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AITA for Letting My Brother Kids Go Hungry for a Short Time? When a family member with autism and ADHD agreed to look after their widowed brother’s children while he was away for work, they followed a strict meal plan they had set up weeks in advance. On the first day, the kids didn’t like the meals and chose to skip lunch and dinner to play on their tablets. By evening, they were hungry and reluctantly ate some of the food that had been prepared.
The next day, the kids refused lunch again but eventually ate it after reheating. They ate most of the meals prepared, though they still avoided some items, like pumpkin, which they didn’t like.
When the brother returned, he was upset about how the meals were handled. He thought the caregiver’s approach to Letting the kids go hungry until they agreed to eat was wrong. Although the caregiver had suggested buying fast food to avoid hunger, the brother had previously decided against it to prevent unhealthy eating habits. Frustrated, he called the caregiver an “asshole” for letting his children go hungry, showing his frustration with how the situation was managed.
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AITA for Letting My Brother Kids Go Hungry for a Short Time?
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A family member with autism and ADHD agreed to care for their widowed brother’s children while he was away.
They followed a strict meal plan, but the kids initially refused to eat and chose to play on tablets instead.
By the evening, they ate some of the prepared food. The next day, they refused lunch but ate it after reheating.
When the brother returned, he was upset with the caregiver’s approach of letting the kids go hungry until they agreed to eat.
Although the caregiver suggested buying fast food, the brother rejected this idea to avoid unhealthy eating.
Frustrated, the brother criticized the caregiver harshly for the way the meals were handled.
Let’s swiftly assess a handful of the top comments: AITA for Letting My Brother Kids Go Hungry for a Short Time?
NAH
I understand your need for routines and order. But you need to understand that kids have likes and dislikes, just like you. Why can’t you plan alternatives or ask your brother what they normally eat? I am sure you probably have some food likes and dislikes of your own, correct? For example if you even opened a can of tuna with me in the room, I would vomit. Same with bananas. My husband and I are the farthest things from being picky eaters, but we would not dream of serving each other foods we dislike.
I really think you can come up with a compromise. Would it really throw you into a tizzy to offer alternatives like cereal for breakfast or sandwiches for lunch or dinner?
It must be hard on them with no mom and their dad leaving for weeks at a time.
NAH If they refuse to eat the food they weren’t that hungry. It’s edible, they’ll eat eventually.
NTA
Your brother can’t say you can’t go to fast food but you can’t make them eat what you cook either. If that’s the case then it’s only your brothers rules or what the kids want? That’s not fair to you.
Just have your brother drop off snack the kids like and set snack time so they won’t go hungry for too long. And the backup pbj is fine too so they can fix a sandwich.
But if that still doesn’t work for your brother, he is welcome to leave them with someone else.
NTA.
Kids are picky af. It’s totally ok to reheat their dinner later in the night if they don’t eat it at dinner time. And it seems like your way worked since they started eating normally after the first two days.
A trick you might want to consider is to serve them one “safe” food that you know they’ll eat a lot of along with the other food. Like yogurt, strawberries, bell pepper strips, string cheese. That stuff doesn’t require cooking.
I think you did a good job with your niblings. Keep doing what you did.
I raised 5 kids and they ate what was cooked or they could make a PB&J. Looks like your brother’s kids started out pretty picky and quickly learned to eat the food that you cooked; not a bad lesson to learn. You could also have a loaf of bread and things to make sandwiches and if they won’t eat the food you make they can make themselves a sandwich and have a glass of milk. Even the 7 year old should be able to do that.
