'AITA because I stopped cooking dinner for my husband and son?'
"AITA because I stopped cooking dinner for my husband and son?"
IDONTKNOWPICKLES
I (37 f) am fed up with making dinner only for my husband (39M) and son (13M) to usually not eat it. They have both become the most unbearable pickiest eaters on the planet and I'm so sick of their ridiculous nonsense.
At first, I was able to make at least 10 different dishes out of their picky eating habits, so I'd rotate those out. Over these last few years they have both gotten worse with their picky eating to the point where there's only like 3 different dishes they will eat that I cook.
I cook really well. I am Spanish and my mother taught me how to make so many different cultural dishes as well as "Americanized" dishes. My husband is American italian, he won't eat anything that isn't American/italian but he's even pickier than that.
To give you an example, he will only eat white meat chicken that isn't touching any bone, he will never touch seafood...he told me that he used to be the person that would only order chicken fingers at a restaurant so im married to the adult version of that kid.
My son has recently started following in his image. My son used to have a wide palette and would try anything but not anymore, all of a sudden he cant handle anything just like my husband (they aren't even blood related; my husband is stepfather.)
They used to loved my dishes and I used to get a lot of praise for how good my cooking was. I'm not sure why, over time, they have become the pickiest eaters! Now all I get is "I'm not hungry right now I'll eat later" and then they dont touch the food and it goes to waste. Or straight up "I'm not eating that" when it is perfectly delicious and edible.
Im so sick of the two of them that I have refused to cook for a couple months now and my husband brought it up like it was a problem that im not making any of the 3 damn boring a$$ dishes he can handle. I'm sick of cooking these 3 dishes, and sometimes they wont even eat that!!
They've been fending for themselves for dinner and I feel way less stressed out now. And just so you know I work full time just like my husband does so why he can't do the cooking if he wants to be so picky I don't understand. Apparently, because I am a woman, I'm the one expected to cook? Over it! I come home from work ready to eat dinner but will he cook it, no?
So, I've been having to just have a "girl dinner" by myself which usually consists of cheese and crackers. I think im just ranting at this point. I wish someone else would mind dinner and I didnt have to be responsible anymore, anyway do you think I am an AH?
Here were the top rated comments from readers in response to the OP's post:
Fancy-Priority9863
NTA but start cooking nice food for you , you deserve that . Let them eat the mundane.
IDONTKNOWPICKLES (OP)
This made me emotional, I should start making dishes for myself. I dont know why I don't.
OriginalComputer5077
Batchcook it and eat it at your own leisure.
madpiratebippy
I am pretty sure that a penis is not going to fall off if he cooks and refusing to cook for him is totally valid. I think your kid is imitating him and I've seen kids get pickier and pickier because it gets parental attention. Like when Mom isn't looking the kid will scarf down whatever but when Mom's looking, they won't touch anything and whine.
If you're working full time maybe have a thing with your son where you go to a restaurant, one week he picks one week you pick, just as individual bonding time. This helped a LOT when my stepson was going through this. So the rule was he had to try things, he didn't have to finish them, and if he didn't eat when we were out I'd make him mac and cheese at home.
Kid ended up adoring lentils and Ethiopian food and eventually tried everything just because. The combination of no negative pressure, some extra hang out time where I learned a ton about Pokemon, and a backup option really helped him not become a super picky eater.
Luthien_Tinuviel411
I quit cooking for my partner because he was ridiculously picky, doesn't care if he lives off frozen dinners and processed crap and has no value or praise for home cooking. I eat wonderful meals while he microwaves a frozen pot pie and feels fine about it. I find it sad and disappointing but you can't make people value good home cooking if they don't.
Lustful_Stella
Well said! You're not the bad guy! It's okay to stop cooking if your husband and son are being too picky and don't appreciate your food. You've tried to make them happy, but they only like a few things, and sometimes they don't even eat those! You work just as hard as your husband, so it's not fair that you have to do all the cooking. It's okay to ask him to help or to take turns making dinner.
Empty_Antelope_6039
It's so bizarre to read that so-called "picky eaters" prefer factory made products that have been over-processed, under-seasoned with chemical additives and squeezed through an extruder to have minimal and uniform texture. There should be a different term for them like "infant palettes" since they only want warmed up baby food.
jeffprop
NTA. Reminds me of a reply someone made to someone with picky eaters a while ago. They told their family they can eat what she made, or make their own dinner and put bread, peanut butter, and jelly out on the kitchen counter. After a few days, they were miraculously cured of their picky eating.