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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

20 year old lazy, dirty son

532 replies

PissedOff2020 · 27/07/2023 14:10

Really at my wits end. Sorry this is a lengthily one.

We have 4 boys, eldest is 20 & dropped out of Uni after the first term - well over 18 months ago now. He didn’t tell us of course, had 5 weeks off over xmas and made no attempt to look for work. When we eventually found out and asked why the hell he hadn’t been looking for work he said he ‘wanted to chill and have the xmas break’. He was 19 then.

Mu husband eventually found him a job 2 months later, as ds’s effort was non existent. Zero hours contract and all good at first. His room was a dirty,dirty hovel with a smell coming out (think plates, food, rubbish etc all over floor). Carpet ruined, walls filthy.. clothes all over floor - can’t even open door there is that much shit. Anyway, that’s been a constant cause of arguments in house - just clean it ffs! He’s just got worse with that, we are quite house proud and I resent the smell upstairs- it’s a joke. He never contributes to household chores, despite countless conversations about it. Just does the bare minimum to get by.
Faat forward to now, his zero hours is currently working out at 8 hours a week. Been like that for 3 months and he’s not bothered to look for a job. We’ve told him he needs full time job, job hunted for him, sent him linked to apply - he does nothing. He sleeps all the time and games all night, sat in his filth.
Took him abroad last month, in the hope to speak to him away from the augments at home and also let him see life outside his bedroom. He slept all day, total waste of money. When I spoke to him about it he couldn’t see any issue with staying in his hotel room all day.
Over the last 2 months he’s got even worse, doesn’t even speak to us. Literally walks in a room and ignores us - we say hello, he has headphones on and so can’t hear anything, but makes no effort to acknowledge us etc. He eats meals if we cook, otherwise lives off sandwiches and cereal.
I have had enough, it’s intolerable. Constant tension and frustration in the house over it. Spoke to him and said I felt like he was treating us like doormats and he has no gratitude for what he has and enough was enough. Told him, the atmosphere in the house with him ignoring us was awful, just made us feel like he doesn’t give a shit about us. Asked why he wasn’t applying for jobs, he shrugged his shoulders. Told him we are not working our arses off, both working full time, for him to work a day a week and sleep all day. Then do not a thing around the house and blank us in the process.
Eventually it finished in a huge row after he snarled he’d apply for jobs but we shouldn’t speak to him at all anymore. Genuinely like he was angry we expected him to work. To add, even before his hours were really slashed he’s only ever worked around 25-30 hours per week at best. He’s had it so easily but he hasn’t a single bit of appreciation. We’ve spoken to him a year ago when he said he was unhappy at work - suggested all sorts, he was going to look into things but he never did.
I just don’t know what to try next. Explained to him over and over before yesterday this is his chance to build his career, we are supporting him whilst he does that. He’s not though, he is quite happy to do nothing and wait until it’s at breaking point - which is where I am at.
Anyone been here? Any advice from any others?

OP posts:
JogOn123 · 28/07/2023 00:36

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JudgeRinderonTinder · 28/07/2023 00:50

@Stomacharmeleon ok, you clearly haven’t read the full thread then, as it was said by a couple of posters how it’s common for ND’s to become clear later in life and then an OP said they ‘wholeheartedly disagreed’ and then immaturely posted a sarcastic response to me when I said it affects everyone differently

i didn’t say you didn’t know what a spectrum is, did I? I said it’s a spectrum disorder, how does that imply you don’t know what a spectrum is?

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion of course, but she talked through her arse.

I only made it ‘personal’ as I was showing support for OP’s son. I know he isn’t diagnosed but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can help it and he needs the support. I was trying to show that I related to him to give people a better understanding, and when I’m saying things and they are rubbished, it’s annoying given that I know what I’m talking about.

Amongst the sea of abuse that he’s a lazy fucker there is only a few of us that stood up for him when I first posted.

Ahsoka2001 · 28/07/2023 01:11

AskAgathaIfSheWantsACupOfTea · 27/07/2023 16:18

“He sleeps all the time and games all night, sat in his filth. “

ok so there’s your solution, change the wifi password? Easy. Wifi is a privilege not a given.

he’ll rampage. He’ll call you everything under the sun. Don’t falter. Don’t give it him. Ride out the storm. he can earn it back when he’s working a full time job.

and then when he’s working a full time job, he’s got 3 months to find alternative accommodation.

Tell him to grow up, shape up or get out, your house is not a fucking hotel for a man child.

it’s time to grow up now.

only a few decades ago, men were fighting wars or married with kids and providing for families at 20!!!!

and now we just seem to have a generation of child-men who sponge off their parents and play fucking computer games all day! How is this an option.

I tell you, if I lived at home and was doing this, my mum would have taken the console and hidden it at a relatives, or worse!

Why do you think he should be kicked out even when he IS working full time?

JogOn123 · 28/07/2023 01:17

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Ahsoka2001 · 28/07/2023 01:19

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I couldn't agree more. Although - I feel like a lot of posters on here are deliberately harsher than they would be in real life cause...well...it's easy to be assertive and feel superior when you're hiding behind a keyboard. I feel like the high some posters are getting off slating this young man is like taking cocaine for them

JogOn123 · 28/07/2023 01:27

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ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 28/07/2023 01:30

I'd change the WiFi password & also disable the power points in his room so there is zero electric in there. No gaming under my roof.

If he keeps it filthy, remove the door.

Privacy is a privilege, not a right. He needs a massive wakeup call.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 28/07/2023 01:31

Because many of them haven't had a decent male or female adult role model in their entire lives.

JogOn123 · 28/07/2023 01:53

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Mollycox · 28/07/2023 02:00

not everyone is brainwashed sheep. Maybe he is woke and don’t wanna be a slave and work all his life.

Thepossibility · 28/07/2023 04:39

This man is an adult and needs to be pushed out of the nest.
He needs to be out experiencing how hard it is in the real world.
Tell him he has 3 months and he is out. He needs a room somewhere else and a job to fund it.
He can't grow as a person in this situation. He won't appreciate what you have provided for him until he has been forced to take responsibility for himself.

tidalway · 28/07/2023 06:25

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tidalway · 28/07/2023 06:27

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Bagwyllydiart · 28/07/2023 07:00

Kick him out, change the locks and go NC for a year.

dayswithaY · 28/07/2023 07:07

I wonder where a 19 year old who works 8 hours a week is supposed to go if his parents do “kick him out”.

No real income, no deposit, no credit history, no guarantor. His parents love him, why would they want him to sleep on the streets?

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:10

dayswithaY · 28/07/2023 07:07

I wonder where a 19 year old who works 8 hours a week is supposed to go if his parents do “kick him out”.

No real income, no deposit, no credit history, no guarantor. His parents love him, why would they want him to sleep on the streets?

Well when he's in the local homeless shelter he'll realise how good he had it at home and sort himself out.

He won't be on the streets, but there'll be no sleeping all day, gaming all night going on when he's in a shelter.

tidalway · 28/07/2023 07:16

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AgathaSpencerGregson · 28/07/2023 07:24

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:10

Well when he's in the local homeless shelter he'll realise how good he had it at home and sort himself out.

He won't be on the streets, but there'll be no sleeping all day, gaming all night going on when he's in a shelter.

I honestly wonder what people who post like this are getting out of their online behaviour. I can’t believe it’s a solution for what’s wrong with their lives.
im sorry this has happened to your thread OP. This situation must be so worrying. I agree with those who say the first step is a clear and reiterated message of love and concern. I also do think that many young men go through a phase of being a bit lost during adolescence (which is the developmental phase he very much is in). They come out of it.

Jewel1968 · 28/07/2023 07:25

Have not read all of thread.

I would have conversation from the perspective of - I am concerned as you are clearly not functioning. It clear you are not functioning because X, Y and Z. Do you need help? He will probably say no.

On the room I would give him 3 deadlines and set that out at the beginning. By deadline 1 I want you to have made significant inroads (be specific) on your room, by deadline 2 more inroads and by deadline 3 room is finished. If by deadline 3 improvement is not achieved I and your father will enter with bin liners etc ... I would also put this in writing in an email to him.

And then say to him that if he doesn't achieve this there is clearly something wrong and urge him to seek help.

If he doesn't play ball after giving him a reasonable length of time (3 deadlines) and he doesn't seek help then I do think you will probably have to suggest that he will need to move out.

I think I would tackle room first. Then turn to employment.

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:29

@tidalway no, not at all and it's sad that so many people with mental ill health are homeless.

That being said, it is by no means certain that OPs son is mentally ill. However, he is currently being enabled by her to live a half life.

If he's not mentally ill, a short sharp shock like potential homelessness would certainly help him shape up. And if he is, she can reassess the situation at a later point. I mean, if he's in a shelter for 3 months and still hasn't sorted himself out, maybe she can look at letting him back home.

But the current situation is untenable.

dayswithaY · 28/07/2023 07:31

I don’t know OP, obviously. But they are not going to let their son go into a homeless shelter (assuming there was a place available) to get her point across.

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:32

AgathaSpencerGregson · 28/07/2023 07:24

I honestly wonder what people who post like this are getting out of their online behaviour. I can’t believe it’s a solution for what’s wrong with their lives.
im sorry this has happened to your thread OP. This situation must be so worrying. I agree with those who say the first step is a clear and reiterated message of love and concern. I also do think that many young men go through a phase of being a bit lost during adolescence (which is the developmental phase he very much is in). They come out of it.

What do you mean? Not sure what you mean by what im "getting out of my online behaviour".

I am giving advice to OP which some people (like yourself) find outrageous. Others find it sensible in the circumstances.

Would I kick my child out? Things would have to be at breaking point before I would even begin to consider it.

OP went wrong by allowing him home after quitting uni without a firm plan for what would happen with him working etc.

AgathaSpencerGregson · 28/07/2023 07:35

Online nastiness is online nastiness, even if it decides to get squirrelly and pretend it’s a principled stance.

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:41

OK, well we can agree to disagree.

Young adults who know that their parents have (reasonable) expectations of them and that they have to meet them, aren't the ones ending up in homeless shelters.

OP is not being unreasonable by being angry that he's reeking her house out, treating her home with disrespect and living off her and her husband.

JudgeRinderonTinder · 28/07/2023 07:44

Dacadactyl · 28/07/2023 07:29

@tidalway no, not at all and it's sad that so many people with mental ill health are homeless.

That being said, it is by no means certain that OPs son is mentally ill. However, he is currently being enabled by her to live a half life.

If he's not mentally ill, a short sharp shock like potential homelessness would certainly help him shape up. And if he is, she can reassess the situation at a later point. I mean, if he's in a shelter for 3 months and still hasn't sorted himself out, maybe she can look at letting him back home.

But the current situation is untenable.

Nobody freely chooses to live like that. Not coming out of his room on holiday? Not speaking to his parents and locking himself in his room? Dropping out of uni? I completely accept some people are a bit lazy, but it’s highly likely there is something amiss with him given everything in the post. There MIGHT not be, but solutions need to be discussed first and foremost.

Some of these posts on here disgust me the amount of people who have said just kick him out etc. I have complete empathy as I have been through similar myself. People who think it’s perfectly easy for a mother to make her son, adult or not, homeless easily when he’s likely struggling is just beyond my comprehension. If my parents had done that to me at my worst I’m not sure I would have recovered from it. Your parents are supposed to be your strongest support, there is supposedly no one else in the world who loves you like them.