Why do people think that single mums feed their kids chips and chicken nuggets all the time!??

Question

I am a working single mum and always have the time to give my kids proper meals, they have never had a microwave meal...or processed food, yet people always think that i am the exception to the rule, especially when it comes to single mums, and i have 2 kids.....please dont tell me that i am the exception!!
What is your family diet like?
do you feed your kids different meals to you...if so, why?

Answer 1

I had never heard that about single mothers.

I do have a great niece who will only eat chicken nuggets though, 6 of them, every meal. Her mother makes them herself though, so that isn't really what you meant. Her brother, on the other hand, will not put anything in his mouth from a fast food establishment, he craves fruits and vegetable and goes wild for sushi. Who knows.

Seriously though, you know exactly how hard it is to work all day, pick up your kids, get all their appointments done, and then when you are about to drop, get a home cooked meal on the table. Of course, in your spare time there is always a house to clean, laundry to be done, shopping, gardening, and helping the kids with homework, volunteering at their school.

I don't think that not having ever served them a microwave meal is really something to be proud of though, the microwave is just a tool like your stove or toaster. Utilize it to it's very best and you will have more time to spend with your kids. That's what those other mothers are going for you know, not just easy and fast, they want some free time to spend with their kids that isn't chore oriented.

Good for you.

My child raising days are long over but I put a hot meal on the table every night for my family. I was a stay at home so I did have the luxury but I tell you, if you do it right, keeping a home running smoothly for a family is a full time job. It never ends. I would much rather work outside the home and hire someone, I don't think I would have the stamina to do it all again.

Answer 2

I have always had this querie too.

My mum brought me and my brother up alone and I always had a fantastic diet.
infact I never knew what a microwave meal was until I was a student, and especially never pot noodles which everyone seems to rave about. I couldnt wait to buy a whole atack of them because we never had them at home, I bought heaps when they were on offer and they are still in the cupboard!!! Euch! Id rather have a bowl of homemade soup made with sunday dinners left overs any day!!

(and our mum worked two jobs)

Also, there was only one thing that we didnt have to ask for in our house and that was fruit. We could eat it until it was coming out of our ears, and as a result we did. Even now I will rather reach for an apple than a mars bar.

I dont know why people think that kids from single mums and dads live off of minute meals, but I know we certainly never did!

Answer 3

I was a single mom, the kids are grown now. I used the Crock Pot for most of my cooking during the work week. We ate Home made stew, pot roast, BBQ Ribs, chicken and dumplings, Beans. It was quit simple to work and put a decent meal on the table with this handy gadget. I would have never made it through without it. The meat and potatoes cooked while I was at work. When I came home all I had to do was add the Veggies and make a salad. With the exceptions of the pot roast and stew. Now that was a full meal in one pot! As for the beans, I did have to fry up some potatoes and throw a salad together, which took a whole 20 minutes. Yes a single mom can feed her children properly if she puts her mind to it. And, with little effort thanks to the good Ol' Crock Pot. On my days off we ate things like fried or baked chicken, meat loaf, things that can't be cooked in the Crock Pot. Or, we would break down and eat out. That's when we pigged out on the junk food.

Answer 4

Im the same as you, I brought up my two daughters on my own and always made sure they ate fresh veg etc. Have you seen the advert of what goes into chicken nuggets and the like, as if you'd feed that to your kids!
And they always had the same as me - except if I was having a curry (home-made!)
I think the stereotype comes from single mothers = skint = 'cheap' meals, ie chips with everything!

Answer 5

I agree that when I was a single working mother my children ate more of the frozen meals then they should have. But not to the point where I would say that's all they ate. I made meat and potatoes alot, also. Now that I am a SAHM, we eat only slightly more home-cooked meals. B/c now we have wrestling/basketball/soccer/baseball. Something is always going on and we eat what we can, when we can.

Answer 6

I think most families are just like mine....we have good home cooked food most of the time...but I will admit there are times when things are just busy and we settle for frozen pizza or tv dinners....maybe once every two weeks or so.....life sometimes just gets in the way of a good home cooked meal....I do see more and more people calling Hamburger Helper a homecooked meal (which its not) though so it really hard to say.

Answer 7

Alot of mothers (not even single) feed there kids chicken nuggets constantly. I have 2 friends that are single mothers and they constantly feed their kids fast food because they are busy and stressed and it's easy. I'm glad that you have enough sense to feed your kids nutritional foods because now is the time to teach them good eating habits that will last their entire lives. I usually make my stepdaughter eat some of everything on her plate. She'll eat all of what she likes first, then whine that she's full. We still make her eat a few bites of the good stuff. I usually make her eat what her dad and i eat unless it's something I know she won't eat. Then I'll let her have a corndog or chicken nuggets. We normally have stuff we all like: baked chicken, corn, potatoes, spaghetti, hamburgers,green beans. I think it helps that we go to a pizza buffett every sunday after church that way she doesn't feel deprived.

Answer 8

my kids love veg so im really lucky i have 2 and also work i always buy fresh food i think its cheaper and easier to give them a homemade meal they dont take long and i know that there getting all they need nutritionally so your not the exception to the rule i think people just have pre conceptions of the single mom it will probably always be that way but i know couples who dont work and feed there kids stuff i wouldnt give my dog !!!!!!!

Answer 9

Our son generally has the same as us, a decent cooked meal. I have to admit though, he does have chicken nuggets and chips on the rare McDonalds visit!

Answer 10

I feed my children a variety of foods. It depends on what is going on that night - visits - no visits - taekwondo - school - meetings...etc. He will eat anything from a home cooked meal to a pb&j sandwich with raw carrots and olives (his favorite meal).