‘My children are helping themselves to my food – they don’t listen to me’

The woman was seriously frustrated when her eldest child ignored her saying no about eating certain food in the house – she also had her suspicions they’d stolen her birthday chocolates

When you’ve stocked your house up with food, it can feel super satisfying. You’ve got food for the next week, enough snacks for your kids to devour and some cheeky little treats for yourself squirreled away somewhere your other family members can’t find…or so you think.

One woman was left astounded though, as she took to Mumsnet to complain that her children were not listening to her when she said they couldn’t eat certain foods in the house – and they were even lying about taking the treats. It was the last straw for the mum, though, when members of her household were stealing her birthday chocolate she’d hidden specifically so they couldn’t get their hands on it.

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She wrote: “Is it okay to have food in the house that belongs to a specific person?!

“For instance, this weekend my eldest was away on camp and my two youngest wanted crepes (just a cheap packet of ready made ones). Last night when the eldest got back he asked if he could have one and I said no as it was nearly dinner time and they’d been bought for the little ones.

“There were two left in the pack – went to get the youngest one this morning as she asked for it for breakfast and eldest has eaten BOTH. He’s also denied it but it couldn’t be anyone else.

“I’ve had chocolate bought for my birthday recently and the eldest has helped themselves (I wouldn’t mind but I’ve shared it when I’ve been eating it so it’s not as if I’ve been selfish). They don’t care that it’s not theirs, if it’s not hidden, they eat it.

“There’s plenty of other food in the house that they’re welcome to help themselves to…. bread, cooked meats, cheese, a selection of cereals, fruit, yogurt, etc.

“So am I being unreasonable saying that if something is bought for someone else it should still be there for them to eat?!”

Other mums offered advice on how to be more assertive and to set clearer boundaries.

One wrote: “I think you need to make it clear if something is to be kept for someone or something (ie used in a recipe) otherwise it’s for everyone.”

Another said: “Yeah that’s really rude and the type of behaviour that will make other members of the family obsessive about food, as if they don’t get it straight away they won’t get their fair share.”

A Mumsnetter said everyone was being unreasonable, writing: “On one hand I think that if there is food there for the kids then there can’t be for some of the kids and not for others. If you say something is off limits then that should be end of it though. So I will say everyone is being unreasonable here.”

Someone else commented: “I’d say birthday chocolates are a no go to helping yourself unless explicitly mentioned. I think not letting them have a crepe is harsh and I don’t blame them for helping themselves to the rest.”

Who do you think is being unreasonable? Let us know in the comments.