With so many parents posting pictures of extravagant dinners and fancy-looking lunch boxes on social media, it can be easy to feel as though you're not doing enough for your own child if you're not cutting their sandwiches into heart shapes.
But one mum has reminded us all that it's okay to be exhausted as a parent and to need a day where you don't finish work and have to cook a meal worthy of being served in a Michelin star restaurant - because we're all human, and sometimes that means taking a break.
The mum asked in a post on Mumsnet if she had "won the award for most 'can't be f***ed tea'" after she came home from work feeling "exhausted" and couldn't find the energy to cook her three-year-old son something healthy for dinner.
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So instead, she threw together a plate of corned beef, cheese, and sweetcorn - and was surprised when her son "quite enjoyed it" and even asked for seconds.
In her post, she wrote: "Did I just win the award for most 'I can't be f***ed' tea for my child?
"I've been working overtime today, I'm exhausted, and I feel like s**t.
"My 3-year-old had a plate of corned beef, cheese and sweetcorn for his tea. Did I just win the award for most 'that'll do' tea? He quite enjoyed it to be fair! He asked for more.
"I'm ready for today to be done."
And although the simple tea isn't what we're used to seeing shared on social media, the mum was praised for being relatable and honest about the off-day she was having - as she even inspired other parents to share their "worst" meals.
One person wrote: "Can't be a**ed teas are always the nicest though! The other day my two had a bowl of porridge each with a spoon of Nutella slapped in the middle."
While another said: "My worst was last week: ice cream and crisps. In my defence, we were all wilting due to the heat."
As someone else posted: "My two had cold tinned spaghetti tonight. I would have heated it up, but they wanted it cold. My daughter toasted her bagel. I just spread the butter on it.
"Nice and easy and went down well."
One mum even joked she was visiting the forum thread "for ideas" for dinners to make her own children, while another said they don't like the phrase "can't be f***ed" teas, as they see the mish-mash of foods as using up leftovers in an "ingenious" way.
They wrote: "You say 'can't be fucked', I say 'ingenious use of leftover foods that wouldn't fit in a meal'. And also delicious and nutritious."
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