Mike, our reader, sent us a letter seeking advice on what to do when his girlfriend’s kids keep throwing away good food. He doesn’t want this to be the final straw in their relationship.
We received a letter from Mike.
36-year-old Mike told us his story that may resonate with many.
He opened his letter, saying, “Hi! I’ve seen so many people writing you to get help and clarity, so I decided to be brave and tell you my story.” He then followed to explain what happened to him, “I’ve been dating a woman for more than 3 years. She has 2 kids, which I adore. But what has been bugging me is that we deal with money in different ways.”
He then continued, “She always struggled financially, which I don’t mind because I know how hard it must be to be a single mother of two. So I decided to help pay for her groceries. Since the beginning of our relationship, I noticed that she allows her kids to choose whatever they want. I saw food expiring on her pantry a lot of times.”
Mike goes on with his story, revealing, “Recently, we went to the supermarket and the kids picked tons of cookies. When we arrived at her home, I saw in her pantry cookies with bugs on them. I flipped out. When the kids went out to play, I talked to her about what kept happening, but she told me I was overreacting.”
He told us his big plans, “Although this bothered me in the past, now it’s becoming more unbearable because I want to ask her and her kids to move in with me. I don’t want this kind of behavior in our home. I grew up poor, so buying unnecessary food and wasting it is a big red flag to me. What should I do?”
