I outsourced 2 family dinners a week. Sometimes good parenting means doing less.
A parent shares their experience of outsourcing two family dinners a week through a meal kit subscription to reduce mental load. The author argues that simplifying household management is a valid form of self-care for parents.
Why it matters
The piece addresses the common modern struggle of 'decision fatigue' among working parents and the role of convenience services in managing domestic life.
The author signed up for a meal service twice a week. Courtesy of the author Deciding what to cook every night was one of the most exhausting parts of my week. I started ordering meal kits for just two dinners a week. Having fewer meals to plan has significantly reduced my mental load. There are a few questions in my household that irritate me more than "What's for dinner?" I think it's the casual assumption that I have created a meal plan for the week, done all the food shopping and prep, and gotten dinner on the table at exactly the time everyone wants it, all while trying to accommodate my kids' likes and dislikes. Not to mention the cleanup after. We are a family of four , and just the idea of "What's for dinner?" can be exhausting.
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