Shouldn't parents be teaching freshers life skills before university?

[RampantIvy]

I am still on the WIWIKAU Facebook page as DD is a post grad student.

I keep reading posts from parents of freshers students worrying about how their student DC are going to manage cooking, laundry and other life skills.

Isn't it our job to teach them those skills? Why on earth haven't these parents done so?

I admit to challenging one parent in the past about this and got my post deleted 😁

Me too. That and the constant posts about how there are only about 8 good universities and anywhere else is just awful. I gave up trying to explain the the RG is just a members club and that there is life outside it. I did manage to help a few other conservatoire parents as most schools are not au fait with the very different requirements for UCAS Conservatoires and I was glad of the help we had when DS was navigating the system.

“let them eat cake”

Neither my husband nor I had much clue about cooking when we went to uni. We learned - and we didn't have google, youtube, etc. It's not rocket science.

I think I got DD to do a couple of loads of washing before she went to uni, and not only did she have no problem doing it there, but 5/6 terms so far she has done all her washing the day before coming home!

I personally think there's a happy medium between 'complete incompetents' and 'entirely self-sufficient' where most loving families hang out.

Some people seem to hate the very notion of family networks.

So has it been “largely debunked” or not? And if so why the push to treat 18-25 year olds to commit crimes more leniently?

but 5/6 terms so far she has done all her washing the day before coming home!

Given the cost of circuit laundry (the most common laundry facility provider in halls) my DC definitely wouldn’t do this - he would much rather save the money and put a wash on when he got home. Budgeting!

@Chrysanthemumsinpots Ideas keep changing, don't they. On the one hand, people in that age group can vote, get married, drink, etc., but on the other, they need to be treated more leniently when it comes to crime. Perhaps the age bar needs to be raised overall? 25 would be pretty old though!

It is good to see that the WIWIKAU thread has moved on from mattress toppers and which airfryer to buy.

TBF one of our earliest calls home was a videocall pointed at the washing machine in DD’s house (stubbornly locked, with red flashing lights). “Google is your friend” is an oft-repeated phrase at home.

Good luck to all parents packing their children off to Uni for the first time.

I don't mean compiling a spreadsheet type budgeting😂
I mean like if you have fiver and buy a mars bar, do you have enough left to buy that comic, type thing.

No, it hasn't been discredited. The brain is still maturing during early 20s in areas such as planning etc.

Anyone who has any experience of uni age people will have observed the big difference from 18 to 21 and onwards into mid 20s.

No, it hasn't been discredited. The brain is still maturing during early 20s in areas such as planning etc.

Why are 20-somethings allowed to be teachers, nurses, police officers, officers in the armed forces, MPs, if they're not capable of functioning in day to day life?

I don’t think they should be allowed to be MPs - I think you should be at least 30 and have had at least seven years experience doing anything (legal) completely outside politics before becoming an MP.

In terms of ‘not capable of functioning in day to day life’ - that is a nice straw man you built there.

@ConfessionsOfAMumDramaQueen My DDs went to a posh boarding school and their male friends were not remotely like this. They could cook, shop, clean and did not get girls doing it for them! How people dress is individual though - ever seen football supporters from Newcastle?

Oh don't be (deliberately?) silly

They are capable of functioning. They are still developing.

Should be no age limit beyond the age of adulthood. Some people will be idiots however old they get! Others will be quite thoughtful by 18.

However thoughtful they are they do not have any adult life experience at 18.

Just re washing-up, I discovered this summer that neither of my two (one going into 2nd year, one going into 4th year) knew you needed HOT water with the washing-up liquid to get a frying pan properly clean. This meant 2 new frying pans. Hopefully everyone else’s kids know this already 😂

Interestingly, when DD was at university the only catered halls had a much higher percentage of privately educated students than the self catered accommodation.

That's not your call. In a democracy, the electorate choose.
Did adult life experience help Truss?
Pitt the Younger was 24 when he became PM.
Having a few young representatives would be good for diluting the groupthink.

Parents should be doing this from an earlier stage than uni

Omg I saw the dehumidifier one!

I honestly think that it’s all diversion from the real worry of the DC leaving home.

I have 2 DSs about to go and am dreading it but really excited for them. Not going to worry about over door hook hangers or bloody mattress toppers though.

mine are pretty independent and have been doing own washing and cooking us meals for years. I hope they’ll be nice people to live with.

DS was a bit green behind the gills when he went to his uni city at 18 as DH and me were 30 years before him. He and we worked it out - a phonecall home to work out the washing machine or in DS case a photo on Whatsapp is a rite of passage in the first few weeks like making friends and drinking without restraint.
He graduated in July a fully functioning adult with a degree.

Not really that surprising- catered costs more and ex-private school families are likely to be wealthier (not least having just stopped paying school fees)

In that case why not let a seven year old stand?

Bit puzzled by the Truss comment, of course it did.

Because 7 is a young child, obviously. 18 is an adult in the UK system.

Truss was appalling. Her life experience counted for nothing. She couldn't find the exit door at her press conference.