What 'adult' things can you not do but maybe should be able to?

Man of Honour
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
29,524
Location
Surrey
YouTube is amazing

I've done things I'd have never tried without it
I think it's important to know how to fix things aroudn the house. I also think the same about cars (I own a 24 year old hobby car I work on). It means you're not reliant on anyone else.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2009
Posts
19,799
Location
Glasgow
I still live at home as I’m disabled.

Surely even more reason to learn then. Since you mentioned it, I assume your disability doesn't prevent you from doing the washing you just decide not to because someone else does it for you. Why not try and do a load next time? It'll probably give you a good boost of satisfaction - something we all need during lockdown no doubt!
 
Caporegime
Joined
1 Dec 2010
Posts
52,316
Location
Welling, London
Surely even more reason to learn then. Since you mentioned it, I assume your disability doesn't prevent you from doing the washing you just decide not to because someone else does it for you. Why not try and do a load next time? It'll probably give you a good boost of satisfaction - something we all need during lockdown no doubt!
My disability is very severe heart failure, making it completely impossible to do any kind of manual work like that.
 
Caporegime
Joined
22 Nov 2005
Posts
45,276
I can't keep house plants alive. I either over or under water them and can't get the balance right. Should just buy a cactus and leave it alone.
with most you can just dip the pot in water for a few minutes with about 1/3 of the pot submerged and do this once a week.

if its a plant that can be over watered easily obviously don't if it isn't in a well draining growing medium.
the problem with house plants is most compost dries out and then it's almost impossible to get it wet again, like a sponge turning to concrete if it dries out.

the water just runs off it or finds the path of least resistance and runs out the bottom when you water from above.
 
Joined
10 May 2004
Posts
12,831
Location
Sunny Stafford
A lot of what's been said on here already - DIY, driving, first aid, swimming, make a bow tie etc.

My biggie is having less mental capacity than most people. So when I had enough money for a house deposit, my parents helped me with house viewings, and after I chose a house, they took power of attorney and did all of the legal stuff for me as I wasn't capable of that.

Disneyland Paris planning. My sister arranged it and took me there last time. If I was to go again with somebody else, I would still need help as the park requires a lot of planning e.g. getting a carer, a disabled (green) pass, meal bookings, ride slots, meet-and-greets with cast members etc. So again similar issue to me as with the house buying.
 
Caporegime
Joined
13 Jan 2010
Posts
32,572
Location
Llaneirwg
Buy an aloe vera plant. I have had mine 10 years on my window, as soon as it starts to get a little brown leaf just water it and it will come back to life. It's like magic.

I sold some of mines leaves in the sanitiser epidemic!

Plants that go flaccid when they want water are best!

Turgid = I don't want water
Flaccid = water me
 
Caporegime
Joined
13 Jan 2010
Posts
32,572
Location
Llaneirwg
A lot of what's been said on here already - DIY, driving, first aid, swimming, make a bow tie etc.

My biggie is having less mental capacity than most people. So when I had enough money for a house deposit, my parents helped me with house viewings, and after I chose a house, they took power of attorney and did all of the legal stuff for me as I wasn't capable of that.

Disneyland Paris planning. My sister arranged it and took me there last time. If I was to go again with somebody else, I would still need help as the park requires a lot of planning e.g. getting a carer, a disabled (green) pass, meal bookings, ride slots, meet-and-greets with cast members etc. So again similar issue to me as with the house buying.

I hate hate hate planning.

Always something in life that needs to be done. I'm an overthinker. Picking a new bike, house paints. The decisions take me so long!
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Dec 2002
Posts
7,101
Location
Inverness
I was struggling to think of anything. I can turn my hand to most things and my folks taught me a lot of life skills growing up.

But if being able to put on a bow tie counts then I'll go for: Not being able to apply false eyelashes on myself. Entirely beyond me, I can put them on other people ok, just can't do it on myself. Though, when it comes to it I'm more in the 'less is more' category when it comes to make up so no big loss there :)
 
Joined
10 May 2004
Posts
12,831
Location
Sunny Stafford
But if being able to put on a bow tie counts then I'll go for: Not being able to apply false eyelashes on myself. Entirely beyond me, I can put them on other people ok, just can't do it on myself. Though, when it comes to it I'm more in the 'less is more' category when it comes to make up so no big loss there :)

That could be a similar issue to DIY / lockdown hair cuts. You can use clippers on another person, but it's not always easy to use them on yourself.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
91,153
Surely even more reason to learn then. Since you mentioned it, I assume your disability doesn't prevent you from doing the washing you just decide not to because someone else does it for you. Why not try and do a load next time? It'll probably give you a good boost of satisfaction - something we all need during lockdown no doubt!

An interesting way you put it - before I moved out the first time if I showed any interest in doing it the response was along the lines of "it's easier if I do it, add it to the pile" it wasn't really something I choose to do or not do.

My biggie is having less mental capacity than most people. So when I had enough money for a house deposit, my parents helped me with house viewings, and after I chose a house, they took power of attorney and did all of the legal stuff for me as I wasn't capable of that.

Disneyland Paris planning. My sister arranged it and took me there last time. If I was to go again with somebody else, I would still need help as the park requires a lot of planning e.g. getting a carer, a disabled (green) pass, meal bookings, ride slots, meet-and-greets with cast members etc. So again similar issue to me as with the house buying.

Often the problem is the mental barrier of the first step combined with people in general not being inclined towards constructively helping someone to learn for themselves for some reason.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
17,921
Location
London
I bought my first house in 1997. After buying it we found it had seriously rotten joists on the ground floor which the survey didn't pick up. I couldn't afford to get a company to replace my floors so I bought a DIY book, some tools and just did it myself. I had never done any DIY before (not even painting or wallpapering). After cutting away the joists I remember standing in the foundations of my house thinking "Oh crap, what have I done?". But renovating that house taught me so much and I can do anything now. I even rewired it (when that was allowed - it's not now). Good luck. It's even easier nowadays with youtube and the internet as a guide.
Shame no millennials will ever need to do DIY ;)

^But seriously my girlfriend is a bit older than me and it's a running joke that she's the one with the toolkit and DIY knowledge. I'd imagine there's a whole generation of millennials that can't do basic DIY because we're all in our thirties and literally not allowed to do anything to the landlord's place.
 
Back
Top Bottom