[bdragon]

A good friend of mine has her 18 year old son living at home - doing absolutely nothing but playing video games all day and night long. He only takes a break to sleep and eat -- on very rare occasions he does go out to hang out with a small group of friends.

2 years ago he quit school to do this... he is lazy, does nothing to help out his mom (she's a single parent), does nothing to help out around the house and does nothing to clean up after himself.

Mom is frustrated and every day getting more frustrated - having to come home from work and clean up after him leaving a mess behind him where he goes, dirty dishes in the sink, garbage on the counter, dirty clothes on the floor of the bath room etc.

Again, he is 18 - has no interest in 'his future' and gets very ignorant towards his mom when she tries to talk to him about his future - and his current 'lifestyle'... (he basically shuts off and wants nothing to do with hearing about it).

One of the problems is that mom doesn't like the confrontation with him - he goes on telling people around him "how much his life sucks and he hates her" when mom does confront him about getting a life and an education.

Anyone with some thoughts for me to pass along?


I've told her "tough love" - tell him that he is an adult and needs to take responsibility for himself - he should pay rent if he isn't going to school and clean up behind himself at the house. If he is going to school, cut him a break (no rent), but he needs to be responsible about it instead of dropping out and shoving homework aside and playing video games. Basically - I told her - he is 18 - let him decide if he wants to be an adult or a child - and treat him as that.