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Wife refuses to cook

(138 Posts)
pascal30 Tue 31-Jan-23 09:08:17

argymargy

This really isn’t about the cooking, is it?

exactly

sodapop Tue 31-Jan-23 08:59:53

I have never cooked since I remarried. My husband was a chef and I hate cooking. He would like it if I cooked once in a while but has accepted its not going to happen. I do all the washing up and if he doesn't feel like cooking we have beans on toast or similar. There are no take away places in our rural area of France.
Accept the inevitable 4thtwin and adapt to the situation.

Madgran77 Tue 31-Jan-23 06:50:29

I think you need to

1. Accept she dislikes cooking
2. Batch cook yourself and fill the freezer
3. Make meal plans for a week and shop accordingly, no big fuss, just do it
4. Plan in occasional take away meals to your meal plan
5. IF she decides to cook when the pressure on this issue is off, accept it with grace , adjust the meal plan and move on
6. Stop being fixated on your idea if sharing the cooking, it won't work

argymargy Tue 31-Jan-23 06:48:04

This really isn’t about the cooking, is it?

Mitzigem Tue 31-Jan-23 03:53:12

It sounds to me as though she does not like cooking . I’m not sure you can persuade her . I’m on the other side of you . I do all the cooking , my husband does not cook and will not . He has no interest whatsoever. We have been married 42 years . He will of course make the odd sandwich or toast but that’s it . I’ve accepted it . He does help with all housework and he does the gardening which I don’t do , so it does balance out . You seem to enjoy cooking , so maybe just keep enjoying.

Kim19 Tue 31-Jan-23 02:48:06

Think this adapt and survive (blossom even) time. If the lady doesn't want to cook and you don't mind then just get on with it. Do it with a willing heart or not at all. Good luck to both of you.

NotSpaghetti Tue 31-Jan-23 02:38:24

I also think she you won't ever make her cook as you want. She obviously isn't that bothered about food. If you won't eat "greens and cabbage and stuff like that" you obviously have fixed ideas about what you actually want so she doesn't actually have free rein either.

If she's told you that you are "lecturing" then you probably are. I wouldn't want to cook with you either and wouldn't want you breathing down my neck about it.

You are making this about power and control I think and will be pushing her away by being an enforcer.

If I found myself in your shoes I'd suggest we revise the cooking situation altogether. I'd ask her would she be happy doing (say) the shopping and I'd take over the cooking of the evening meal.
Give up on this alternate-night business as she loathes it. Stop forcing her to abide with this ancient agreement and see if you can come to a mutually acceptable way of living.

Alternatively try never ask what she's cooking, whether she has the ingredients and don't take over the prepping and then eat what she gives you. Take yourself away, do other chores or read a book. On her days give her absolute autonomy.
I would hate it if my husband "helped" me if I was cooking and although my husband cooks more than I do I don't enjoy watching or helping him do it!

Good luck.

Hithere Tue 31-Jan-23 01:46:08

"I've even offered for us to cook together and she hates that because when I try to show her anything then she gets all in her feelings saying I'm just lecturing her. I'm surprised she hasn't cut herself by the way she holds a knife."
No wonder she doesn't want to cook with you, it is not an enjoyable experience at all. Don't blame her

This is now a powerplay between you too.

I would respect she doesn't want to cook

Hithere Tue 31-Jan-23 01:43:26

Also looks like eating home cooked meals is a priority for you, not so much for her

welbeck Tue 31-Jan-23 01:25:57

you sound a bit rigid in your thinking.
consider that maybe she never liked cooking, but agreed to the alternate nights just for a quiet life.
why are you trying to enforce it.
she doesn't want to do it.
you are better at cooking, so why don't you do it.
or have take-aways now and again.
are any children still living with you ?
you have to decide if this is so important.
is it worth splitting up over.
try to be more flexible.
you cook and she does the washing up, tidying away, cleaning the kitchen.
but don't sound like a schoolmaster, laying down the law. that would annoy anyone.

Hithere Tue 31-Jan-23 00:08:36

She doesn't like cooking - that is clear

If the issue is that she doesn't know what to cook, why not making a meal plan?

Redistribute the house chores to compensate for this

CanadianGran Mon 30-Jan-23 23:10:57

I hate to say it, but 20 years into this relationship I think you have to face the fact that she's just not going to do meal prep.

Why don't you negotiate that she do other household chores, and then on your nights for prep, make two meals worth? Try not to let resentment get in the way.

4thtwin Mon 30-Jan-23 22:07:07

The title of the post may come across as chauvinistic but I assure you it's not. Here's the background. I was a single dad with full custody of my daughter since she was about 2 years old. We had our own place and I was responsible for all meal prep. If we wanted to eat then it was all on me. I come from a mom who always cooked big sunday dinenrs for me and my 6 other siblings and we'd always get together with food being the central theme. I quickly learned how to cook like my mom. A few years later I met my wife, girlfriend at the time. She was coming off her first divorce with 2 sons in tow, I'd invite her to my place and cook meals for her and she loved it. And every now and then she'd invite me to her place and she'd cook for me. Her meals were typically spaghetti or fried chicken. Nothing too extravagant. Her and her sons eventually moved in and with both of us working we made the meal that we would alternate cooking nights. She'd cook one day and I'd cook the next. This way no one person is responsible for cooking every day. Granted, my wife claimed to be a great cook. She loved southern style cooking. Fried chicken, pork chops, greens, etc.

Fast forward some 20 years and it seems that she refuses to cook anything. She blames me for that saying since I don't eat greens and cabbage and stuff like that she forgot how to cook them. We're Afro-American and those dishes were staples in our home growing up. I never took a liking to green, cabbage and things like that. Well, it seems that the longer we were together the less she cooked. We both worked outside of the home and when we'd get home from work you cooked for the family. On my nights I'd have a meal planned but on her nights it was always "I have no idea what I want to cook". She thinks meal prep takes days and hours to do. I can think of a meal for the next day during a commercial break. My wife now says things like "I hate to chop veggies" or "I don't have an idea what to cook." She's gotten to the point to when she cooks I have to do the prepping for her. Our cabinet is full of spices and we have two deep freezers stocked full. She refuses to dig in the deep freezer to pull out some chicken or ground beef because that takes time away from her doing something else.

Now it seems like when it's her night to eat we'll usually do take out or fast food. Typically on Saturdays we'd be out running around and I'll ask what she has planned for dinner the next day so we can stop byt he store if she doesn't have everything or if she needs an ingredient or spice. She'll now complain saying it's her night and I shouldn't worry about it. Typically the next day she still won't have an idea then complain when she's short on an ingredient. Typically she'll continue to cook it minus the ingredient she didn't have. We're now in our early 50s and I can't seem to get her to cook anything.

We both work from home now permanently due to covid and we're steps away from the kitchen. She actually has her work station on our kitchen table. But when she gets off work she'll sit there for an hour or two playing on her phone or scrolling through Facebook. When I get off work an hour or so later she'll ask me what I want for dinner and I'll say something like " a home cooked meal." She usually smacks her teeth and walk away. I've even gotten to the point where I'll even say "hey, I'd love for you to cook this week, something, anything." And again she complains that cooking takes too long and she just doesn't have the time. But again, she gets off work an hour and a half before me.

I've asked a similar question on other forum sites and most of the people have usually replied that if I want a mean I should just cook it myself. That sort of defeats the purpose of us alternating nights so one person isn't responsible for cooking every night. Others have said that maybe I should just start cooking for myself and leve her to fend for herself. But do you know how well that would go over if I only fried 1 or 2 pieces of chicken, make a lasagna for 1, or just fix enough for me?

I've even offered for us to cook together and she hates that because when I try to show her anything then she gets all in her feelings saying I'm just lecturing her. I'm surprised she hasn't cut herself by the way she holds a knife.

I'm at my wits end on this. How do I get her to cook once in a while? Again, I'm not asking for a gourmet 5 course meal but just something she thinks about and plans. Standing in the kitchen stirring a pot takes away from her checking everyone's Facebook status. I've even given her recipes to follow and if it has more than 3 or 4 ingredients then she thinks that's a facny meal and she doesn't want to try it.

Bringing it up in a casual conversation usually ends up in an argument. Help. IS there anything I can do?