Who hates cooking for a large family ?

[perkin40]

Just that really. I have 4 children and they are all quite fussy and most nights they all want something different to eat. I usually end up cooking 3 different meals. I know i should make them all eat the same but i just want an easy life. Once a fortnight i take them out to eat at MacDonalds as they all like that.
I'm not the greatest cook in the world and i don't enjoy cooking. Also hate washing, ironing and school runs!
Still trying for a fifth baby though! Am i crazy or what!!

Noooooo. You're not a restaurant.

Try and find a common denominator and cook according to that.

My 4 all like/tolerate spaghetti bolognese, roast chicken and roast potatoes, baked potatoes, sausage casserole. I erm have a limited repertoire.

I'm with winky - you aren't a cafe/restaurant. Of course they will all ask for different things if you are daft kind enough to cook them for them.
How old are your dc? I found the moaning dropped about 95% once they all had to take a turn at cooking one of the family meals each week.

I don't like cooking either, and want an easy life - that's why the choice here is 'take it, or leave it'.

I also hate ironing so I don't do it! Not ironing make doing the washing more bearable.

As for cooking, I just about get 1 meal on the table, at a push I'll do fish fingers instead of chicken dippers for 1 of the DC's if I'm doing a freezer meal, the rest of the meal will be the same though.

If we're having chicken then I know DC2 won't eat it so I'll just give him extra rice or whatever. Some evenings there is a complete rebellion and a couple of them might go to bed having chosen to eat nothing at all (despite my actually asking them before hand what they may like)...they seem plump and energetic enough, the next morning they are just extra keen for their breakfast.

I've also found the odd thing that they all like, extra long spaghetti is a hit in this house as it always goes.

Thanks ladies. My kids are 7, 9, 12 and 14. About time the two eldest learnt to cook i reckon!

Many years ago I would make seperate dinners not anymore. Mine are 12,8,6 and 4. No matter what I make there is one child who doesn't like it or refuses to eat it. AS someone said, they just wake up ravenous. I always get one moaning (usually the youngest) and he doesn't eat it. I tell them eat it or not. If you don't eat it don't dare ask me for anything else after dinner time. I am a hard woman. I am sure if mine didn't get any other crap they would eat all their meals because they would be hungry enough.

Can you tell that dinners mixed with children are really getting on my nerves. Can't wait til they can all cook me dinner.

I agree with whomoved. I have 5DC and only 1 meal is made - if they like it, great, if not, tough!

Usually the meals feature pasta, rice, cous cous, potato etc, so if they are not keen on the eg. curry, they will just fill up on rice.

All healthy weights - I believe if they were really hungry they would eat anything - they will just be up extra early next day for a big breakfast

Oldest 5 kids (aged 12 down to 6) take turns with me writing the meal plan display for the week, cuts the arguments and moans as they know that their turn will come to have a week of favorites. Also adds a bit of variety when my meal creativity is exhausted. Interestingly they often go around asking for ideas from the other kids so generally pretty happy. I do offer a vegetarian alternative to a couple of dishes as it suits my tastes eg lentil dahl or spag bolg.

Remember you can't please everyone 100% of the time in a big family. It will prepare them well for being polite if they don't get served their favourite meals at friends/relatives houses.

Have to admit the whole planning meals, shopping (online mainly), cooking under pressure of hungry kids during homework/ after school activities and clean up is not my favourite part of large family life so will be watching thread for good ideas.

Have to agree with others here. Cooking more than one meal is madness and just not fair on you. It's inadvertently teaching them to be fussy in my opinion. I can see you are doing it from a good place though and with kindness but you need to stop!

Base meals on the things they do like and gradually add a few ingredients to change things up a bit. If they like pasta then add a few things to sauces, Lasagne can be made with similar ingredients to spag bol so once they accept one thing, add another to the weekly menu! Cottage pie can be chili with just a few changes, doesn't have to be amazingly impressive food but just good home cooked simple filling meals with a few veges shoved on the side.

I am a crap cook by the way but I do insist that my boys all eat the same things. (DS2 will pretty much eat everything and anything which is a blessing!) Being a mother is hard enough without making life harder on yourself.

Five to cook for here - aged 14, 13, 12, 10 and 9. The 10 year old has a couple of allergies which makes it more 'interesting', but I put a basic meal on the table and cook around it. If we're having pasta, I break it all down so there's the pasta, a sauce, the cooked bits ie veg and cheese. Then everyone piles on what they want. It means more pans, but everyone kind of eats the same. Roast is a favourite as is mince tacos / spaghetti. Pizza comes with sides of salad. etc etc.

Also I got all mine to eat courgettes by grating it into spag bol, same with carrots. Made the bits bigger each time.

Each of them likes something more than the other, so sometimes a few of them are happy and the others not so much and it swaps on other days - I just have to make sure that each gets a turn at their favourite meal. Tonight my dc2 is going to be happiest - I've got a gammon joint to serve with pineapple and egg with chips and veg. The others will eat some, but not all of it.

DD2 is lactose intolerant, DS2 won't touch red meat (he hates the taste) and DS1 + DD1 are quite fussy. It's rather annoying

Why are you cooking more than one meal? You're not doing them a favour you know - they'll be thought of as annoying when they're older if they're fussy.

Cook a meal, if they don't like it they can make themselves bread & butter or go hungry.

And yes, the 12 and 14 year olds should definitely know how to cook by now!

Sod that for a game of soldiers! One meal cooked eat it or don't there's no alternatives. I wouldn't cook something that everyone hated but I do cook things that aren't everyone's favourites. Who gets to eat exactly what they like all of the time anyway? Mine are 9,7,7, and 4.

Just to add that at 12 and 14 I'd definitely expect them to know how to cook. My nine year old hhas just cooked everyone lunch of scrambled egg on toast. He can also make pasta bolognese and a few other simple dishes.

Mine are still young (under 6) so they eat what I what I put on the table (vegetarian) or they don't get to choose which fruit/corncakes they have for dessert/snack. At the occassional push; I'll do a hot curry or something for me and DH and something for the DC. I also find cooking in batches and freezing saves me a lot of time. I don't mind cooking though

You are not a resturant, if you want an easy life then don't make them everything they want or they'll keep expecting it.

Homemade pizzas (I make and freeze the bases but you can just buy them) are a big hit with my lot, they can top them with anything they like and swap slices with each other and also Sushi, mine love making a mess and making their own rolls .

My kids are big fans of my family's Russian food like Pohlebka, Bliny with potatos and cheese, Hot Borscht, and their "treat" favourite; No-Beef Stroganoff. :)

Oh and I cook for 5DC (one twin isn't weaned yet) plus DH and I. DH cooks his famous Roggenkloesschen in Tomatensosse on Saturdays. Yummy!