Do you still cook for visiting grown up kids?

Yes Chewy and SueDonim the mystery of the disappearing Tupperware !

My son (and his 3 children) are mostly to blame what with last minute packed lunches and tubs full of whatever he has caught me making.

Cutlery seems to have legs in my house too (especially small spoons) so I bought a huge pack of little plastic ones which means they can just be thrown out after use.

I don’t cook for them or anyone else any more. I’m not up to much more than boiling an egg. Either they cook or we go to Marks and Spencer's.

I used to take my mother’s cooking for me and the children completely for granted. Then one day, when she was about 75 I think, she said she wasn’t going to go on doing it. I was surprised, but completely respected her decision. I simply hadn’t thought it might be getting too much for her. I’m ashamed of that.

I would share cooking if we were all on holiday, self catering, or if they were living with but for short visits I prefer to be in control of my own kitchen.

DS lives at home and there is only one DD. She has never cooked for us, when she was with her ex husband if we went to stay he would cook. Not very well I might add but better than DD.
She lives close now so doesn't need to stay over but if she visits and her dad is cooking curry, she will always stay to eat.

I always cook but I like it.

Ha, yes, Gillybob! Not so much china but when my Dd moved house in May, I received back much of the Tupperware that has been mysteriously disappearing from my house.

Our DS1 is a good cook too. Also his younger brother but we don't see him often (in India). I used to let them experiment in the kitchen when they were children - partly laziness on my part.
The last time they came to stay with us he made some lovely meals. Mostly spag bol (a few times)
The girls also help, especially DD1.

Yes gillybob! That's my bugbear too! Every week I have to ask for my serving dishes, tupperware boxes, plates, bowls and casserole dishes to be returned. And I'm still looking to find my quiche dish that's been missing for weeks!

I should have said they will be here for at least 5 days. I would cook if it was a day or so. Also - one vegetarian, one coeliac and one dairy free! Now where is that darkened room! ?

I often cook huge batches of things and then freeze it in portions. My kids know that there are always plenty home cooked meals hidden in my freezer “free for the taking”. My big bugbear though is plating dinners up for them or their partners to take home and have later and then never seeing my bloody plate again ! This goes for serving dishes and pans too ! Grrrrrrrr I’m missing half my dinner set at the minute .

Anno let's hear it for the sons who take over the kitchen and cook for mums!

I love cooking for my kids when they come to stay,
. It’s only ever for 3or 4 days at a time and they never all come at once. One of the benefits of living in a tiny cottage me thinks! If 8 grandchildren turned up I would have to lie down in a darkened room for days!
One son just has a partner. They come and sometimes I cook other times son takes us out. Other son has 3 kids. I have the 3 kids here at the moment. Yes I need to lie down in a darkened room!!!! I really do not know how you cope with having them all there together. ( by the way, they all live 200 plus miles away)

I'd forgotten about tinned toms on toast until a few years ago when it was on the breakfast menu of a guest house in the Lake District.

If mine visit (rarely), they take over the kitchen or take me out for a meal. DS1 trained as a chef and it's amazing what he can improvise with what happens to be in my fridge and cupboards. DS2 is a veggie and enjoys cooking. I'm not allowed in their kitchens unless to do a menial job like chopping vegetables.

Oh I'd love a lovely mum to cook for me.
Even my mum's sandwiches were great.
I miss my mum too, of course!

I'm a long way from being an earth mother but I'll admit to being chuffed to bits that my DS, DIL and GC love coming to eat at my house. I always cook "from scratch" and do far more than is necessary so that they can take stuff home with them to have the following day. And my picnics are legendary! <smug emoticon>

I've noticed my friend's son does that.
He heads straight to the kitchen whilst they're talking and has a good old look.

It's an odd question for me because my Sons drop in all the time and being blokes the first thing they do is look in the fridge and raid the biscuits. Then they'll say something like what are you having to eat followed by me saying why what do you want.Both my sons can and do cook but they still like mum's dinners.

When they come to our house, we feed them (and DH is the cook), when we go to any of them, they cook for us. Equality.

I'm another who isn't an earth mother.
I cook because it's necessary not fun!
One DiL is an excellent cook and D S loves to cook and host. His wife is more like me so we set tables and stack the dishwasher because we prefer eating to cooking!
I think the idea of a cooking rota is an excellent one.

When my DS2 and family come we take it in turns in the kitchen. When they arrive they are usually pretty tired from the journey so I have a meal ready foe them but on other days they go shopping and get a meal while I just sit and read and DH takes the DGD to the playground. I think they like "playing house"!

With DS1 it's a different matter because when they come they stay with his in-laws in the next village and only come to us for a few hours at a time. They help do the cooking, though, as we do when we visit them in California.

This is so timely for me, because we've had a right day of it here.
First the day was booked for major alterations in the kitchen.
Then youngest daughter, who we haven't seen for years, (don't ask) rang last night to say they're coming to visit today. On their way up north on holiday. Of course we said fine, come for a meal .
We had bought cold meat and salads, then fruit salad and ice cream.
And the kitchen work got finished.
Then this evening another friend came round for a long chat about his double hip replacements.
We're both kn......ed.

I fill the freezer over the weeks before a long visit, or prepare the night before for closer family visiting for the day. I usually cook in our house but if we are away with family we all cook different nights. Putting out the cereal, marmalade etc in the morning always seems to be my job but then I'm usually up first!

We've never had that many to cater for for a prolonged spell, only perhaps for a day or two (which we did the other weekend). Having them all to stay at once is lovely but tiring - and asking them to take turns at cooking is a great idea imo.
Although, come to think about it, DS barbecued one evening (and I did everything else!).

Love cooking for family and friends. They often get experimented on with new dishes. No complaints so far.
They in turn cook for us when we visit. We are all happy to lend a hand to each other.