One thing I've noticed: cooking for myself and my parents feels like less of a chore than cooking only for myself. That's a big part of why, for just myself, I'd rather cook up a big batch and freeze portions for later, aside from recipes not always scaling down well.
Cooking for other people can be something of an event. Cooking for yourself after a busy day for yourself can be a chore you're sort of resigned to so that you can get some necessary calories in your body even if, in general, you like cooking. That's where it's nice to be able to mindlessly pop something in the oven or microwave that dish you've previously made or even just bought.
