Husband Livid At Wife For Serving His Crazy Parents Mac And Cheese For Dinner Rather Than “The Traditional Feast” She Was Forced To Learn

Imagine you are super tired and exhausted, but you have to prepare dinner for your in-laws who have been talking about visiting for quite some time, but you didn’t really want them to come during the baby period. The only thing you can make is a quick, simple dish like mac and cheese only to be told they were expecting a proper feast. Seems like a fairytale, doesn’t it? Well, it happened to Reddit user dinner101____ who decided to share her experience with people online and ask what they would have done in her place. The post received over 5.3k upvotes and 1.1k comments spilling different takes on what was considered right and how mistakes were made during such an uncomfortable situation.

Exhausted New Mom In A Deals With Surprise Judgmental In-Laws And Their “Traditional Feast” Demands

Husband Upset With A Simple Mac N Cheese Dinner Amid Expectations Of A Traditional Feast

Husband’s Mom Appalled At Wife’s Mac N Cheese Dinner Instead Of ‘Traditional Feast’ She Was Forced To Learn

Husband Livid At Wife For Not Serving His Family’s Traditional Feast

Wife’s Attempt At A Homemade Meal Backfires When Her Husband’s Family Finds It Offensive ‍♀️

When Mac And Cheese Turns Into More Than A Meal

When the pressure is on and time is running out, it can be tempting to opt for quick and easy meals. But this was not the case for the protagonist of this story, a new mother who was frantically trying to feed her husband’s family. Serving a creamy, cheesy dish of Mac and Cheese, she thought she was making the best of a difficult situation, only to be met with appalled judgement from her husband’s parents. An argument ensued which led to the in-laws abruptly leaving and her husband not touching a bite of the meal. Read on to find out how the story unfolded, and what were the comments and reactions from the public about this situation.

It’s Not A Culture Clash – It’s A**Holes. NTA

The original poster (OP) claims that their family expected them to serve a ‘traditional feast’ for her husband’s parents, and this would not be traditional for any culture or society. The replies also point out that in Asian families, the new mother is expected to rest and bond with the baby instead. Everyone in the comment section agrees that the husband’s family is in the wrong and that the OP is not the a**hole (NTA).

Putting An End To Unspoken Rules

The commenter NTA (not the a**hole) points out that the husband should have told his wife about the expectations from his family before, instead of expecting her to know this ‘unspoken rule’. They also add that it is traditionally for family to bring food TO the new mom, not the other way around. A reply to the comment agrees, saying that it was unfair for the wife to be caught off gaurd like that.

Mom NTA For Serving Mac & Cheese To AH In-Laws

The comment argues that the new mom is NTA (not the a**hole) for serving her in-laws Mac and Cheese, as Asian culture usually calls for coddling new moms and not expecting them to cook a feast. Replies point out that many cultures today like to wait a while before letting visitors in, and the traditional expectations of Asian culture involved the mom and baby to stay at home for 4-6 weeks after the baby is born, to heal and bond without visitors.

Unspoken Tradition: ‍♀️

The comment suggests that it is customary for family members to bring food when visiting, rather than being served. The replies build on this idea, adding that the disrespectful way the parents treated the wife after she made a sacrifice for them is unacceptable.

NTA – An Abusive Husband Is Showing His True Colors

The comment states that the issue is husband’s behavior and points out the common pattern of abusive men trapping their victims. The replies reinforce that this is a delicate situation, with one reply referencing their own experience with a similar situation. The comment and replies are cautioning the original poster that this could get worse and advises to keep money separate for when it’s time to leave.

NTA: ✔️ ️

The comment argues that it is impolite to show up unannounced and not bring dinner for new parents, as it places burdens on them. The replies agree and explain most Asian cultures do not show up empty handed, often bringing fruit for families.

Husband’s Entitled Fam Get Served!

The commenter NTA believes that the husband’s problem lies in this story. It is argued that the husband was wrong in inviting his family without prior warning, expecting his wife to make an elaborate meal with her being 4 weeks postpartum and with a newborn. The commenter believes that serving them Mac and Cheese was more than they deserved and the husband should have joined them in leaving the house since he did not want to eat her food in support of his family. Replies note that the husband explicitly stated that it had to be homemade, and that this is a family worth burning bridges with.

NTA ‍♀️

Commenter says NTA (not the a**hole) that the mother should at least wait 6 weeks before expecting the woman to take on chores, and replies agree that the mother-in-law’s expectations are unfair and unrealistic.

NTA: Mommy Spa Month 1?

Commenter says NTA to the OP and explains that in Chinese culture, mothers are waited on hand and foot in the first month of having a baby, and that expecting the OP to make dinner four weeks post-trauma was a bad look. Replies offer similar views, noting that OP’s husband wanted an American culture wife and needs to understand that.

Yikes! Husband NTA To The Billionth Power!

The comment argued that the husband was in the wrong for expecting a homemade feast and not telling his wife about the dinner guests beforehand. Moreover, his decision was a huge violation of etiquette and deservedly marked him as Not The A**hole to the extreme.

Husband Is YTA

The commentor said that the husband was the A-hole for expecting his wife to cook a traditional meal for his parents when he invited them over and refused to order out. The reply stated how the husband does not cook and shot down the idea of ordering out.

Husband Invites Unexpected Guests

The comment said NTA (not the a**hole) on the husband, as he should make the meal if he wants to invite his family over without notifying the wife. One reply argued that the husband should do the cooking and cleaning for the unexpected guests, and another replied that the guests would probably not appreciate Mac and Cheese instead of a ‘traditional’ meal.

Husband In The Wrong?

The commenter suggested that the husband was wrong for bringing the in-laws to dinner without his wife’s approval. They also argued that he needs to be on his wife’s side and make the dinner by himself. According to the commenter, the husband is the a**hole here.

Asian Customs Vs Western Customs

The comment describes the typical Asian practice of a mother-in-law preparing healthy and nutritious food for the daughter-in-law who has just given birth, and expresses disappointment at the husband’s crazy parents not following that tradition when they visited. The reply reveals that it is a cultural norm for husbands in Asian families to prioritize their parents over their wives, even though it is not necessarily agreed upon.

Husband’s Unreasonable Expectations

The comment suggests that the husband made his wife make dinner for her in-laws 4 weeks after she had a baby, despite his own unreasonable expectations and lack of courtesy. The replies further emphasize that his in-laws should have respected her situation but it was his own son who failed to do that.

‍ ‍ ‍ Husband Teaches Wife A Lesson!

The husband’s right to not have his wife cook a meal she wasn’t comfortable with was confirmed by the commentor, who suggested that the husband could take their baby to visit the in-laws instead. A reply emphasized that the baby is too young for this and the in-law’s patience should be taken into consideration.

Marriage Advice

The comment suggests that one should think twice before getting married, as the comment implies that it’s easy to marry anyone these days.

NTA – When Family Visits, Bring Gifts!

The commenter is not the a**hole for serving mac and cheese to her husband’s crazy parents. Their son was born at a time when the parents couldn’t visit due to the mother’s health, and the husband was understandably not happy about it. His parents should have brought gifts as well despite the circumstances.

No A-Hole Here: Husband’s Parents Must Cook!

The comment stands by the sentiment that the husband is NTA for forcing his wife to cook a traditional feast for his parents without consulting her. The reply supports this by asking if his arms or legs are broken, which implies that he can do the cooking himself.

‍♀️ Husband’s Red Flag Flapping

NTA, the comment suggests that the husband’s behavior is a giant red flag, and suggests that the wife should seek individual therapy immediately as well as possible marriage counseling. The comment also states that the husband is putting his in-laws before the mental wellbeing of his postpartum wife, which is a huge problem.

AH Husband Expects Wife To Make A Feast ‍♀️

The husband was NTA for wanting to celebrate the one-month birthday of the couple’s child but was an a-hole for expecting the wife to cook a feast. The wife was not raised in the same culture, and her husband should have given her a day off and ordered an Asian feast instead.

Husband’s Parents’ Visit

The husband is not the a**hole for being livid at his wife for serving his crazy parents mac and cheese for dinner rather than the traditional feast she was forced to learn. The commenter suggested that if the parents do visit, they should bring armloads of groceries and offers to clean the house and do laundry.

Husband’s Family Drama

Commenter expresses concern regarding a story of a husband being livid at his wife for serving his crazy parents mac and cheese instead of the traditional feast she was forced to learn. Reply suggests that would be the meal served every time they visit from now on.

Surprise Guests And Berating MIL? Hell No!!

The comment author is not the a**hole but their husband and his family definitely are. They arrived unannounced and expected the author to cater to them while the husband sits there and instructs what to do. His family should have come with gifts and food at a date and time that the author knew about. The comment author is warned to run now as the situation will never get better and the husband wants someone to act like a servant to him and his family.

Husband And In-Laws: AHs

Commenter upholds NTA for the wife, but calls out the husband and in-laws for being AHs. Husband should have discussed with wife an acceptable meal and stood up for her rather than forcing her to learn a traditional feast. Commenter suggests anyone visiting the baby should bring/cook a meal.

Dinner Plans Go Wrong!

The commenter points out that the husband was inconsiderate for expecting his wife to prepare a complex meal for his parents who were uninvited and unexpected. They suggest that next time, he should be the one to cook if he wants to please them.

NTA But Husband Is

Commenter says husband is the a-hole, not the wife, for expecting her to put together a three-course meal at a moment’s notice without prior notice. Husband is disrespectful and inconsiderate towards the wife.

Husband’s Disrespectful Behavior!

The commentor is pointing out that the husband’s behavior is disrespectful towards his wife, who had just gone through giving birth. They express disbelief that the husband expected his wife to prepare a traditional feast without any prior notice. No replies were found to this comment.

NTA Husband Cooking?

The commentaire suggested that the husband wasn’t the a-hole for expecting a traditional feast, because he should have cooked the meal himself instead.

Respect Is A Dish Served Cold

The commentator pointed out that the husband was an AH (a**hole) and was being disrespectful of his wife. He emphasized that respect should be earned, not assumed — no matter the culture, unannounced guests should not expect to be fed a spectacular meal.

Hosting Unannounced Guests

The commenter declared NTA and called out the husband and in-laws for coming over unannounced and expecting a feast from the new mother. The commenter suggested kicking the unannounced guests out.

Not The A-hole ‍♀️

The OP was not the a-hole for not serving his husband’s fluffy parents a traditional feast. Instead, it is the responsibility of the husband and his family to entertain them, and it has nothing to do with culture.

Husband’s Betrayal

The commenter condemns the husband’s decision to invite his family behind his wife’s back and expects the husband to cook the meal himself when his parents come over. The commenter also criticizes the husband for mocking his wife’s suggestion of take out and berating her. They conclude that the husband lacks love and respect for the wife and recommends considering a divorce.

Messing With Mac ‘N’ Cheese

The commenter thinks the husband is NTA (not the a**hole), and is shocked to find out that Mac n Cheese can be delicious when it’s made from scratch.

NTA Husband Need To Step Up!

The comment states that the husband is not the a**hole for expecting his partner to prepare a traditional meal for his family when she’s sleep-deprived and a mother of an infant. It further adds that the husband should take on the responsibility for the meal himself.

Husband’s Parents

The commenter declared that the husband’s parents were in the wrong for not bringing food for their daughter-in-law, as they were unimpressed with her dinner choice of mac and cheese instead of a more traditional meal which she was pressured to learn.

Husband Forced To Cook For His Crazy Parents!

The commenter believes the husband is NTA (not the a**hole) as he is the one who invited his parents over and should be responsible for cooking dinner. The commenter also suggests throwing a grown up dinner for the two children.

Don’t Forget To Prioritize ❤️!

The comment advises to ignore the husband’s parents and get a break by staying with family. It also brings up the issue of cultural differences, which the commenter believes should have been discussed before the relationship. Overall, it is important to prioritize self-care and take a stand against sexism and unfair workload distribution within relationships.

Hmmm…

The commentor is NTA and suggests that the in-laws of the husband are either being high-brow or tone-deaf. They suggest the couple needs to improve their communication and mentions a growing issue for their marriage. Congratulations are also given towards the couple’s new son.

NTA: Steer Clear Of Toxic People

The comment advises the user to distance themselves from toxic people, such as the user’s in-laws. It speaks to the intense shaming and steamrolling a person would face and also mentions that newborns do not need visitors due to their immune system.

NTA ‍♂️✋ ‍

The commentor argued that it was not the wife’s burden to serve a ‘traditional feast’ as the husband invited his parents over, and they should be grateful they were served anything at all.

NTA! Husband And His Fam Deserve ✋

Commenter states that NTA (not the a-hole) in this situation; the husband has two working hands, the family should have asked to come and then bring food, and the husband and his family are a**holes for expecting a traditional feast.

Tension Over Dinner

The comment suggests that the husband’s family should be bringing home cooked meals to support the new parents. It concludes that the husband and family are not the a-holes, though tension is in the air over dinner.

Ungrateful A-hole Visitors!

The commenter is outraged at the husband for expecting the wife to serve his crazy parents a traditional feast without any prior notice. The commenter suggests that the husband apologize to the wife and that the family members are A-holes. They believe the wife should have been looked after in order to rest and recover, rather than being obliged to host the visitors.

Is This Husband’s Behavior A Red Flag?

Commenter urges the wife to open her eyes and take action against her husband’s toxic behavior. They suggest the wife either set strict boundaries or escape with the baby, as the husband is NTA but has indicated a major red flag.

❗️No One’s An A-Hole Here!❗️

The commenter stated that neither the husband nor his family behaved well. They criticized the husband for expecting too much from his wife and implied that the relationship should be reconsidered.

Nta! Mil’s Expectations Of A Postpartum Woman

The section comment states that the husband is NTA for expecting his wife, four weeks postpartum, to prepare a ‘traditional feast’ for his crazy parents. The comment goes on to call out the in-laws’ behavior as ‘absolutely disgusting’ for expecting a new mother to ‘host’ and suggests the wife to get more support in such a situation.

Husband Should Accept Wife’s Or Get Takeout!

The commenter is not the a**hole (NTA) for their opinion that the husband should accept his wife’s food for dinner or get takeout instead of expecting a traditional feast. Showing up to a new mum’s home and expecting to be hosted is disrespectful and puts pressure on the already difficult postpartum recovery and newborn care.

Feeling Your Pain

The commenter is livid at the mother’s husband for inviting his crazy parents to dinner without telling her. They showed up expecting a traditional feast and he did not help her nor advise his parents to back off. The commenter empathizes with the mother, saying she is not the a-hole for this situation.

Beware Of Entitled In-Laws ‍♂️!

The commenter deemed the husband to be the a**hole in this situation, as he expected his wife to prepare a homemade meal for his parents despite her request to order take out.

Don’t Cave To Pressure!

The comment encourages the poster to stand up for herself and not apologize to her husband or his family. She is being advised to not cave to her husband’s giving her the cold shoulder, and is reminded that she doesn’t have to cook for him or her family anymore and is worth more than this treatment.

Not The A**Hole Husband Vs. In-Laws

The commenter NTA declares that the in-laws were not focusing on the baby, but rather looking for something to be wrong. They are labeled as typical awful in-laws as husband sides with them instead of supporting his wife who just gave birth. Commenter asks what help husband provides and hopes that she has her own friends and family for support.

NTA: Respect And Don’t Go Hand In

The commenter states that the husband was wrong and not the a**hole for not respecting the wife’s wishes and not communicating with her before allowing his parents to visit. The commenter suggests the wife give him the cold shoulder in return.

New Parents: NTA !

The commenter argued that the new parents were not the a**holes in this situation and that the husband should cook for his crazy parents if he wants to invite them over for dinner.

Husband And Wife Find Middle Ground

The comment acknowledges that the wife was not at fault for serving mac and cheese to her husband’s family, as she was exhausted and there was no notice. The comment suggests that the husband might not be able to cook for the family, and thus acknowledges that Wife is NTA for her situation.

Grandparents Should Help Out

The comment suggested that the crazy parents should have prepared food for the couple at some point during the 4-week period, instead of expecting the wife to cook for them. The comment concluded that the wife was Not The A**hole.

NTA Husband May Have

The commenter believes that the husband is not the a**hole for not giving his wife a heads up before inviting his parents and expecting her to make a big, homemade meal for them.

Husband’s In-Laws , Wife !

The commenter believes the husband’s in-laws are in the wrong while the wife is in the right in this situation, as it was the husband who invited them over and should have cooked for them. The commenter also calls out that the husband is a grown *a-hole*.

NTA! Everyone Needs To Help More

Commenter thinks that husband is wrong to expect a full home cooked meal when visiting his newborn, and recommends that everyone needs to help more instead of adding more onto wife’s plate.

No A-Hole Here ‍♀️

The comment states that the husband is Not The A-hole in this situation as he invited his parents and should be the one preparing the food for them.

NTA A Southern Tradition

The comment expresses that the action of the husband is not the a**hole and explains a tradition in the South which involves neighbors bringing food to the new parents to save them from cooking. This is a gesture of love and shows the bond between people in the South.

Husband Creating Drama?!

The commenter believes that the husband is an a-hole for creating drama when his family failed to bring dinner for their newborn and that he is not the a-hole. No comment replies were found.

No A**hole Here!

The comment acknowledges that the husband may not be aware of his family’s wrongdoings and encourages him to recognize the red flags. No replies were found.

NTA: ‍♂️Husband’s Dinner Expectations Fail To Impress

The commenter asserts that NTA (not the a**hole), since the husband invited his crazy parents over and should have cooked since manners matter to him and his family so much. No replies were found.

Husband Springs A Surprise

The husband is NTA for springing a surprise visit on the wife and demanding a meal she was not prepared to make. The family also reacted horribly to the situation, which may be a cause to consider the state of the relationship.

Tension Rising Between NTA Husband And In-Laws!

The husband is NTA for his request for his wife to cook a traditional feast for his parents, as he offered to order food instead. His in-laws, however, are A H for forcing him to make the request.

NTA. Husband Is for Inviting Family Without Consent!

The commenter believes the husband is wrong for not asking for his wife’s consent to invite his family over, and for not taking the responsibility for cooking dinner himself.