven in the last 12 months, and an airfryer added into the mix, our daily electricity usage has dropped even though we're not cooking any less.

It may be her hob/cooker are not energy efficient any more.

And yet the OP seems to not know how much the extra cooking actually costs.

She's upped her 19 year old's contribution though, and still seems to have no idea if it's covering it.

op has detailed teenagers who have bought with their own money cooking equipment to not make mess, who use their own money to buy food because they’re hungry, and who aren’t allowed to eat ‘her’ oats.
I think it’s a possibility that they are walking on eggs shells around you op, and it isn’t that they are ignoring you, but possibly that they’re trying to avoid you.

you are clearly very stressed about money, but I’d really look to see what you can do to increase that - are you working full time, does their father contribute etc - before you ruin your relationship with your children.

With your updates it sounds like more an issue with what they are eating. White pasta is a very normal foodstuff for a teen lad to be wanting. It’s not a hill I’d die on.
Same with oats, they shouldn’t be leaving you without but if they like oats and eat daily I’d just buy bigger bulk bags of cheaper oats.

So its gone from money to unhealthy food to not listening to you to wasteful?

They can't win really.

Make food that's not going to cost the earth to cook 3 times a day. I certainly couldn't have afforded to put up with that

No she hasn't. She says she wants them to eat avocado toast instead of pasta. If she wants them to eat avocados, affording it is not the issue.

Plus her concern has changed from the cost of electricity, to waste, to processed foods.

that's why i said she needs to work out how much extra it is costing.

we have a smart meter so i can see how much we're using daily, and the difference between days we cook and days we don't... and how much that's dropped since having the new cooker/hob & airfryer, compared to the old ones!

I agree. What an awful way to run a household and raise children.

Well surely the fact that they buy their own food for breakfast and lunch more than negates the cooking price? She doesn’t really supply them with a lot of food by the sounds of it. Since they tell her they don’t like cereal or want sandwiches she can’t actually be shopping for this stuff much.

Surely stuff like brownie can be cooked when oven in in use anyway rather than heating it again. It does seem very wasteful. Maybe all the people slagging her off can afford hundreds on fuel bills every month

Yes but the OP is steadfastly ignoring these suggestions.

This! I think it’s fantastic that you have boys that know how to cook real food and will do it. You should be proud of the. I would love my DS to be making himself a proper meal rather than living on cheese sandwiches and cereal, which aren’t a nutritionally great option.

If your electricity bill seems super high, are you sure that’s not eg super long showers if you have electric hot water? Or leaving all the lights on?

As is often said, teenage boys don't eat food they inhale food

OP clearly has a few issues and needs to work out what is bothering her more, the bills, the mess, or their diet, and tackle one thing at a time!

And don't forget that the heat will be warming the house, saving some central heating costs.

Cooking costs are low unless someone has an oven on all day, and even then it's not actually doing anything most of the time.

£37 a month extra more than doubles my electric bill