Older teens. They really think it grows on trees don't they?

[orangeandlemons]

DS 18about to go to uni.

We went shopping for stuff like lamps and bits. Hewanted to buy everything and INSISTED on a laundry hamper even though all his clothes always live on the floor. Bought vital pizza cutterand totally disregarded mop!

Now comes wandering down with a book list and seems to think I am going to buy it all(I'm not). All his jeans have holes, as do his trainers and he "needs" some more. How muchdoes he think I have?

He can't insist on a hamper, its your money! Get all that stuff from poundland/ebay/.

He has a job this summer right? If not, why not - tell him to buy his own clothes!

All UNis have great libraries- he does not NEED to buy books. When he gets there & settles in to his course he'll discover which core books he REALLY needs & there will be good second hand ones.

We have done the budget. I have told him to go to the library or ebay or wait until he starts for the books. I have been trying to force him to get a job for ages. I have done everything in my power to manage his expectations blieve me!

He seems to think he should be the son of a millionaire!

Rooms in halls are tiny, no room for laundry hampers? Bought ikea pans and crockery for DS last year, bugger all came back with him. Wish I'd gone to Oxfam. Get him to wait until he gets there to buy his books from the 2nd year students.

He's moving in with mates, which is why I guess the pizza cutter is essential. He even dared suggest I buy a 4 slice toaster for him and his mates!

I am going to suggest 2nd year students for books. Will have the bloody job conversation again.

Dh and I think he is like some Viz cartoon character called job dodger

I'm lucky DS is able to live at home and travel to Uni, but I've started a collection of old crockery, cutlery etc ready for the day he does move out. Yes they do think it grows on trees, but a P/T job helps, a pair of trainers = 9 hours work. Car insurance = 300 hours, so will have to make do with the bus.

We made that mistake with DD1..bought new pots and pans, crockery etc, even an iron ..which is still in its box 2 years later!

DD2 off next month..and is getting hand me down pans from relatives and old towels:D:D

On the books.. it's always best to wait til they are there and get what they find they NEED not everything on the lists!

He won't need a laundry hamper.. heck when we picked DD1 up we couldn't even find the floor......

It's a bit mad to buy new to send them off to uni with. Mine went off with my old chipped crocks and non-matching cutlery, their old bedding and towels and I bought new for the house. Seriously, in communal kitchens it's damn near impossible to look after stuff so what's the point?

Totally agree with medusa & saggar. DS has just bought himself some new crockery for 2nd year (£5 Wilkos) as nothing left from last year, likewise glasses & cutlery! He went with my old towels and old single bedding (has double at home). Re laundry we bought one of those big check bags with handles doubling as a laundry basket which he could take straight down to the washing machines. Only bought a couple of books last year, gets everything else from library or internet.
Laughed at medusa's comment re couldn't see floor - all DCs must be the blinkin' same! Gonna sound really old now - well I am old so that's ok - it wasn't like that in my day

Yes my dd will get odd bits out of the cupboard and oldish things. they are so careless with things so i won't be wasting any money on new stuff or will replace mine instead.

A laundry hamper! Tell him I'm laughing my socks off!

I didn't buy anything for my DS when he went to Uni last year. We live abroad, so it was a matter of cutting down on luggage. the Uni had a freshers 'pack' bought online, and delivered to his room when he arrived - quilt, bedding, towels and basic kitchen equipment and it only cost peanuts. I looked online to see compare to argos/tescos and I couldn't have bought it any cheaper anywhere else.

We simply gave him old stuff and got new.
There is no room for a laundry hamper-if he wants silly things let him pay for them.

You have my sympathy. DS1-17 still wants to go to Uni despite pretty bad AS results. Assuming he pulls his socks up and knuckles down to work hard enough to get in somewhere he has this vision of In Betweener style living funded by that magic tree at the bottom of our garden! What a shock he will be in for.

I'm getting everything super cheap, we hope.....fell on a Wibra on holiday and bought some fab cheap towels/bedclothes. Otherwise getting cutlery etc from cupboards (inc. Limoges plates which we never use! ha. let's see if that's still intact by 2nd year) and other stuff from charity shops. And 10 year old non stick pan which is getting quite sticky in the end so my mum can buy another one (I think she's looking forward to it...). I'm getting nice things like CD/tape player and cushion covers for my birthday. Still cheap as poss though!

Most people I know at 6th form are v. careful with money, from what I know at least. And a lot have pretty rich parents, so you'd expect them to be more slapdash about things. We're not all completely spoilt

When we were getting stuff for DS1 going to Uni, he kept helping himself to all the professional range of pans & knives - much better than what we had at home!

I put them all back and got the value range of everything. I think he's only ever cooked supernoodles since he has been there.

My ds has informed me why do I need to cook is that not what greggs was invented for??