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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:
LouHey · 01/08/2023 23:25

It could be Nostalgia on your sister part or lack or imagination. Why don't you plan something together and try to let go of the butlins trauma? lol.

You are being unreasonable because of the shouting, it's not worth getting upset over, she was just having a whinge - it's almost a family tradition hehe

GalaApples · 02/08/2023 12:14

Have notread all of the 22 page thread, OP, but to me it is clear he is uber-depressed. Pressure to work full time is the worst thing you could do. He needs outside help. I was very depressed in my early twenties, it was not addressed and caused massive other and escalating problems later. His issues need professional intervention now.

GUARDIAN1 · 07/08/2023 18:48

Give him an ultimatum - to sort his scuzzy room and get full time employment - ANY employment - or he's out. Nobody else would tolerate his ways, like if he went into a house-share or something. Unless he's suffering from severe depression or something (in which case he needs to get help) there's no excuse at all.

Daisyhillsareblooming · 08/08/2023 09:31

My step son has been staying , he’s been up until 3-4 am every morning gaming . He’s in a smelly bedroom nearly all day . He stays in bed nearly all day and this is the normal routine for him . There was a row between us last week and my husband has told me to back off . He rings his mother if I say anything about this . I now have had to ignore it as it causes problems between my husband and I . It’s absolutely disgusting , and I am fed up of the mental health excuses. He’s totally addicted to the internet and screamed his head off when I turned it off last week. He’s off to uni soon, I have told my husband none of our kids are coming back to this lifestyle if they fail . It’s a deal breaker for me , grown men lying around all day 😩

Hearmeout · 08/08/2023 13:03

I work in the age range 16-24 and this issue with particularly young men staying up into the early hours gaming and then not being able to function in the day time sufficiently enough to work/study is endemic.

Funnily enough the young men who are in bad housing situations/homeless and can't afford to game tend to have no issues getting up and going to work/study if the opportunity is afforded them and they are helped with travel costs and bursaries etc - and they have every reason in the world to be depressed and anxious given that they have no safe place to call home.

Everybody is different, of course. But 8 hours a week of work, unless you can afford to be supported by someone else (which he is being) is a privilege he is vastly abusing by being awful to the other occupants of the house.

There is no argument where it could be said that having a shit circadian rhythm caused by too much blue light exposure and not enough sunlight/routine would be good for anyone's mental health, diagnosed or not.

He's a fully grown adult, it's time for him to act like one.

Delphinium20 · 09/08/2023 05:32

There is no argument where it could be said that having a shit circadian rhythm caused by too much blue light exposure and not enough sunlight/routine would be good for anyone's mental health, diagnosed or not.

This seems the most obvious reason. Occam's Razor and all.

kerryelaine100 · 15/08/2023 15:18

A JOB IS NON NEGOTIATION-ABLE .. no job he out. Both parent must be agreed on this or it will cause shit !! Time to focus on you guys 👍

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