Yeah, that's great advice, about her own cupboard. I feel for the LW -- I can sense that they see that daughter was really being creative, and only put their foot down because of the $100 worth of food, which was clearly a harsh shock. I don't get the sense it's just the money, either: "three to four meals’ worth" is a lot of time in planning and shopping.
"Here, kid, you get $10 a week to spend at the grocery store as you see fit for your own cupboard, and I'll start you off with a one time contribution $50 of pantry staples" is actually a great way to teach cooking, because, like writing a sonnet, constraints can absolutely hone creativity.
(I also remember being a 9 year old who had absorbed a lot of bullshit messages about giftedness and spontaneity and how all these things made me a genius, so I am sympathetic to the LW's aggravation as I remember how insufferable I was.)
Re: n.b.
"Here, kid, you get $10 a week to spend at the grocery store as you see fit for your own cupboard, and I'll start you off with a one time contribution $50 of pantry staples" is actually a great way to teach cooking, because, like writing a sonnet, constraints can absolutely hone creativity.
(I also remember being a 9 year old who had absorbed a lot of bullshit messages about giftedness and spontaneity and how all these things made me a genius, so I am sympathetic to the LW's aggravation as I remember how insufferable I was.)