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 think lots of younger people prefer hot cooked food to cold cereal or sandwiches.
I’d buy a big sack of oats, it’s going to be cheaper than porridge pots and avocado. Likewise I’d buy big bag pasta as that’s cheaper than bread and fillings.
Can you agree a food budget with them and what basics you will buy.
Obviously if they are massively overeating eg taking all the chicken for dinner and having for lunch but it sounds like their tastes are pretty simple and they would just like adequate basic food.
I couldn’t imagine asking 3 teens to buy their own pasta for example. Lots of shops sell big bulk bags or value range very cheaply.

Maybe the "family" dinner that the OP is providing is teeny tiny and not nearly enough food, hence her teens needing more.

Given her position on everything I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't just getting a dollop of gruel.

Jesus Christ I've read it all now.

"My kids are cooking healthy meals from scratch how can I get them to stop."

FYI instant porridge is not healthy it is full of sugar and crap. Homemade porridge made from porridge oats in a pan is actually healthy.

And you're more annoyed that your kids are ignoring you rather than the cost of cooking? Unless they are cooking meth then your bills shouldn't be that high from using the cooker. Maybe look at other things in the house that could be contributing to higher bills if cost is an issue, but it sounds like you're just a control freak tbh. Taking away their pocket money because they want to cook healthy meals. It beggars belief.

She isn't an arse
She is providing 3 healthy meals a day.
What she isn't doing is offering a 24 hour buffet service. Nobody needs to be eating round the clock. And who needs 2 dinners? That's just greed.

How are they taking the piss when they are buying their own food?

How are they taking the piss because they eat when they are hungry?

No. Begrudging your children oats and pasta = full arse. I'm calling it.

overnight oats are digusting, they're soggy and gloopy.

WTF?!

You sound absolutely deranged.

Making your kids buy kitchen appliances because they want to eat hot food and you won't let them use (the family) oven?!?!

Is she though? She says breakfast, lunch and dinner but no evidence they are healthy or filling.

Neither are they asking her for a 24 hour buffet service, they are feeding themselves.

So they can use the ingredients if it's a recipe you approve but not if it's not?

But they aren't overweight and are actually going shopping and cooking for themselves so they must actually be hungry. They're making oats and sausages and protein brownies... not crisps and chocolate and cups of noodles or whatever junk most teens graze on.

My daughter eats easily twice what I do. She is a dancer and has class hours most days. She's tiny and hungry all the time. She regularly has double servings, or a round of peanut butter toast after dinner or similar. She needs it and she's fine.

This!
Your post has made me feel really sad @Boysfood. Be happy to have 3 healthy teenagers who are looking after themselves.
They are hungry all the time at this age.

Bollocks it is.
Running two gas hobs and an electric oven for an hour costs £1.20 maximum. If that's what they are doing extra on average per day that's maximum £37 per month extra on energy, and she's deducted their pocket money and increased rent from the older one to compensate. She just doesn't like them cooking full stop. It's controlling and weird.

I find it really odd that this is adding so much to your bills. Is that really your objection, or is it the mess, or that you want control of the kitchen? Obviously they are still hungry after you have provided dinner or they wouldn’t be cooking again… you need to come up with a solution that solves the problem: they are hungry and want hot food, so either you cook more or they do. If it’s really about money have a kitty by the cooker and get they
to put £2 in it each time they cook on the stove.

I’d let them get on with it as long as they’re clearing up. Three hungry young boys that know their way round the kitchen and cook for themselves isn’t such a bad thing. Maybe stop the doing the main meal for them and keep a secret stash of oats!

Stop being so argumentative.

Where does it say that?

You posters that make up your own narrative are the worst thing about MN. You've clearly nothing constructive to add.

Unless they are cooking things that take hours in the oven, I can't see how it's costing so much. I don't mean to be patronising, but are you sure the issue isn't somewhere else in your home?

Have you tried a smart meter to check how much you're actually using on different appliances?

Honestly, teenagers cooking (especially boys) is such a positive thing I'd be looking at all other ways to reduce my electricity bill before telling them to stop. It's a really important life skill to practice.

Can you make extra when you cook so there is leftovers? Teenage boys do seem to have hollow legs.

That said, if you can afford avocados you can afford for them to cook up some pasta surely?

My daughter eats easily twice what I do. She is a dancer and has class hours most days. She's tiny and hungry all the time. She regularly has double servings, or a round of peanut butter toast after dinner or similar. She needs it and she's fine.

@PurpleThistle7 Agree. My 7 year old son eats twice what I do but he plays sport 5 days out of 7 and burns that food right off. I imagine by the time he's a strapping 16 year old he'll eat me out of house and home but would I begrudge him more food if he needed it? Nope.

Would I make him buy his own air fryer? No. I'd provide it for him if I thought it was necessary.

Would I be earmarking food as 'mine'? Nope. I'd just buy more of it if it was what everyone wanted.

Would I take THE FUSE out of the oven to prevent him cooking for HIMSELF? Not unless I lost my marbles.

At this point I don't know if OP is horribly controlling or has a problem with food herself.

It's not reasonable in a household for everyone to cook individually: it sends utility bills through the roof.

She's asked politely and they've ignored her. 4 or 5 hot meals a day is unnecessary.

Lol just leave them to it
They seem very capable
Stop making them dinner too
And 1 by one hopefully they leave home soon

We don't even know what OP cooks so we can't say how healthy it is and if there really is a need for second dinner or not though

But removing a fuse? Do you realise how completely BATSHIT that is 😂

Is it really the hob that’s pushing your electricity bill too high? What’s your other usage?