Mom Gets Support From Other Moms After Admitting She Doesn't Enjoy Cooking

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There is certainly pressure for mothers to be good in the kitchen. Due to reinforced gender stereotypes, the responsibility of cooking and preparing food for the family falls upon a mom's shoulders. There's also that looming 'mom guilt' in the background, pushing moms to be good at everything. But is it fair to measure a mother's parenting based on how good and diligent she is when it comes to cooking?

In our Facebook community, Smart Parenting Village, one mom opened up about carrying the guilt of not having the passion for cooking. She begins her anonymous post by describing herself as "nanay na 'di mahilig magluto."

She then turns to other villagers for encouragement. "May mga mommies ba dito na hindi hilig ang magluto? Na na-i-stress everytime iniisip kung ano ang ihahain at 'yung thought ng food preparation is nakaka-trigger ng anxiety?

"Ako lang ba to o kayo rin? Please no to bash. Napapagod lang din po ako sa trabaho at gawaing bahay."

Why moms should not be shamed for not cooking more meals

This mom's concern over cooking may sound too trivial for others, but we can't blame her for feeling mom guilt. Until now, it's as if a crime for parents to have take-out for dinner or cooking nuggets during breakfast. 

Other members of the group were quick to sympathize and echo this mom's sentiment.

"Same mamsh! Kapag 11 a.m. at 5 p.m. sobrang taas ng stress level ko. Dagdagan pa ng 'pag tinanong si hubby kung ano gustong ulam, ang isasagot 'kahit ano lang,'" a mom pointed out.

Another says, "It's okay mommy. Ako rin hindi talaga mahilig magluto. Na-i-stress rin ako noon hanggang ngayon pala, pero sabi sakin ng partner ko, "hindi naman kabawasan sa pagiging asawa o ina ang hindi mo kami araw araw maipagluto" kaya 'yun ako nalang taga saing lagi."

Many moms also understand the struggle of having themselves spread thinly while juggling work and taking care of the kids and the whole household.

"Actually, hindi ako marunong mag luto but hindi naman siya issue saaming mag asawa. I can do all the work and cleaning stuffs, husband ko nalang magluto.

"For me whatever works for you.. Dont be too hard on yourself if hindi nagagawa lahat ng gawaing bahay kasi in reality, nakakapagod talaga," a villager said.

Another shared, "I love to cook pero hindi na kaya ng katawang lupa ko minsan sa dami ng gagawin...It's ok mommy hindi nababwasan ang pagiging ina at asawa natin sa kung ano at gaano tayo kadalas magluto."

Kitchen tips for moms

It's no question that cooking can be overwhelming. From choosing a meal, shopping for recipe ingredients, and actually preparing the food, there are a lot of things that goes on before a dish can be served on the table.

If you're a busy mom who feels how taxing cooking can be, having an effective meal plan can help ease the stress. (Click here and here for a week's worth of meal plan). It can also help to make cooking a family affair by getting them involved in the process.

Smart Parenting's newest editor-at-large Rica Peralejo admits she only took an interest in cooking after becoming a mom. As a newbie, she relies on trusty appliances to help her gain a foothold in the kitchen.

During a mini-tour on her newly-renovated home kitchen (watch here), she highly-Rica-mmends having multi-functional appliances.

"I'm a believer of, like, appliances na medyo all-in-one para space saver din. And at the same time ang bilis momg maluto ang lahat," Rica shared.

 

 

Rica uses an air fryer-slash-oven-slash-toaster in her kitchen. Below are some of the multi-functional electric cookers we found online that can be the answer to your cooking dilemmas.

1. Multi-functional air fryer with steamer and oven, Php5,357

Available on Lazada.

2. Air fryer and oven, Php5,599

Available on Shopee.

3. Air fryer with 10 pre-set modes, Php3,719

Available on Shopee.