A woman who spoke out about refusing to feed her teenage stepson has been supported by a number of mums.
Posting to forum website Mumsnet, the woman explained that her husband's 14-year-old son, who lives with them for half the week, had complained to his mum that he doesn't have breakfast before heading to school. The woman said she’s not ‘making breakfast for a teenager who should be capable themselves’, reports NottinghamshireLive.
She wrote: “My husband's son turned 14 in December. He lives with us half the week. On the mornings he's in school, he now walks there by himself and so my husband goes to work before he leaves. We also have a baby together.
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“Basically it appears [my stepson] has been going to school not eating anything and has then complained to mum about it who's gone mad saying we need to be checking / telling him to eat in the mornings.
“Am I being unreasonable to say no? He's 14, not a baby. He knows where the cereal is kept, where the bread is for toast or fruit and yoghurt or whatever else.
“In the mornings, I am either dealing with a baby or even sometimes still asleep if they've had a particularly bad night and have gone back to sleep early morning. I'm not also messing about making breakfast for a teenager who should be capable themselves.
“Am I being unreasonable to say to [my husband] (I don't speak to his ex directly) that they need to speak to [my step son], not me, about the importance of grabbing something for breakfast in the mornings if he is hungry and not waiting for someone else to do it for him.
“I don't get it because I know he can do it, I've seen him make a bowl of cereal rarely in the past. It's like he just waits to be told what to do or for someone to do it (which I suspect is what [my husband] and mum do when it's them here).”
Other mums have reached out and backed the mum suggesting the step son is old enough to make his own breakfast. One said: “14? He is capable of, and should be, making his own breakfast without needing an adult standing over him. Just make sure he knows where the cereal, bowls, milk are and let him crack on with it.”
Another mum added: “At 14 he is perfectly capable of getting his own breakfast. And if he isn't, well that's down to their parenting and they should perhaps look at teaching him some independence.”
Someone else replied: “Can your husband make sure that he knows what he's allowed to get and how he should leave the kitchen afterwards? (Bowl in dishwasher milk back in the fridge etc) Possibly he's not comfortable helping himself? Just a guess. But yeah obviously you are not being unreasonable.”
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