ISO modern day June Cleavers...

cuckoo_jenibeth

Is the mother that cooks dinner every night a thing of the past? I am 43 and the mothers of my generation prepared dinner for a family to gather together and enjoy as one. I cook dinner for my family every night. I work a full time job, I workout, I garden, and I cook. I was surprised to learn that, at least in my area, I am not the "norm". I am the only wife of the 6 married couples on our block that prepares meals on any regular basis. I decided to kind of "poll" the students at the high school where I work and discovered that I am not the "norm" amongst these families, either!

I know that there are other wives (or husbands) and mothers (or fathers) out there that cook nightly meals, but do you think that we are a dying breed? Is the next generation going to view us as old fashioned and repressed??

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Becka4Real

It makes me sad that people don't cook at home as much. I love cooking and find cooking for my family/others so enjoyable! I guess people feel "busy" or that cooking is hard to do? I can make most weeknight dinners in 30-45 minutes with prep!

cuckoo_jenibeth

I always laugh at my neighbor that never "has time" to make dinner. Almost without fail, I have dinner on the table in the amount of time it takes her to get everyone's orders, hit the drive thru, and return home! Plus, mine tastes better and has a fraction of the fat and calories!

skahtboi

I think, due to such influences as Food Network and Cooking Channel, and their "celebrity chefs," you are beginning to see a renaissance of cooking. It seems more and more people are looking for things that they cannot find in restaurants, or are seeking the thrill of achieving it themselves.

I have always found cooking to be therapeutic. After a day filled with working with middle schoolers, it is almost a need for me to come home, get a run in, shower and then go to the kitchen and chop things up!

cuckoo_jenibeth

ThomasW13 wrote: »

i love to cook. no family though of course so its not quite the same. i do it because i enjoy it more than anything,

but i definitely agree that it is a dying breed of people who enjoy it and are willing to do it regularly. most of the girls i know can't cook to save their life. unless its y'know like a grilled cheese or something.

So these women will not be able to teach their children how to cook, and their children won't teach their children....
I have such great memories of cooking with my mom & my grandmothers! Plus, back in the olden days when I went to school, we had Home-Ec; I loved Home-Ec!

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Becka4Real

ThomasW13 wrote: »

i love to cook. no family though of course so its not quite the same. i do it because i enjoy it more than anything,

but i definitely agree that it is a dying breed of people who enjoy it and are willing to do it regularly. most of the girls i know can't cook to save their life. unless its y'know like a grilled cheese or something.

It's kind of unfortunate that women these days aren't learning to cook. I get the career thing, but, ladies, men like to eat. Learn to cook, keep a man! LOL

Organicgasm

I'm always surprised at how few people take the time to cook all their meals. Going out or hitting fast food is a very rare thing I'm our house. And the price of a meal for a family of 5 would just knock me on my butt. But I spend a lot of time following homesteading blogs, so I know people can make time for a lot more than just cooking dinner. I raise up my meat, process it myself and still have time to cook the whole meal. It can be done.

Laura732

I'm another one that goes home and cooks everynight. Sometimes I even clean, too

skahtboi

jenibethbu wrote: »

I always laugh at my neighbor that never "has time" to make dinner. Almost without fail, I have dinner on the table in the amount of time it takes her to get everyone's orders, hit the drive thru, and return home! Plus, mine tastes better and has a fraction of the fat and calories!

I think people are starting to figure this out, too. However, there will always be the lazy folk who think they are saving themselves time by doing this. That was how fast food came about to begin with

cuckoo_jenibeth

[/quote]I have always found cooking to be therapeutic. After a day filled with working with middle schoolers, it is almost a need for me to come home, get a run in, shower and then go to the kitchen and chop things up! [/quote]

I agree on several fronts! I also find cooking to be therapeutic. I also like the "normalcy" of the ritual after a day of working with high schoolers!

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emdeesea

I could not think of anything more boring than cooking every night. I hate it. It's right up there with doing the dishes. My SO loves to do it though, so he does it.

I do the yard work. I love to do that. He hates it.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

I do not cook meals daily. I batch cook protein and then we fill in carb/veg as we see fit. I don't really see the point in cooking different meals each and every day, to be honest.

Becka4Real

ThomasW13 wrote: »

Becka4prez wrote: »

ThomasW13 wrote: »

i love to cook. no family though of course so its not quite the same. i do it because i enjoy it more than anything,

but i definitely agree that it is a dying breed of people who enjoy it and are willing to do it regularly. most of the girls i know can't cook to save their life. unless its y'know like a grilled cheese or something.

It's kind of unfortunate that women these days aren't learning to cook. I get the career thing, but, ladies, men like to eat. Learn to cook, keep a man! LOL

you know, like I love it when women actually know how to cook. but its not something i expect in the traditional sense either. like i couldn't be the guy who sits on his butt while she's slaving away in the kitchen...i just think it says a lot about when someone is NOT lazy and cares about putting in EFFORT. if a woman does that in the kitchen then it really says something. Most don't is the problem.

I see cooking a meal as a way to say you care for someone. I love feeding my family and friends! I care about them. My husband doesn't do much in the kitchen, but he's so helpful in so many other ways, I don't even think twice about it.

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cuckoo_jenibeth

I will say that my husband revels in the fact that the neighbors are jealous of his "cooking wife"! Every time they talk they ask what is/was for dinner. He says it is sad & funny, they listen so excitedly and then glumly respond that they had a frozen burrito or a drive thru fried something-or-another.
Of course, nothing prevents these men from cooking, either!

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BethClicks

eh, I cook a meal every night for my family, nothing too elaborate but there's a protein and a veggie on the table every night. It takes 30 minutes max, better in the summer when the whole lot can be popped onto the grill!
We live in a Rural town, 30 minutes from the nearest store or drive through anything, so popping out for dinner would be a pain. I don't mind cooking, my husband hates to cook. I don't like housework so he does that, I handle food and shopping and kid stuff. It's a good life

skahtboi

BethClicks wrote: »

eh, I cook a meal every night for my family, nothing too elaborate but there's a protein and a veggie on the table every night. It takes 30 minutes max, better in the summer when the whole lot can be popped onto the grill!
We live in a Rural town, 30 minutes from the nearest store or drive through anything, so popping out for dinner would be a pain. I don't mind cooking, my husband hates to cook. I don't like housework so he does that, I handle food and shopping and kid stuff. It's a good life

Open fire makes cooking even better!!!

wizzybeth

Why does it have to be the woman? I personally hate cooking because I can never make something that everyone will eat unless it's frozen pizza, spaghetti, etc. I am not skillful, neither was my mother - her meals were bland and pretty boring and yes, the three of us sat down to eat together but it was not a pleasant meal, usually silence or my dad was nasty and telling me to be quiet a while and just eat. Always the same - meat, potatoes, some kind of veggie. If mom made broccoli for her and I, dad would without a doubt declare yech, blech, how can you eat that crap...instead of just eating his food that he likes. Meals were not "fun" or pleasant for me as a kid, and neither are they now. The only nice times we really had at mealtimes when I was a kid were most of the times on holidays (maybe) or if we went out to dinner at a restaurant and dad was on his best behavior not to be a jerk.

When the kids are out of the house I may cook meals for my husband and I with pleasure...not sure. He does eat what I make without complaint, and is always willing to try something new and different, but my kids ...meh. The oldest one will try anything once - the other two are often very skeptical or flat out refuse to eat something out of our normal.

I hate mealtimes. Even when my oldest was a brand new baby...when it was mealtime, she always chose then to have a crying jag. When she was old enough to be in her high chair and eat with us, she cried the entire time. We often said "Yup, it's supper time, the dog wants out 9 thousand times, and the baby is screaming. Joy." LOL

asianfashionista86

Cook?

Iscah13

I would rather bake. I love pies and cookies

asianfashionista86

borst14 wrote: »

I would rather bake. I love pies and cookies

A guy will make a joke about your cakes in 5...4..3..2

BringingSherriBack

BethClicks wrote: »

eh, I cook a meal every night for my family, nothing too elaborate but there's a protein and a veggie on the table every night. It takes 30 minutes max, better in the summer when the whole lot can be popped onto the grill!
quote]

This is me too. We are busy with both of us working fulltime and two kids both in sports year round. We may not even get to eat at that same time, but a meal is prepared 95% of the time and we try to eat it together as much as possible.

shadowofender

I cook and I bake, but not daily. It's just not a huge priority for me and my lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with that. I don't feel like I missed out on anything because I have no memories of cooking with my mom when I was little. I don't see why it's a problem that my generation typically is less kitchen focused. If it makes you happy do it, if it doesn't make someone else happy then what's the issue?

In my house my boyfriend spends as much time in the kitchen as I do and we enjoy it about equally. It's just what works for us.

FitFroglet

Laura732 wrote: »

I'm another one that goes home and cooks everynight. Sometimes I even clean, too

that's just showing off!
lol

I cook very regularly, but not every night.
I tend to cook a pot of something that will do a couple of nights and I do buy meals from the shops to cook at home if I know I'm going to have little time between work and the gym (I walk or run everywhere now which eats into my spare time a bit).

Spnneil06

I am Melanie. 34 mother of five ranging from 18-7. I run an in home daycare with an additional 10 kids. I cook and clean, dance and sing. Love being a mom and everything it entails! We rarely go out to dinner, don't do fast food. It's sad how family life has changed.

CaitlinW19

I cook nearly all our meals for our household of two plus dog (though I don't cook for him). Because there are only two of us, I usually only cook a couple dinners a week and we eat leftovers for a few days. On the days I don't cook dinner I usually have to run errands after work. The mondern day housewife is out there.

cuckoo_jenibeth

I definitely don't think it has to be a "woman" thing; that's why I included husbands/fathers in my original post. And why I included the fact that these men, craving home cooking, could also take the reins in another response.
I am simply asking if family meal times are soon to be a thing of the past?
I am sorry to hear of your unhappy experiences with family meal times @wizzybeth. I can understand how that could shape a different outlook than the one I experienced!