I feel guilty because I can't cook for my kids
Many parents grew up relying on microwave meals, takeaways, or relatives who did all the cooking. This lack of early experience creates anxiety that meals won't turn out right, putting them off cooking entirely and leaving them feeling like their children deserve better.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
I feel guilty because I can't cook for my kids
- 1Making simple foods like pancakes and French toastDid this help you?
- 2Looking up recipes online for fussy eatersDid this help you?
- 3Asking mother and mother-in-law for recipesDid this help you?
- 4Searching recipe-by-ingredient websites to figure out meals using only on-hand items.Did this help you?
- 5Watching accessible cooking shows like Rachael Ray for 30-minute and 'express lane' meals.Did this help you?
- 6Learning techniques and basics from cooking shows like Good Eats or America's Test Kitchen.Did this help you?
- 7Having a mother-in-law or sister-in-law teach basic cooking skills.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I grew up in a household where I was given a lot of quick microwave foods and take away unfortunately.”source ↗
“I literally have recently learnt how to make wraps for lunch lol.”source ↗
“My issue is I am not a good cook.”source ↗
“The thought of cooking puts me off so much because I'm worried it won't come out right or something.”source ↗
“I keep thinking my kids deserve better from me.”source ↗
“I didn't really cook until my oldest was a few months old”source ↗
“Yep, this was me! Thankfully my MIL and SIL showed me the ropes.”source ↗
“I went from only being able to do packaged pasta, jar sauce and BBQ; to being able to cook full course meals”source ↗
“I grew up in a house where my grandma cooked and we weren’t really allowed to help or encouraged to cook. When I moved out I basically learned to cook and try recipes”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7Why do I feel guilty for hating imaginary play and decorating?
- 11Why do I feel so behind when I compare my child to other kids?
- 4How do you cook cheap meals in a hotel room?
- 2Is my 3.5 year old's preschool schedule too long?
- 3When should you serve food at an afternoon kids birthday party?
- 6Why do I feel completely disconnected from my child?