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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be shocked at my brothers helplessness

56 replies

whelker · 17/10/2010 11:20

My brother (13) is staying with me for the weekend and he is literally useless at doing anything. This morning I found him trying to get his toast out of the toaster with a knife and when I told him not to he had no idea why you shouldn't do it. On Friday when he arrived I asked for his help to make his bed up and he couldn't put a pillow case on a pillow. I know he's only 15 but have never seen anyone so inept

OP posts:
melikalikimaka · 19/10/2010 08:50

Yes I have witnessed this incident in my own kitchen, and told him off for it. He didn't seem to connect metal conducts electricity!!!

Quick science lesson.

But saying that, I had at least two electric shocks in my childhood! One was at school, where I saw a wire hanging out of the wall in a classroom, I wondered if it was live and touched it! Believe me, it gave me a right pisser up my arm. I relay this tale at regular intervals. They can't believe how dumb I am.

Another one, when I was younger, I managed to get a small pair of scissors caught between the plug I was plugging in, and the socket. A big blue flash happened and I wondered why?!?

You see, you live and learn!

Diamondback · 19/10/2010 09:30

Total boy-tactics here - he knows that if he feigns uselessness, someone else will do it for him. So just don't.

stillbobbysgirl · 19/10/2010 09:46

I was 21 and my mum was in hospital, so my Dad and I were lookng after house and looking after disabled older brother. I asked my younger brother - 19 at the time to go and remake beds I had stripped and washed bedding for. I had left the clean bedding on the end of each bed. He came down half and hour later to ask me to how him how to put on pillowcases, fitted sheets and duvet covers.

My mum did everything for all of us, I did not lift an finger at home until I was about 15, but when it got to that age, I WANTED to be more independent and started to learn stuff. Boys/Men just don't bother I think if they have a woman to do things for them.

When I was a kid though, my Dad taught me how to wire a plug and other stuff like that, and when I got my first banger, he would not let me drive it until I had learnt to change the tyre and check oil & water.

There are lots of women who are completley helpless at this kind of thing and have to get a man in to do every little DIY job for them, this baffles me as much as men who can't iron a shirt.

My DH worked in a butchers shop from the age of 12 until 18, and subsequently he is the most thorough cleaner!

whelker · 19/10/2010 10:28

He definitely wasn't feigning it as he looked at me like I was an alien when I told him about the dangers of sticking a knife in a live toaster.

OP posts:
huddspur · 19/10/2010 19:56

He's only 13 we all did dangerous/stupid stuff at that age

horMOANSnomore · 19/10/2010 20:14

I bought wooden toast tongs and have never had to use them as our toaster pops the bread up with such force that it shoots out and on to the worktop.

I'd expect whoever showed a 13 year old how to make toast should warn him about the dangers of sticking a knife in the toaster.

'It takes a village to raise a child' OP, at least your brother has you to help teach him how to look after himself.

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