Recently, I helped my little brother move into his first apartment. With his first year of college completed, he was finally eligible to make the transition from dorm to off-campus living.
The era of bathing in communal showers, laundering with shared appliances and cooking every meal in the microwave was now over.
Instead, he would be afforded tiny luxuries such as a private toilet, an unshared bedroom and a walk-in closet.
As my brother and I were inspecting said amenities throughout his new apartment, he asked a surprising question.
“How do you use the dishwasher?”
It was in this moment that I realized, not all college students know how to do adult things.
During our first 18 years, our parents provided for both our physical and emotional needs.
Obviously, some parents more than others, but it’s naïve to think that every tidbit of wisdom and instruction passed down by our parents was neatly filed away for future use.
There were too many lessons for us to learn.
It is through these tiny unforeseen cracks that important information, such as how to operate a dishwasher, might inadvertently slip through.
Therefore, if you, like my brother, fear that you are a bumbling adult barely able to operate appliances, fret no more.
As young adults, each of us are on our own timelines equipped with different skill sets and backgrounds.
Not knowing how to perform household tasks or the day-to-day operations that accompany adulthood is not your fault.
However, figuring out how to get these tasks accomplished is your responsibility.
3 ways to approach the Great Unknown like an adult:
1. Google it- The first and most obvious choice. Doing a quick internet search is a whole lot better than making your mother feel as though she has failed as a parent.
2. Ask family/friend- Go ahead, ask mom. She knows best anyway.
3. Trial and error- Good luck!
