Bless 'im
My youngest cousin is eighteen years of age. That's right -- a legal adult, able to vote, enter into contracts and all kinds of other grown-up things.

And what do we, the older ones, call this youngest cousin of ours? 'MooooooomIwannasandwich'. Because at the glorious age of eighteen years, he is incapable of cooking for himself, or even preparing the most simple of meals on his own. He also cannot do laundry or any of the other helpful skills in life that lead to one being a functioning, capable adult. He has no mental or physical issues that have kept him from advancing, unless of course one counts his mother, our dear aunt, who has spoiled the child since he was born. We also lay blame upon his being lazy and having his face constantly turned toward a video game.

He is a clever boy and a good one at heart, and though we all love him we also fear he will never amount to anything because he's never been given any reason whatsoever to take initiative and start caring for himself instead of being coddled by him mother. We're expecting her to start ruining the cat once he goes off to uni, assuming he does.
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 22:25, 6 replies)

He will, and he'll end up as your boss.
That's life.
( Digeridude Lord Wellington's Beef Trapeze, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 22:42, closed)

He might well go to uni
but he'll never be my boss -- I have my own business, thanks to a mother that taught me to get things done myself!

As for uni, I hope Yale does a good 'Playing video games and generally being a reclusive misanthrope' course, since he isn't interested in anything else.
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 23:02, closed)

Uni
It's not too late. Hopefully he'll go to uni too far away from his mother for her to be able to do things for him, and he will learn quickly how to take care of himself.
I'll admit I was someone who didn't know much about taking care of myself; ok I could cook a meal or two, but I hadn't had to do so every day before (rather than being a "MooomIwannaSadwich" kid, it was more I was asked when I didn't want anything). I technically didn't 'know' how to use a washing machine until I went to the dorm laundry room the first time, because I'd never needed to. But with any luck he'll get his act together and become independent and self-sufficient if he is given the opportunity. If you can I would encourage his mother to let him go away to uni, and don't try and hold onto him. It'll do him the world of good (so long as he is willing to let it).

I know I may come off sounding like I was spoilt growing up - I guess I was. But I think how I've developed and what I've achieved in the past 8 years since I left home would show that you can become a semi-rounded individual, even if at 18 you aren't what most people consider 'grown-up'.
( Boras the anachronism, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 1:09, closed)

He's awfully lazy, alas
My aunt is the one running around, trying to get him into a 'good school', as only the best will do, while he sits around playing video games. Despite the coddling she really wants him to get out into life, and yet he has no skills, household or personal, to get him there. He's never cooked a single meal in his life, not even pasta.

The boy's clever, and though being clever won't get the bedsheets clean or get supper on the table, at least he has more of an advantage than the terminally stupid, and it frustrates me that he's happy to waste it all.
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 21:17, closed)

I'd never used a washing machine before uni.
To be honest after using one for the first time i couldn't see what all the fuss was about, for years I'd put up with the "I do all the washing and ironing" speech and only then did i realise it required fuck all effort.

I don't think i'd cooked anything more than a bacon sandwich then either, but within a week i was dirtying my newly washed clothes with my homemade curries.
( Slippery Mick ‏, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 3:26, closed)

mmmm
Homemade curry. . .I think I'll try my hand at one of those tonight!
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 21:17, closed)