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Anyone who has teens and preteens probably deals with this. Dinner time comes, and there is almost always at least one kid eating who is not mine. Not that I mind, I am happy to feed anyone who is hungry.
I just wonder what their parents think ? I mean, I want to know and monitor what my kids eat. And I know teenagers love to eat junk food, which we do not serve here. But what happens when they go home and their parents say "Oh ready to eat" and they say "no I ate at the neighbors house"
Tonite, one kid asked me if he could eat with us.
Which. if we did not live in an affluent neighborhood, would make me concerned about whether or not they have food at their house.
In our old neighborhood, which was much less than affluent, there were people we looked out for and made certain that they had food. And they were adults. One was a disabled vet. No way were we going to let him go hungry.
I would like to think it is because we have really good meals here. And it is not like we cannot afford it. And I do not let anyone go hungry, in fact, I donate often to the local food charity.
But I wonder if this is a common occurrence, being that my 12 and 15 year olds are the first teenagers I have and being it was long ago that I was a teen. Ad we did NOT eat at others houses.
Is this commonplace, and I just noticed it? Does anyone else deal with this?
No I am not about to say no, I just wondered if this happens with parents of other teens.
I had to put a stop to it. I tended to cook just enough for 5, and hated being put on the spot constantly to figure out how to stretch 5 burgers, or 5 chicken breasts, to feed extras. I told my three that if they wanted to invite a guest, it was fine, but #1, it should never be done in front of the guest, and #2, it had to be early enough for me to make adjustments. Otherwise, my kitchen was always open for snacks, and I had one boy who came for breakfast every day for three years. He would then walk to the bus with my own boys. Breakfast and lunch are much easier, I always had cereal, waffles, etc, as well as deli meats around. Dinner was different.
I have a 16 yr old DD at home and a 25yr old in grad school who often comes home on the weekends with friends in tow - I cook like I am feeding an army all the dang time.
My DD grazes at friends homes as well as eats at our house it just depends on where she is. It has never really phased me, if the kids are there and I am preparing a meal, I always offer for them to stay.
Several of DD's friends as well as my DS's girlfriend and a couple of his close friends know they are welcome to anything at anytime and they can help themselves. It has been like this in my house since the early teen years when the kids started just hanging out at each others houses. All I ask is if someone takes the last of something that they note it on my wipe board in the kitchen so I can restock. It is not unusual for me to walk in the door and find my DS and one of his pals making breakfast for the family or for me to brown up an extra pound of bacon when one of the friends suddenly shows up in time for breakfast.
I am a feeder, I agree with you OP, no one should go hungry, ever.
I think kids are just way more casual than we were when I was a kid and there were all these "rules" about eating or staying at someone elses house. Also, so many parents work, that meals are just way more causual.
Heck, I'm surprised DD's BFF's parents don't send me a rent bill for as much time as she spends at their house
Anyone who has teens and preteens probably deals with this. Dinner time comes, and there is almost always at least one kid eating who is not mine. Not that I mind, I am happy to feed anyone who is hungry.
I just wonder what their parents think ? I mean, I want to know and monitor what my kids eat. And I know teenagers love to eat junk food, which we do not serve here. But what happens when they go home and their parents say "Oh ready to eat" and they say "no I ate at the neighbors house"
Tonite, one kid asked me if he could eat with us.
Which. if we did not live in an affluent neighborhood, would make me concerned about whether or not they have food at their house.
In our old neighborhood, which was much less than affluent, there were people we looked out for and made certain that they had food. And they were adults. One was a disabled vet. No way were we going to let him go hungry.
I would like to think it is because we have really good meals here. And it is not like we cannot afford it. And I do not let anyone go hungry, in fact, I donate often to the local food charity.
But I wonder if this is a common occurrence, being that my 12 and 15 year olds are the first teenagers I have and being it was long ago that I was a teen. Ad we did NOT eat at others houses.
Is this commonplace, and I just noticed it? Does anyone else deal with this?
No I am not about to say no, I just wondered if this happens with parents of other teens.
Seems normal.....my daughter and all her friends just seemed to eat where ever they were when food was available. None of us parents worried that a child was eating there because their parents weren't feeding them....but if we thought that was happening we'd just feed them all the more.
Most people cook to have leftovers....no biggie that you have to take a sandwich to work rather than left over chicken parm.
The kids knew what each family's signature dishes were....lol.
Seems normal.....my daughter and all her friends just seemed to eat where ever they were when food was available. None of us parents worried that a child was eating there because their parents weren't feeding them....but if we thought that was happening we'd just feed them all the more.
Most people cook to have leftovers....no biggie that you have to take a sandwich to work rather than left over chicken parm.
The kids knew what each family's signature dishes were....lol.
Oh you got that right!
Evidently my French Toast and spaghetti are legendary, another parent has to die for chicken picata and one of our new friends evidently makes a shepherds pie that is amazing!
Having four kids, I always just made a big meal. Sometimes there were "stragglers" and sometimes my kids were the "stragglers' somewhere else and I brought leftovers to lunch the next day. No biggie.
Occasionally I'd start to cook dinner and realize that there were extra people in the house. I'd just go to the door and say, "Is anyone staying for dinner?" If they were, I had time to make adjustments. Once in a blue moon I might say, "Just wanted to give you a heads' up - we only have five chicken breasts. If ______ is staying, you're going to have to share!"
Oh you got that right!
Evidently my French Toast and spaghetti are legendary, another parent has to die for chicken picata and one of our new friends evidently makes a shepherds pie that is amazing!
My daughter had a lot of international friends...she got to eat the most phenomenal Indian curries and other dishes...Cuban, Authentic Mexican....Arabic....and she learned to cook a few as well. Another friend's mother was a retired chef....the child ate well...lol.
I was known for a chicken lasagna style dish and my husband for his sausage gravy and biscuits he'd make for slumber party mornings.
Not all moms cook a family style meal every night (I dont) and older kids make something for themselves or heat up left overs. So your home style meal might just hit the spot. Or they just want to hang out longer.
i wouldn't worry about upsetting other parents at that age. It's up to the teen to know their parents plans and policy.
When I was growing up my oldest brother's friend was always turning up at dinner time but it was ok, he never actually wanted what we were having, just a cheese and pickle sandwich!
I wish my kid had more friends come over for dinner more often. I always make too much! I love having guests over. I guess it's just because when I was growing up, we always had people visiting so the house was always so lively!
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