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Original poster

People who can't do very basic household tasks.

90 replies

Careofcell44 · 05/01/2019 14:03

I've seen a couple of posts on my local social media for people asking for recommendations for someone to come and change a lightbulb and put a new plug on a kettle, it emerged in the coments that these people just didn't know how.
Now someone has set up a business doing basic tasks but he was asked about going to silicone a bath and decline because that was beyond him.
Obviously some people have disabilities and other limitations but I'm surprised at adults who can't do simple tasks, especially with YouTube videos.

OP posts:
CakeNinja · 05/01/2019 14:44

I do know how to silicone a bath and change a lightbulb but I haven’t wired a plug since I was at school! If I needed to, I’d YouTube it but in reality, dp is a builder and just gets on with household jobs that need doing.
There’s loads of things I don’t do but I’m sure I’d be able to.
I have a relative though who does employ a handyman to do some of those jobs like putting up a curtain pole and putting up a new light fitting. I know for her it’s partly not owning tools and partly because she can afford to pay someone else to do it for her.

EmpressJewel · 05/01/2019 14:52

There are a few reasons:

  1. people aren't taught these skills at school. Older family members told me that they did woodwork and cooking at school. I remember doing a couple of terms of both in year 7 (early 90s) but not enough to learn anything.

  2. parents often don't have the time (or skill -see above) to teach their children.

  3. electrical items now come with plugs and it's often easier to buy a new items than to replace a plug.

  4. people may not necessarily think of looking on YouTube. I once directed OH to YouTube and he was amazed that they had a tutorial for what he was trying to do.

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 05/01/2019 14:54

What's siliconing a bath?

EmpressJewel · 05/01/2019 14:55

... also people often don't know how easy some tasks are, because they have no understanding of the basics. For example, I once broke my key in the door and the lock needed replacing. I used to work in a DIY chain in my student days and so I knew what I needed to do, purely because I worked in that environment.

Had I have not had that exposure to working in a DIY store, I wouldn't have had a clue.

winsinbin · 05/01/2019 15:05

I think it’s quite arrogant to describe things as simple and basic. If you don’t know how to do it then it isn’t simple and basic to you. It’s new and arcane until you are shown (by book, YouTube, personal instruction or however) how to do it.

There are things I can do without thinking about them, like make a Yorkshire pudding, changing a nappy, calculate the interest and repayments on a loan or unblock a drain. They are all very simple to me because I’ve learned how to do them and done them hundreds of times but I don’t assume that other people have the same knowledge or expertise.

And considering the absolute mess I’ve seen some professionals make of sealing a bath I wouldn’t want an amateur making a stab at it. I admire him for having the honesty to acknowledge that sealing wasn’t one of his skills.

HorseDoorBolted · 05/01/2019 15:09

I think a lot of this is about the already mentioned points of 1) not learning in school, 2) not learning from parents.

I was surprised when recently at SILs and she plugged in the iron and all the lights went out. She didn’t know what was happening or where the fuse box was to reset.

I’m would class myself as as pro level DIYer, very happy fitting a kitchen, using a drill, could do electrics but prefer an qualified person for that and plumbing. This is all done to both my parents always doing it and teaching me, but I do regularly use forums and YouTube if I don’t know and would always try something if it wasn’t dangerous. You get better as you practice!

Aquamarine1029 · 05/01/2019 15:17

My children are young adults, and it is shocking how ignorant some of their friends are. They can't manage anything. No idea how to cook, clean properly, maintain a vehicle, the list goes on and on. I was very proactive about teaching my children life skills, but I think that is something that has fallen by the wayside in our society. It's pathetic.

Smallhorse · 05/01/2019 15:17

I'm sorry this is terribly sexist but I have yet to meet a man who can put a duvet cover on a duvet with anything approaching ease

Suzysleep · 05/01/2019 15:18

Why would a plug need changing? I've heard it mentioned and don't understand the need for it? Is it from the days when appliances were built to last a lot longer and outlasted the plug?

Suzysleep · 05/01/2019 15:19

Also how do you know when it's the plug that has the issue?

Racecardriver · 05/01/2019 15:20

I have never ever changed a plug on an electrical appliance. I had never even heard of people needing to do that until I moved to Britain and my husband mentioned changing my he fuse of the toaster/kettle/fridge etc as if that was a normal thing to find yourself doing.

Racecardriver · 05/01/2019 15:21

@Suzysleep apparently the fuse goes sometimes

Suzysleep · 05/01/2019 15:21

Aaaaah, I've changed the fuse on a plug before although not for years, didn't realise that's what it meant but it makes sense.

mimibunz · 05/01/2019 15:22

Life skills shouldn’t be taught in schools. That’s what parents or guardians are for. Also, we are responsible for our own learning so if there’s something you don’t know how to do, boil an egg or change a tyre, then learn!

Ollivander84 · 05/01/2019 15:25

I can cook, clean, change a lightbulb, check oil and tyres on a car. If I'm not sure then I google/YouTube stuff
Silicone a bath - nope. Did it once, it took me ages to get the old stuff off and looked rubbish Blush
Clean an oven - yes but I CBA support local businesses and get someone to do it once a year properly
DIY - nope. I can put Ikea furniture together, have never used a drill

Borisdaspide · 05/01/2019 15:30

Silicon looks shit if you don't do it properly and it's a ballache, not suprised an oddjobber didn't want to. I can change a light bulb if I must but I hate it. Never needed to do a plug but we learnt it in science- don't know why science and not tech, maybe our school was a bit odd?!

lanbro · 05/01/2019 15:30

I was taught many things as a teenager by my dad, ba9sis car maintenance, basic diy etc and was taught how to make by my gran. Picked up cooking skills at uni, and them bought a house with a female friend and together we managed to put up curtain rails, shelves etc. I change plugs and fuses on appliances regularly. Ex dh is very handy and all self taught. Presumably it comes down to interest, need and personality. I'm impatient and when I want something done, I want it there and then so figure it out myself!

greenelephantscarf · 05/01/2019 15:30

Why would a plug need changing?

if it's the kind of plug that you can't screw open to change the fuse (if the kettle boiled dry and it blew for example). change the plug and the kettle can last a few more years.

BinaryStar · 05/01/2019 15:30

There are plenty of things I could potentially do myself but have neither the enthusiasm or time to learn and so choose to get someone in who knows what they are doing and can get it right straight away. Dealing a bath would be one of those jobs.

Someone asked about changing plugs and why you would need to. The plug on our iron went recently. I think the cleaner was pulling it out of the socket roughlyband it was 3 years old. I hadn’t rewired a plug since school but it was an expensive iron so did it with help from a YouTube video but it was a 10 min job

MuttleyLaugh · 05/01/2019 15:31

I wouldn’t say that putting a new plug on an appliance was a basic skill (as in essential to be able to do). I learned it at school and have happily gone more than two decades since without having the opportunity to use this knowledge.

Suzysleep · 05/01/2019 15:34

Ok that makes sense, thanks for explaining the plug changing Smile

Ironingboard · 05/01/2019 15:47

I guess it’s just how people were brought up. Me and my brothers were all taught EVERYTHING about cars, general DIY and cooking. Even though it was boring learning all of this so young I always give myself a high five when I lift my bonnet and know exactly what’s wrong with my car and how to fix it and where to get the parts. (I have an 06 plate I obviously wouldn’t have a clue about newer cars or electrical ones)
However, some of my friends don’t have a clue about anything because they refused to be taught this or take any advice for later on in life, also that they’re parents just didn’t think to show them these things

WontonSoupForTheSoul · 05/01/2019 15:47

Certain people these days seem to take pride in their own incompetence.

Smallhorse · 08/01/2019 03:13

I had a friend, a doctor, who could not sew badges onto her son’s cubs/scouts top. I used to do it for her.

She genuinely had no idea how to sew

Flossmequick · 08/01/2019 03:23

I spoke to a lady in Asda on customer services (not relevant, but my only socialisation Grin) She was telling me her washing machine & tumble drier had both broken at the same time and were fairly new. They both wouldnt switch on.

I asked her if she could plug them in somewhere else (using an extension lead) to make sure it wasnt the socket, before she got the appliances looked at.

She thought I was a genius Confused

Im not, Im just tight.