So annoyed with Stepson, I have to tell him off - how?

[W0rmy]

Now I have become accustomed to just how much he eats and have accounted for this when he stays by buying in bulk, and I know that he will raid the fridge and the larder and hunt down the reserve jar of chocolate spread so when I say "would you like some bread with that spread" - he can't smart arse me back with his knowledge of ample supplies.

BUT

When I prepare DHs packed lunch the night before I DO NOT expect it to be stolen from the fridge by DSS when he rolls in at two in the morning and is too lazy to get something for himself.

I was particularly irritated at 6am when I thought all I had to do is make a cuppa and a flask of coffee, only to find I have to make a packed lunch AGAIN!

AND the blighter is still in bed as we speak, I have already dragged the hoover down the stairs with the plug trailing and bouncing off every wooden step, and hoovered the entire downstairs.

Once I have managed to 'accidentally' wake him, how do I effectively tell off an eighteen year old with a sassy mouth?

SoupDragon.

Very inconsiderate of him. That would drive me mad. Could he not have found something in cupboard? Ask him to make his own sandwich before he goes out so he can eat it later on, not his father's sandwiches.

As for the lie-in, I think you need to chill out. He's only 18. It's what they do. It's not a crime. Plus, he's not under your feet or eating! Pick your battles.

I would have gone into his room at 6am and got him up to remake it tbh. I think there is too much restraint and not enough rage in this world. I would have stood at the end of his bed with a klaxon (sp?) and woken the fucker up. I would have done this at ten minute intervals until he begged for mercy.

My DH says I have anger issues, but he's wrong, obviously .

Here we always try to explain things as in how they relate to the real world - e.g. if you were in a house share and did that someone would be rightly annoyed. So it's a lesson worth learning once and learning well IMO.

mamalovesmojitos I had no intention of going into battle about the lie-in, not at all (I am pretty chilled about that and most of the teenage boy stuff he has done and is still doing), however by 10.30 I wasn't about to creep around the house so as not to wake him either

Anyway, he got up about an hour ago and I said nothing for a while, giving him a chance to say something first, - but nothing. So when he was on his second bowl of coco pops, I went with Soup's suggestion of "did you enjoy that dog food sandwich" followed by telling him I was seriously pissed off at having to make more lunch at 6 this morning.

He immediately offered to pay for it, explaining that he was just so hungry when he got in, so I told him the cost wasn't really the point, it was taking food that was clearly meant for someone else when there was plenty of other food to be had, plus his selfish act meaning more trouble for someone else. I told him if he did it again I would be hammering on his door at 6am to make more.

I thought it went quite well.

Sounds good! Next time, if you need my klaxon, you only have to ask and I'll let you have a lend of it (as they say round these parts - before the grammar police get on my case!)

Thank you chelen - that might be very handy, bouncing the hoover plug down the steps did nothing

W0rmy. Don't you think your landing looks like it could go a bit of a hoover? I'm sure you've just accidently spilled some crumbs there, haven't you

I did consider it babyheave, but thought it would really be rather immature

W0rmy you are very responsible you know! Sometimes on the dark days with both DSS and DS I find the only way to get through is by being immature!

W0rmy I'm sure he wonders why on earth you're making sandwiches for a grown man and as for the getting up at 6am to fill your man's flask. He'll think you are a throwback from the 1950s and seriously out of touch.

I'm just giving you the benefit of my knowledge of teenagers.

You're repeating yourself Prufrock.

I think you need to think laterally about this.

Next time you make your DH sandwiches, put a rude note about what you would like to do to him when alone.

If your DSS bites into that and realises what it is, I doubt he'll want to take the risk again

I make my DH sandwiches and flask - what's wrong with that?

He does lots of things for me

Dh always brings me up a cup of tea in the mornings at the weekend.

I must now be prepared for DSS to drink it before I have a chance, cos he'll find it so odd for a married couple to be doing something nice for eachother

I would inform him that he had just earned himself eighteen minutes on the naughty step, and that he had to say "Sorry Daddy" to his father when his father comes in from work.

I love that colditz

I have an amusing little update to this.

Last night DH and I had pork steaks for dinner, one of mine was a bit tough so I gave up on it and left it on the plate. I also left the plates out when we went to bed because I'm a bit of a slattern like that I was unusually tired.

Anyway DSS surfaced about an hour ago and asked if I'd noticed he'd eaten the leftovers, I said I didn't know there were any leftovers so he said

oh there was a bit of chicken on one of the plates I assumed no-one wanted it so I ate it, it was very nice

that was pork not chicken, didn't you find it a bit tough to cut?

oh I just it ate with my fingers, it was fine... it was ok wasn't it?

what that you ate the left overs? Yeah, that's ok.

no, that the pork was ok, was it?

oh, god what was wrong am I going to be ill?

I did eventually tell him it was ok. I can't believe he would want to eat it though, it looked pretty mauled after my attempts to cut it.

Lol @ wormys DSS.

Eurgh - why would you want to eat something with someone else's plaque all over it?

Arf @ allnew and her plaque comment

plaque? I hadn't chewed it allnew , I was trying to cut all naicely, with a knife and fork, like a laydee .

Mind you, I am a bit worried that he would want to eat it....

Lol - my mum used to always put us off eating off other peoples' plates by referring to their plaque!

He's a pig - no?

I'm always astounded at how much teens can eat and the weird and wonderful combinations of meals and timings.

Had a biiiiiig BBQ once. There were 4 adults, 3 teens and a 4 yr old. DH had cooked far too much, 10 burgers, 10 pork chops, maybe 20 kebabs and 20 sausages. Plus I'd done jacket spuds, salads etc.

The sausages were done first, so DH had plated them up and put them inside. All the adults plus DD were outside, the teens were inside. About 20 mins later DH took the rest of the meat in and not a single sausage was left. Between them the teens had eaten the lot whilst they were waiting!

Once we were all done there were maybe 5 chops and kebabs left. I said to the others that I'd turn that into a big stew/casserole thing the next day. Eventually all the adults (and dd) went to bed leaving the teens watching movies.

When I got up they'd demolished the leftovers AND a 6 pack of crisps!!

Bloody gannets!