To ask how much you could do round the house at 21?

[StupidMistakes]

Did you
*Know how to use the washing machine?
*know where the fuses were?
*Know how to reset the boiler?
*know water has to be paid for?
*Know how to wash up?

Three of the above things are acceptable not to know but seriously my flat mate at 21 didn't know how to use a washing machine, where the powder went or the difference between fabric softner and washing powder!!!

This reminds me of the old advice to DCs:

Never marry anyone who lives with their mum.

(The other advice, for girls was:
Marry a man with a small head)

I had been married and living with DH in our own flat for two years by the time I was 21!!!

I could do all those things and more................

I got married at 22. So yes.

Know how to use the washing machine? Ds age 6yo can do that. He struggles on hanging it out on the line because of his size, but he has done it with a chair (and me wincing, but he was determined he would do that all on his own)

know where the fuses were? Ds does again. He also knows how to trip the switch, and how to reset the switches of tripped. Not totally sure dd2 (age 10yo) knows because she has no interest in it, but I think she would.

Know how to reset the boiler? Actually I do struggle with that one on our current boiler. There were no instructions when we moved it, and it does have a habit of resetting itself, and I always have to think hard about how to get it back.

know water has to be paid for? The dc do, simply because we moved to a house with a watermeter, so it was a big discussion at one point. Not sure I would have realised much before 21, we didn't pay until we moved into a house at 24yo, because the flats paid out of the flat fee which included things like external lighting, gardener, and water.

Know how to wash up? All three dc were doing that from the point they could stand safely on the chair to do it, so probably about 2yo. they thought it was a treat then. Now they can do it without the chair (except ds) it is a chore.

Everything in the OP (including that fabric softener is the devil's work), plus wiring plugs, mending, polishing shoes, ironing, doing laundry, basic (house) painting, because my parents made me do them. Very unhappy then, very relieved and grateful once I'd left home.

I lived at home but shared chores and did my own cooking.

My Mum left my Dad before my sister and I left home.

Dad was very capable at household tasks and strict about us not leaving stuff lying around. I stupidly expected most men to be like him!

Then I started flatsharing and discovered people who didn't know how to boil an egg literally or who boiled every pan of veg dry instead of turning down the heat and simmering it; or who mixed whites and coloured washing items; who didn't even put rubbish in the bin and who didn't even know the basics of food hygiene etc etc.... shocking!

As an aside I can't believe how many people on MN settled down so young; I'm 37 and have only ever flatshared / lived alone.

I'm worried that I won't want to iron a man's shirts when the time comes! (If it ever does).

I did all those things with the exception of the boiler, boilers often dont need any resetting but had i needed to reset it i would find out how.

I bought my own house with my ex at 21, he was useless as his mother had never taught him to do anything for himself. He wouldn't even put cereal in a bowl for himself on my day off. Maybe your housemates mother was the same? (btw my ex is now 47 and lives with his mother).

Latara I also know people who don't turn down the heat when cooking?! Wtf, if there is black smoke in the kitchen surely it's time to turn down the gas!!

Yes, every pan in the shared flats I lived in soon became unusable with burnt residue on the bottom; I always had to buy my own pans; seriously couldn't believe that some people (including 30 somethings) didn't know the basics of cooking.

The work fridge makes me wonder about some peoples' home hygiene. They leave out of date mouldy food for days (including meat) - I never use the fridge for that reason.

Bought a flat at 18 so yes could do all the above