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 .

Air fryers are same principle as an oven but you're not heating up a big box as in a full size oven.

I would also be cross that they’re ignoring your rules. If they’re making a meal fair enough, I’d encourage this independence. However you’re already providing meals therefore realistically they shouldn’t need to be cooking extra.

Sit them all down and tell them that unless it’s something simple, they are not permitted
to use appliances when you’re out or in bed.

Could you make larger portions for their meals, bulk the dishes out so they’re more filling?

If they love pasta, get them to cook a big pan, rinse it with boiled water and that will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, which they can reheat in the microwave and will save using the hob multiple times.

Write a list of snack/light meal options that you are okay with them making in between meals and pin this up in the kitchen.

Also, don't the 15 and 17 year olds have most of their lunches at school?

They often do go and get the food to cook (mostly things like sausages bacon etc for cooked breakfast) because I don’t have processed meat products here. They cook huge amounts of pasta as well or they’ll make protein brownies and things like that . They just seem to never be able to have a non cooked snack even

It’s good that they want to cook, it’s a useful skill to have. Why don’t you encourage them to do it together and make one meal at a time for the whole family to eat?

Personally I think it's great that your sons are cooking. So many don't know how to. They want HOT food. It's winter. They need hot food.

Donyou have electric cooker? Most of this sounds hob based cooking rather than oven

Yes my 15 year old does but will
cook in the evening. 17 year old at college so home more often. It’s just this half term it’s been constant.

Yes a lot of it is

they are cooking an hour sometimes after dinner , it seems excessive. If I say to have a banana or two they’ll say no but then use the bananas to make some kind of protein powder banana brownie things

I honestly can’t imagine basic cooking at mealtimes is really costing that much in electricity. It seems incredibly mean spirited to only allow your children to eat cold food.

If it's an electric hob and oven turn off the fuse for it without them seeing before you go out or to bed

Sounds like they are cooking protein based snacks. Are they very sporty?

Not 4-5 times a day ?!!

They get a big hot meal every day cooked by me

What you're asking of them is unreasonable and controlling and they SHOULD be ignoring you

Are they into sport/fitness training?

Regardless, it sounds like your suggested meal plan just won't give them enough food. Can you sit down together and come up with one that meets everyone's needs? If they are making a cooked breakfast then I can see that avocado and toast is not an appealing alternative, but maybe there is a compromise e.g that they batch bake muffins with bacon and egg in, or they have a cooked breakfast only a couple of time a week.

Or you could just suggest they pay for extra food/energy costs if cost is an issue?

In fairness, a banana protein brownie sounds much more filling than a banana. I actually think you're unreasonable the more you post. Charge them more if you must, but it's winter, I'd want the food they're eating too.

Do you have electric hob or an induction hob, op?

Ok well if they can afford to be going out and buying all these foods to cook, they can afford to pay more towards the electric.

Work out how much they're costing you (do you have a smart meter?) and charge them accordingly.

I’m confused.

You said it’s partly about cost but they buy the food themselves. You’ve not mentioned mess, or them being in the way in the kitchen.

So you just don’t want them to cook…just because??

They are 15, 17 and 19 - one is an adult the other nearly an adult and the 15 year old is learning independence.

What exactly is the problem? Because ‘because I said so’ is such a strange hill to die on when it’s something as basic as young adults feeding themselves independently in an appropriate manner.

You have 3 of them. Between them cooking 4/5 times a day is perfectly reasonable. You shouldn't have had 3 kids if you resent feeding them!

What meals do you make? They cannot be properly filling if they then go and make pots of pasta

I would have thought cooking pasta on a hob is a far cheaper option than toast and avocado.

im not sure here tbh op. From their pov, they’re hungry so they’re cooking food they want to eat. 2 of them are still in education so can’t contribute financially- that isn’t their fault. I do think when you sign up to have children, you sign up to providing food for them until they’re earning for themselves.

im sorry things are tough for you, but I don’t think teenage boys should be forbidden from eating pasta if it’s there.

Running all of the rings on your hob for an hour at full heat would cost about £2 at current energy prices and an average hob. While that will add up over a month, I can’t imagine it’s getting that level of usage even with 4-5 meals a day.

It’s another c £1 to run the oven for an hour at full whack too - but again, this seems unlikely.

How high are your energy bills? Is it just an extra £60 per month you’re quibbling about? You must be recovering a lot of that through reducing their pocket money and board pay. The actual food they’re eating probably costs more than the energy used to cook it…