<p>Try to go on a date a month. If someone has not asked you out, asked them out. Dating is a great way to explore off campus events, especially in a city. Also, by forcing yourself to go out on a date, you are opening up your range of possibilities.</p>
<p>I won’t let my kid leave the house to live elsewhere until he can:</p>
<p>1.) cook eggs at least two ways (hard-boiled and scrambled is fine)
2.) shop for and bake three different things (cake, brownies, a quick bread is a good combo; okay, four things, as cookies of some kind need to be on the list, too!)
3.) shop for, cook, and serve five different balanced dinners
4.) shop for and prepare two good dishes for potlucks
5.) follow a recipe</p>
<p>Doing well in chemistry lab is easier if one knows how to follow a recipe. :D</p>
<p>He already does his own laundry (had to learn when he was 12 and heading off to CTY for the first time; did exactly what one of you suggested – took him to a laundromat twice before he left).</p>
<p>How to shop economically. Unfortunately, in his case it might be, “Which kind of poptart-barely-food-items are the least expensive?,” but at least he’d have gotten them for less money!</p>
<p>I’d say, “How to use a debit card,” but it seems kids learn that way before college…! :D</p>
<p>How to clean a bathroom! Yeah, yeah, I think that’s a good one, and I think practice is good, right? HA! Kid can start this weekend!!</p>
<p>(How to hang up wet towels shouldn’t need to be on the list, but…)</p>
<p>In furtherance of development of these life skills, I think I’m going to post a sign (for son & daughter) – no ‘screen time’ (computer, games) until: bathroom sink & toilet are windexed, laundry is in order (off floor, into hamper) and beds made. </p>
<p>It’s a little patronizing to tell this to 17 yo son, but if I don’t do something like that, I foresee a summer of endless nagging about life skills (instead of about homework!). </p>
<p>I just hide the computer mouse until things are done. Hope it works. I’ll also articulate the importance of developing these skills for life, and hope the habits stick.</p>
<p>Interesting re: the date, DHRB. Good tip for boys (doing the asking) but I don’t know if I’d tell my daughter (in 10 years, she’s 6!) that. I was asked out by some…different…people & wouldn’t want her exposed to certain folks, in order to fill a quota. Great idea re: expanding your social network, though!!</p>
<p>Owlice–good list, although, again I am not successful on some of those as yet (egg-related). lol</p>
<p>I had to vent this somewhere and this is probably a good place since some of these things that have happened the last few weeks are due to his parents obviously not teaching him life skills.
Difference between a debit and credit card. Son has a debit that he rarely uses. He used it maybe 4 times during the entire school year. He went and bought books for his community college class with it yesterday. Luckily he told me. I said you only have 100 dollars in the account. He said I know but they will bill me later. I had to explain that just because the debit says visa on it IT IS NOT A CREDIT CARD! He doesn’t have a credit card. I then had to explain that he needed to go to his bank and make a deposit that afternoon. He had never done that. My husband’s fault. H goes to the bank 3 times a week for work and often did deposits for my son.
2nd stupid 18 yr old boy thing this week. He has not had a car before this summer. He is outside washing it. I walk out to see how it is going and he is washing the car with a scrub brush. My husband couldn’t believe it. My son said he didn’t think! I told my husband that he had obviously not done a good job teaching his son to wash a car. By husband thought that washing a car was a no brainer. Husband did proceed to ask the 13 yr old and she knew that you don’t use a scrub brush to wash a car.</p>
<p>Oh owlice - the hanging up wet towels…I have failed miserably in my parenting. For some reason, I CAN NOT get them to do this. Luckily I don’t have to live in the dorm room with them</p>
<p>“My d thought that the pharmacy would just refill it automatically and she’d just go pick it up.”</p>
<p>Walgreens will, if you request the service.</p>
<p>mom60
your example of your S’s not knowing the in and out workings of the debit/credit card/banking issues is a prime example of our need as parents to make sure the kids have the basic knowledge of things, things we may take for granted they “should” ,instinctively, know.</p>