I'm sick of running the 24hr "Corona Cafe" !

[Pebbles574]

DH and two young adult DSs at home and I am just TOTALLY fed up with all the food shopping (online), delivery & putting away, stocking, checking and constantly restocking the fridge, freezer and larder and the ENDLESS meals, snacks, cups of tea and coffee etc etc.

We take it in turns to cook dinner, but the mental load is still mine ("what shall I cook"/ "I don't know what to make"/ "how do a defrost XYZ" etc).

Also, I have a food intolerance which means that I can't eat a lot of ready meal type food (including soups and pasta sauces) so I tend to make stuff from scratch for me. But I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES THIS!
So for example today I made a huge batch of bacon, tomato and lentil soup which I thought would see me well into next week for lunches.
I said there was a small bowl each for lunch today, but to leave the rest to cool.
Then I came downstairs to find them all having massive bowls and seconds, emptying the pan and finishing off the loaf of bread which only just arrived this morning!

And it’s a constant round of nagging to get people to load and empty the dishwasher, and anything that needs handwashing just gets left on the side.

I really am totally fed up!

Anyone else want to rant too?

Yes I know how you feel, it is constant. Ordering a curry for tea so I don't have to cook AGAIN

I hear you! That part about the 'mental load' is SO true!
Even when someone else offers to cook I still have to answer every minute question, "what tray do I use/how long for?/what temperature?" Just READ the fucking instructions!!!

On the more positive side DD16 came downstairs today and just started drying the dishes with no prompting. I nearly fainted.

Yes, endlessly nagging to put things IN THE DISHWASHER NOT ON THE SIDE, do the recycling, shut drawers (drives me crackers that one) basically try to give a shit about the house and the work that is required to keep it marginally tidy.
I am furloughed so I do the lions share which is fine but Christ, I’m not their bloody slave!

Me too except DD is 4 and DH can't / won't learn to cook so that is that. I actually enjoy home stuff and cooking / food buying etc so am genuinely resentful that it's become such a burden.

Eldest claimed she didn't know how to make an instant coffee I've told her to ask Alexander or Google it.

She then asked how much milk to add...

Then to say we have run out of milk,

I'm fed up of being quartermaster for the useless!

If you were talking about children, I might get it

But you’re not

So... just try to talk and if no improvement sort yourself out. No one will starve and you’ll stop martyring yourself

I could have written your post word for word. I have two teenage sons who empty the fridge and cupboards in a couple of days. The endless pile of dirty things by the sink (which is beyond the dishwasher). Loo roll insides left on the bathroom floor. I feel like I'm constantly clearing up and cooking.

I know I'm starting to hit my limit as I've been fining the children 50p when they leave lights on for any length of time and leaving the loo seat up for the tenth time that day results in a chore penalty.

That first day back to school when I can have 8 uninterrupted hours to get on with my work will be so blissful...

I'm very amused by the phrase "quartermaster to the useless". Priceless.

I am just appalled by the VOLUME of food they consume! I know they are all 6ft men, but my god, it's like living with wild animals.

Now we are all at home I arrange food deliveries to arrive at a time everyone can help to bring through the crates and put things away. I hate the way my DSs start scanning all the food as soon as it arrives and trying to 'claim' stuff for later (WTF?).
I'm sure some of the eating is boredom eating too, but they're all as skinny as rakes, so I can't really argue when they say they're hungry!

Yes this! My dh offering to cook dinner to “give me a break” when I have to tell him what to cook and how to cook it....

I hear you. I have two older teens. I only cook one meal a day now. The other day my 15 year old asked me where in the dishwasher should he put his bowls? For FUCKSAKE use your fucking brain!
My eldest offered to cook tea the other day (this is rare and its always burgers) Which chopping board should I use? (I don't care) which knife? Can you come and check these are cooked? I don't get a break even when its meant to be one.

I feel for you. I'm royally fed up of all this catering and there's only DH and me!

My 14 year old is perfectly capable of putting what he wants on the shopping list (breakfast, lunches and snacks), cooking, taking his turn making cuppas, and only minimal reminding to do his job of emptying the dishwasher. I literally only think about his dinner during the whole day (DH is on a diet so cooks for himself) and even that we mutually agree when I edit the Ocado delivery.
If they can't be more responsible I'd go on strike after warning them tbh

Ugh! Yes I'm sick of constantly hearing "I'm hungry" or "what's for tea?" It feels like they never stop eating (but in reality they don't eat a lot). It's just the constant thinking about the next meal and trying to come up with something that we haven't already had.

Dd is very fussy so usually won't eat the same thing as the rest of us unless it's a home cooked meal like mince and dumplings with mashed potatoes but she won't eat cottage pie I'm just sick of the constant wanting cups of tea as well.
I've made a rod for my own back but seeing as I care for a disabled family member and do food/drinks for them I won't say no to anyone else asking for something even though they are more than capable - I'm a fool, I know!

Oh and DH and his lack of planning . . .

Me, on night before delivery, confirming order online: "Do you want me to order anything in particular for you to cook this week?"
DH : "No, just get the usual, that's fine."

DH (day after delivery): "Have we got any sausages?"
Me: "No, you didn't ask for sausages. There's mince, turkey, chicken, salmon and pork though . . ."
DH (with an audible sigh) "Oh, I just assumed you'd get sausages. I'll have to pop down to the crap overpriced shop and risk getting covid"
Me:

I so agree with this. The constant thinking and planning - and then having to re-think because the food delivery doesn't give me what I want. Or, like last week, the world's smallest cauliflower. Not much bigger than a tennis ball, and that was going to be the main part of a meal for the three of us!

DH has offered to cook. It's not the cooking part that I mind though - at least that gives me something to do! It's all the rest of it.

Mind you, DS1 and DH are good about clearing up, and they both sort themselves out at lunchtimes.

Yh I hear you all. Everyone is home and there is no end to the food admin.

I like cooking but oh! every night with the dinner. At least in normal times I am taking ds2 to sports practice most nights, often finishing too late to do more than have a snack...also they go to the footy on a weeknight. Now they just sit watching it and eating all the nice snacks grrrr

I could have written this post too. Have 4 (v tall) kids...ages 14 to 20....and a dh who are eating me out of house and home, and as Pebbles said, they are all as skinny as rakes so need it ( I thimk) . We are all working, college and online classes from home and it is like an always open cafe. We get 2 large food deliveries per week, but they are like gannets eating everything up! Even when they cook it's from food I've bought so its...' what will I cook?' What saucepan do I use?', 'will I cook pasta or rice??'. It is exhausting ( and v expensive! At the moment my kitchen is feeding 6 adults for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, with snacks, teas/ coffees, and some wine and beers at weekend. I worked out I'm spending around 280 -300 euro a week on catering! The dish washer is on twice a day and I'm sick of telling them to carry their mugs, plates, bowls etc from their work/gaming stations! Leave it there to the laundry....its never ending😭

If you take in turns to cook (lucky! In a single parent), then why not they meal plan so you order appropriately

Tell them all to grow the fuck up

DS (21) is also obsessed with having to have hot food at lunchtime - hates cold sandwiches - so there is always the smell of cooking/ frying etc. Also I've noticed DS2 (18) takes a lead from DS1, so whereas he would normally be happy with some fruit and a toastie and yoghurt, he's now joining forces with his brother and they're making vats of pasta or foraging in the freezer for pizzas/ breaded chicken and chips etc.

It honestly makes me feel quite sick to watch them!

@Pebbles574

Oh and DH and his lack of planning . . .

Me, on night before delivery, confirming order online: "Do you want me to order anything in particular for you to cook this week?"
DH : "No, just get the usual, that's fine."

DH (day after delivery): "Have we got any sausages?"
Me: "No, you didn't ask for sausages. There's mince, turkey, chicken, salmon and pork though . . ."
DH (with an audible sigh) "Oh, I just assumed you'd get sausages. I'll have to pop down to the crap overpriced shop and risk getting covid"
Me:

This is my husband! Will never specify what the "usual" is but woe betide if the pork product he wanted but didn't say to buy isn't in the fridge.

He also heads straight off to our local shop to buy it at a higher cost and defeat the purpose of trying to manage our risk by shopping once a week if possible.

Oh well...

Yep. Sick of it. I'm doing the online shop for tomorrow. I have asked DH and the two dds to give me 2 meals each because I'm sick of thinking about what to cook. Not one of them has suggested anything. Yet when it comes to dinner times there will be non stop morning and complaining.

In the initial madness of egg shortages, I managed to buy the last packet of eggs in our local Tesco. He went through them like a velociraptor (probably didn't eat eggs in fairness) so my sons were complaining that there were no eggs left for them.

No problem he breezed, I'll just swing by the shop and buy some more. Except there were NO MORE eggs or I'd have bought a couple of packets. He would not have coped with rationing in WW2.

He being my husband I should have said.