This Redditor’s Teenage Son Is Eating Them Out Of House And Home — So They Put Him On Food Restrictions And The Internet Has Thoughts

Some families have “the good problem,” like everyone getting along and finishing dinner on time. This one had a different kind of problem, a 15-year-old son who could wipe out a week of meals in a single day.

The OP, a working-class parent with two daughters, ages 18 and 17, is already juggling a mortgage and debts after a death in the family. On top of that, their son is in full-on everything-eating mode, so the grocery bill keeps exploding while the daughters are not eating enough to cause the same issue. So the OP put the son on restrictions, he can eat what he’s served plus a set amount of snacks, but anything beyond that is on him to find elsewhere. The catch? He’s angry, convinced it’s favoritism.

And the internet immediately had opinions about whether “food restrictions” are budgeting or outright cruelty.

Original Post

I have two daughters (18 and 17) and a son who is 15. We are not a wealthy family by any means. I don't want to go into too much detail, but I think it would be fair to say that we're basically working class.

I have very little room to splurge and am still paying off a mortgage and some debts (incurred after a death in the family). As such things are very tight. My son is currently going through a stage where he basically eats everything. He eats such large quantities that if I'm not careful, meals I've cooked that are supposed to last a week are only lasting a day or two. I can't afford to keep replenishing all the food he eats, while also feeding my daughters. So I decided to put a restriction on him. He can eat what he's served, and he can have a certain amount of snacks. Anything else, I can't give him; he's free to find extra food elsewhere but I just can't afford it. Now, my son is angry about this because he's the only one I've put on restriction, and his sisters are still free to eat as they please. He thinks I'm playing favorites, but it's not that. My daughters aren't eating so much to the point where this is a problem, so it doesn't make sense for me to restrict them too. AITA here? I've told some friends and while they tend to agree with me I do feel guilty. I just don't think there's another way.

Let’s see how the Reddit community reacted.

Donutsmell

Children should never be hungry.

MehX73

Where is he supposed to find free food?

purpleclaire788

That’s abuse!

Still-Wafer-3185

YTA.

A-namethatsavailable

Give the poor kid a PB&J!

HowIPen

You’re responsible for feeding him.

No_Chart_8584

This is similar to the AITA fight where a parent defended unconventional methods against family criticism at dinner.

Defending my parenting, unconventional methods, family dinner debate

He’s a growing boy!

LilaRabbitHole

He shouldn’t be left hungry.

belomina

Okay, but is he overweight?

Kris82868

You need to go to a food bank.

CivMom

He needs that fuel to grow.

potterinatardis

You need to budget better.

Kimbo151

He needs more nutrients than your daughters.

purplepeaches63316

The OP’s plan was simple, serve him dinner and limit snacks, but the minute the sisters kept eating freely, the son felt singled out.

With meals meant to last a week only lasting a day or two, the household budget started sounding like the real villain in this story.

The comments swung hard, with some people yelling “YTA” over the idea of any hunger, while others pointed out the OP is still feeding three growing kids.

Now the question isn’t just whether the son is eating a lot, it’s whether the family dinner rules were reasonable or just another fight waiting to happen.

In the end, the OP isn’t trying to single anyone out — they’re trying to stretch a dollar in a house full of growing kids.

The OP isn’t trying to starve him, but the family dinner did not end well.

For another financial family clash, see what happened when sisters kept mismanaging money and got cut off.

AITA: sisters repeated financial missteps lead to tough love decision