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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:
momtoboys · 27/07/2023 16:33

I have not read all the responses but my take is that your son is mentally ill. I am usually the one who says "cut him off", "force him to find a place to live" but this situation sounds more dire that many of the lazy twenty year olds we hear about on MN. I have 5 sons and their rooms are horrifically messy but not dirty and smelly like that. That is not normal to live like that.

I'm sorry you are going through this.

Serena73 · 27/07/2023 16:35

Why did he drop out of uni? Was he struggling, or didn't like the course? If it was the latter is there something else he'd rather study? Or was he homesick and found it hard to fit in?

What was he like before he went to uni? If this staying up all night gaming is a new thing I would think that he is depressed. He has lost direction and needs help getting back on track with a real plan, not a crappy zero hours job. (That's fine while he's sorting himself out but not a long term goal.) Of course, it's up to him to make the effort.

If you can't get through to him I would definitely turn the wi fi off when you go to bed and the other children aren't using it. At least then he might sleep and get up at a normal time and be in a different frame of mind. Tell him that unless he's paying for it you make those rules.

TFZ9287 · 27/07/2023 16:35

I agree that happy people do not act this way, however you cannot go on like this and the only way he is going to get help is if he is willing to help himself.
I think you need to have a serious heart to heart with him and let him know that you love him you are willing to help him but first he has to admit that there is a problem. If he is still adamant that nothing is wrong it is then entirely out of your control and you can only go ahead and lay the ground rules making sure they are enforced (room needs to be tidy and he needs to be respectful of everyone else in the house). At least then he is aware that you are there for him when he needs you but you will not tolerate his behaviour as at the end of the day it is your house and he is making everyone else's life a misery. Sometimes people do need to hit rock bottom before they are willing to get any help, but at least he then knows that when he is ready you will be there for him

WiddlinDiddlin · 27/07/2023 16:36

Sounds like me in my late teens... in bed til 4pm, eating the bare minimum to remain alive, room a tip, clothes dirty, barely functional, just doing the absolute minimum...

In my case I lived in a house share with two friends, and was on job seekers (in a town with super high unemployment and next to no chance of an actual job at all so a very laid back job centre, pre the modern era of sanctions etc)...

People don't live like this because they like it. They live like this because there is something wrong.

In my case I was clinically depressed, suffering a variety of undiagnosed health conditions and PTSD - not that I or anyone realised that at the time.

Point is, kicking him out, giving him ultimatums, assuming this is an active choice and he likes things like this, won't help him. It might, if you boot him out, help YOU in that you'll save money and won't live with an arsehole... but one assumes a parent wants to do more than lighten their own load.

Talk to him. Find out whats going on. Ask that he help himself and if he does, you'll help too...but he has to talk to you and access help.

YukoandHiro · 27/07/2023 16:38

Sheruns · 27/07/2023 16:30

This sounds like my family home. My step brother is about 9 years older than me. He messed up at uni and dropped out (in his defence he has health probs), came home, got a factory job which in our little town was enough to rent a house share with his mates in his twenties. At about 27 he was made redundant and moved back into the family home. As I went off to uni, he went back to a different uni while living at home, rent free (which I think is fine while studying ). At the end of my first year, I u got my results and came home for the summer. He kept saying his results aren't in yet. It was clear he'd failed and wasn't going back for second year. Eventually he had to admit it. This was 2006. Since that day my two other siblings and I have moved out and two of us have families (step brother in question is oldest). All the while, since 2006, he has been living at my parents rent free, smoking weed all day, being aggressive, rude, untidy and smelly.

My mum is about to retire. My step dad is retired. They should be enjoying life as grandparents. Instead they tiptoe around and aggressive man baby who bloody stinks.

Please act now. Don't be my mother

This is so depressing. Have you and your siblings told him to get his fucking act together?

Can they sell up and downsize to a small 2 bed and say there's no room for him anymore?

pillsthrillsandbellyache · 27/07/2023 16:38

Get him out of your house. Tell him he has until 1st of September to gain full time employment and sort his room out. Do not allow this 20 year old to have such a negative affect on the entire household. Fuck me, just what is the bar here for you to say enough? This is the path he has chosen. He will not change while you enable him. Start looking at houseshares, get him on a council waiting list, be proactive.

Incognito2023 · 27/07/2023 16:39

@yarsvi - what a positive story, well done to you and your son

@PissedOff2020 - since I was writing my very long post (sorry, btw!) I’m glad to see more offering the ‘kind’ approach rather than the harsh replies that were more common at the start.

and YES, 100% go for walks - exercise excellent for mood AND talking

pillsthrillsandbellyache · 27/07/2023 16:42

The excuses posters on here make for men, no matter the age drives me mad. No wonder we have so many women posting on here because they are running around after useless manbabies. There is a thread running at the moment written by a young woman and she has being told repeatedly that she is entitled expecting to be able to live rent free at her parents. She is in further education aiming for a nice career. I absolutely despair.

BrawnWild · 27/07/2023 16:43

People will say he is depressed but it's a chicken and egg situation. How he is living isnt helping.

Why should he change though? Like all these lazy men, all he has to do is put up with an ear bashing now and again and then carry on living his life. It's too easy for him.

StellaJohanna · 27/07/2023 16:44

MeridianB · 27/07/2023 16:12

First post nails it. He just isn’t taking you seriously at the moment. So set boundaries and consequences and make sure you enforce them. If you don’t, nothing will change.

No Wi-Fi password for him until he get so a job, pays his way and keeps clean. Otherwise he should leave.

He is the worst possible ‘role model’ for your three younger sons.

He doesn't need OP's wifi password - he can just buy a dongle!

itsgettingweird · 27/07/2023 16:46

PissedOff2020 · 27/07/2023 14:18

Forgot to ask the question - am I being unreasonable to force him to work full time?

Yanbu to kick him out.

If he wants to adult his en way - he can pop off and do it 🤷‍♀️

crocodileindenial · 27/07/2023 16:48

Another vote for depressed. He could even have the early stages of psychosis. Headphones in all the time, angry, unmotivated.
Talk to your GP and ask your son if he would like support. Be nurturing but firm.
No one chooses to live like this.
He is unhappy.
Please remember that this is your little boy. He still needs you.

StellaJohanna · 27/07/2023 16:48

He is, apart from the handful of hours a week he works, a Hikikomori.

It is spreading fast among boys and young men in the West now. My neighbour has finally got her son out of the house - he was 29 - she put up with this for a decade. He would not communicate at the end and demanded his meals be left outside the door.

He has to move out, OP. If he stays, he will only go further down.

catalinamia · 27/07/2023 16:49

Has he ever had a head injury or surgery? Or was his birth traumatic - was he deprived of oxygen or anything? What was his sleep like as a child? And his effort levels? Is he overweight? Could he have "mild" ME/CFS? Or apathy syndrome?

Genevieva · 27/07/2023 16:53

Full time on £10 an hour would be £400 a week.

Give him a rental contract that includes keeping his room clean and tidy and doing his laundry.

Tell him he has 2 months to find a full-time job and to start paying you £100 a week.

tsmainsqueeze · 27/07/2023 16:54

Although i can completely see why you are frustrated and annoyed my bigger concern would be that he may be depressed and may feel unable to talk about it.
You say you are house proud but hard as it is back off from the mess and try to talk calmly and really listen to him if he responds .
I have 2 adult sons and it is like getting blood out of a stone when talking about something they perceive as personal or sensitive , i'm quite sure they just hear my attempts at talking as interfering and nagging, i know they would switch off if i was repeatedly on at them to clean their room , i think they just don't see things the way we do

He is a young man with so much of life ahead to find his right path and he needs a home and loving parents who have his back.
There are some harsh comments towards him on here ,by throwing him out as a few suggest ,whatever problems he may have now could become a hell of a lot worse if you did so.
Just because some people could fend for themselves at 17 doesn't mean that everyone can.

momtoboys · 27/07/2023 16:54

Tilllly · 27/07/2023 15:35

Find the cheapest bedsit in your local town. Pay six months rent for him. Move him in.

I think the above is a GREAT idea!

BoomBoom70 · 27/07/2023 16:55

The symptoms you describe sound like he is suffering from depression. Try to get support from your GP. If it is depression, some of the ‘harder’ suggestions here will backfire.

mathanxiety · 27/07/2023 16:56

@Feverly

The OP could turn off the wifi at night so the DS couldn't stay up all night gaming. Everybody else would be asleep, with no need for wifi.

Canthave2manycats · 27/07/2023 16:58

UnbeatenMum · 27/07/2023 15:07

What was he like before going to Uni? Did he have life skills like being able to cook a simple meal, keeping on top of his room, generally being reasonably well organised? Did he have good friendships? If so then I'd agree with others saying he's depressed and encourage him to see his GP, go out with friends, support him to get his room in a better state and get into a better routine as much as you can.

This was what I was wondering.

Did he behave like this before going to uni?

StellaJohanna · 27/07/2023 16:58

mathanxiety · 27/07/2023 16:56

@Feverly

The OP could turn off the wifi at night so the DS couldn't stay up all night gaming. Everybody else would be asleep, with no need for wifi.

He doesn't need her wifi - he can just buy a Dongle from Amazon

bonzaitree · 27/07/2023 16:59

Tilllly · 27/07/2023 15:35

Find the cheapest bedsit in your local town. Pay six months rent for him. Move him in.

This actually isn’t a bad shout. Monthly reminders that the rent is X and after X date he has to pay. 6 months is enough time to get sorted out.

PollyPut · 27/07/2023 17:00

PissedOff2020 · 27/07/2023 14:18

Forgot to ask the question - am I being unreasonable to force him to work full time?

I'd start by getting him to get his room clean before talking about working full time. The mould etc is going to cost you money the more it grows so it's priority no 1 that the room is cleaned. Today. I suspect you will need to do it with him - but as he's in his room most of the time that shouldn't be hard.

No food upstairs for anyone in the house, then it's all equal.

I'd be looking into what studying/qualifications he can get - perhaps apprentice work. Lower paid in short term but will help him stand on his own two feet in the long rum

YeahIsaidit · 27/07/2023 17:01

Zippedydodah · 27/07/2023 14:55

I would stop paying for his phone etc, no cooking or food shopping for him (if necessary put a lock on the cupboard?), remove his gaming equipment and change the wifi password.
Tell him he can have things back when he begins to live like a civilised individual and stops behaving like a Neanderthal oik.
Tell him he has a week to clean his bedroom and apply for jobs or he’s out by the end of August.

You can't just take someone's stuff off them, especially an adult even if they are minging and lazy

Askil · 27/07/2023 17:03

Serena73 · 27/07/2023 16:35

Why did he drop out of uni? Was he struggling, or didn't like the course? If it was the latter is there something else he'd rather study? Or was he homesick and found it hard to fit in?

What was he like before he went to uni? If this staying up all night gaming is a new thing I would think that he is depressed. He has lost direction and needs help getting back on track with a real plan, not a crappy zero hours job. (That's fine while he's sorting himself out but not a long term goal.) Of course, it's up to him to make the effort.

If you can't get through to him I would definitely turn the wi fi off when you go to bed and the other children aren't using it. At least then he might sleep and get up at a normal time and be in a different frame of mind. Tell him that unless he's paying for it you make those rules.

This is the exact question I was going to ask. When did this all start and what was he like BEFORE he went to university? also what did he go to uni to study? what was he like academically before he went to uni?
All these might shed some light on the root cause of what's going and hopefully provide some answers on the way forward.