... you won't believe this one ...

[cruelladepoppins]

My 12-year-old DS asked me to post this for the Mumsnet jury ...

I have shown DS how to run his bath in the evening and now expect him to do that.

He thinks I should run his bath for him every evening as I apparently only spend the time I have saved "on the computer" [like, now].

OK Mumsnetters, we await your judgement!

Cruelladepoppins

Glad you read it how i intended; not as a criticism of you because goodness knows, we all need our online life, but just how it might be from his perspective.

Having brought up 5 kids, my youngest who is 17 sometimes likes me to do things for him that he is way capable of doing himself. Not because he is lazy or taking me for granted but because sometimes they like to be 'little' again. and sometimes he just sees it as 'love'.
He asks his sister to make him sandwiches-not again because he is trying it on, but rather because he likes her to take care of him in this way. It has meaning for him. She rolls her eyes, pretends to huff but secretly is flattered to stilll be needed lol.

Well I think I can beat that - my 14 year old brother still gets his toe nails cut by my mum!!

My mum's a fool!

I'm a man and you can tell him from me that he should not trust a woman to run his bath properly. Similarly women aren't much good at ironing shirts or polishing shoes, so if he wants to look smart, he had better learn to do it himself.

I'd be the mother that runs the bath.

Quite right pigletjohn, save us a job! (badly done obviously!)

My son was six when he stopped "allowing "me in the bathroom with him.
Could run his own bath and wanted to.
Never worked out why he didnt want me in the bathroom though cos he was quite happy to runaround like a naked whhirlwind with just a towel as a superman cloak once bath time was over.
He is 28 now, apparently (according to dil ) he still does it

OP...Does he seriously think that it is a "womans" job to serve the males of the house maybe.

nursenic, so how does he "look after" other people? Just curious.

I know an ex-Captain that polishes his daughter's cadet boots.

Even though she's only a girl, I expect she'll have to learn eventually.

My DD could run her bath at 3 months.

kiddo, get off your butt and run your bath.

My 7 year old can run himself a bath (with supervision, of course!)

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=paddington+bear+pyjamas&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1536&bih=636&tbm=isch&tbnid=Cvk3zoCm1VZpxM:&imgrefurl=www.casachicos.com/taxonomy/term/1111&docid=kqY0Ghc-ADmwuM&imgurl=www.casachicos.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_full/999186.jpg_.jpg&w=2691&h=2274&ei=93fFTsuRCcba8QOe8uygBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=843&vpy=144&dur=3884&hovh=206&hovw=244&tx=152&ty=108&sig=115943295045051564741&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=172&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tell him these will be his Christmas present

pigletjohn - it actually makes me chuckle as my DH is ex-army and polishes his and our DS1's shoes, won't let me iron his (DH) clothes, and irons my DS1's uniform for school as I can't iron properly apparently!

Fine by me!

Hilarious redrubyblues and psammead

see, I was right!

My 25 year old cousin still can't make a cup of tea because his mother bowed to requests like this. Please, ask your DS if her REALLY wants to be like that...

Ah bless him, sure that's what mums are for, do you wash his hair for him and wrap him up in a big fluffy towel when he's done? If not then you should! Poor neglected child.

Don't women still tell their daughters never to marry a man who lives with his mum?

Yes they do Piglet, we women need a man to be able to fit a kitchen! Not a man that needs mothering!

My DH still had his hair dried (with a hairdryer) by his mum at the age of 14.

He wishes he'd never told me as I never fail to take up an opportunity to take the piss out of him for it.

Cruella's DS, take note.

What did you do OP?

Did you run his bath?

I run my DS's bath, put the heating on for when he gets home from school, warm his bed with a water bottle and put his clothes on the radiator to warm if it's cold - but he is 5!

secretnutellafan-

He is just as keen to do particular things for others- he is his sisters designated spider catcher-at any time of the day or night; he always meets me or his sisters if they are walking home in the dark and he gives great shoulder rubs as he has strong drummers hands!
i try to promote equal opportunity neediness fulfilling in our home lol!

aww you're all really mean!

dp would run a bath for me if i asked him to. and I am 31 21 and more than capable of doing it myself,

it's a nice thing to do. ok, maybe not every single night, but if you're around and you don't mind doing it then why not?

i don't really get the whole making your children do everyhting by themselves the moment they are "old enough" and the competitive "mine did it at 5" " well mine did it at 3" " well mine did it at 6 months"

well, mine is a child and I help my child and I like doing nice things for my children because they aren't children for long and they have years and years of doing stuff for themselves ahead of them. and running a bath for a 12 year old now and then won't prevent him from knowing how to do it or ever being able to do it himself

thisisyesterday-

I so agree.