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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DSS and work

35 replies

Blankscreen · 31/07/2024 08:00

DSS is 20 and lives with us full time has done for years.

He was due to go to uni in September and has decided he doesn't want to go and wants to be a day trader instead.

The back story is he had a girlfriend of 6 weeks who dumped just after Christmas. He was working an entry level job and saving up for uni.

Anyway the girl friend finished with him and he took it really badly.

He jacked in his job and wants to trade. He's isolated himself from all friends and literally never goes out. He's at home all the time except when he does his one 5 hr shift a week at another entry level job.

If I suggest going out with a friend I get a stupid reply of 'i'll go out when I'm rich'.

He's very vague about how much money he has as it feels as though he's always waiting for bitcoin to go up or some other story.

He says he likes the freedom but he feels like he is just gumming around. Having breakfast at 9:30 every day and the going off to the gym for a couple of hours in the afternoon.
He literally sits and watches you tube videos all day. Some are videos on how to trade some are Andrew Tate and others are about cars etc.

He had no money at all last week so DH lent him £50 to put petrol in the car. 2 days later he wanted borrow £500 DH said no.
His phone bill used to come out of my account and I got fed up with him not transferring the money for it. So we changed the dd to his account. First month the payment bounces. Fortunately it is a rolling contract but DH has now moved the payment to his account.

I have suggested that he needs to do more shifts and he basically got up and walked away refusing to do so. Apparently it's all a con, having a job. You make other people rich blah blah blah.

We have also really encouraged him to go to uni, try and get a job with some prospects to move up, go to college to get a trade or to try and get a degree apprenticeship. He refuses to do anything other than trade.

I was told, by him, that if he was at uni we would support him for 3 years so we should support him now when he is starting off trading. That was dismissed pretty quickly.

Dh has said that he must pay rent and he has for 2 months. I just know that this month he doesn't have any money so I expect he'll say he can't pay.

What on earth do we do?
Am I an old dinosaur that doesn't see new ways of making money?

It feels like he's in a cult and won't listen to reason.

I've said to DH that dss needs to get a job and do the trading around this or he needs to move out (not sure how that would be funded or enforced). I feel like dss needs to grow up.

DH is a bit soft on him and says stuff like he wants to support him and have a relationship with him. So not sure if I am being unreasonable.

Yes I know I'm the step mum and should butt out etc. but it's also my house he's living in and it's driving me mad.

As I know some of you will search back through my posts DSS persuaded DH into doing a bit of trading whilst he was out of work. He lost money and has stopped.

OP posts:
lalalapland · 31/07/2024 09:51

It sounds like he needs help, but until he has nothing he won't take you up on it. It sounds harsh, but you need to basically cut him off and allow him to figure things out for himself.

Most 'day traders' (gamblers) lose money. If he is somehow one of the tiny minority of very lucky traders, or puts in the required time and effort to become extremely skilled at it (doesn't sound like he is) then good for him.

He seems to be pretty far down the rabbit hole already, he may need to reach the bottom before he accepts any advice or help.

Blankscreen · 31/07/2024 09:52

Yes how will we ever get rid of him (in a nice way!)

OP posts:
lalalapland · 31/07/2024 09:54

Blankscreen · 31/07/2024 09:52

Yes how will we ever get rid of him (in a nice way!)

Charge him rent and stop paying for things for him. He needs a reality check. It's one thing trying to be all 'Andrew Tate' and making imaginary £millions in some gambling scheme. It's another when you have no money, no life and live at home with your parents as an adult

Octavia64 · 31/07/2024 10:03

The Andrew Tate stuff can really suck people in.

He is effectively being conned.

Talk to your dh. You need a united front.

It's not worth doing the short sharp shock - he needs time to realise that he needs his own money and it's better if he comes to that realisation himself.

If he isn't earning any money then eventually he will get fed up with it.

Try to arrange with dh that in September the car goes - you "can't afford" insurance for him any more so it's sold.

Basically just try to make life a little bit more uncomfortable each month so he starts thinking - I want Money.

Andrew Tate encourages men to find women they can live off - so the women have a job and do childcare and pay while the man does nothing, it's attractive to men who feel rejected and like they have nothing to offer.

Try to find something he is good at and encourage that.

I suspect you will find that if he gets a new girlfriend this will all turn 180 very very fast.

In the meantime I'd let stuff like breakfast go in the interest of getting a united front with dh.

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 31/07/2024 10:08

If he wants to trade successfully he should be spending his time on research and doing it properly. What he's doing is gambling and what his dad is doing is enabling him to gamble. That's not good parenting. Unless DSS is depressed, in which case he needs to see his GP and get treatment, then he needs a big reality check and his dad needs to stop enabling him. It's easy to decide jobs and university are a con while someone else is paying for everything. Basics, food, clothes, roof over his head sure. Everything else, like car costs and phone need to be earned. My DM enabled my brother and he's still living off her in he's 40s and she's struggling to make ends meet on her pension. At some stage the line needs to be drawn, it's far easier to do now than once this behaviour and sense of complete entitlement become completely engrained. Eta: I agree with PP about taking it slowly and step by step, build little changes on top of each other so he hopefully starts to realise himself he wants things to change. You've got time on your side. If that doesn't work you can always try the short sharp shock later. Unfortunately though any changes involve DH getting on board. He's the sticking point. Maybe you could ask him how he sees this playing out and how things are ever going to change if DSS always gets shielded from the effects of his choices. DSS is learning how to adult here.

Blankscreen · 31/07/2024 10:10

He saved up in his gap year but has put all that money into crypto so can't access it 'at the moment'....

I don't actually know where he would meet a new girlfriend he doesn't go anywhere.

OP posts:
MotherofChaosandDestruction · 31/07/2024 11:57

To be honest, if he's in the cult of Andrew Tate and it sounds like he is with the refusing uni etc. he probably won't listen to you anyway. I'd be having strong conversations with your DH , send him links to gambling addiction sites and help him see he is not helping. You need to show a united front!!

Comingupriver · 31/07/2024 18:55

What’s his mothers view?

Wellieswithsocks · 31/07/2024 20:38

What was he planning to study, OP? Is there anyone he listens to? If he’s motivated by financial rewards, surely studying a related subject at Uni would improve his chances.

Blankscreen · 31/07/2024 23:37

He was meant or be studying business at uni.

His mum's isn't really involved and not capable of having an opinion. (Health reasons)

OP posts:
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