DEAR Jasminda,
MY 18-year-old son is moving out of home.
Can you give me some ideas for a gift to take to his share accommodation?
He’s moving in with two mates.
Kylie B.
DEAR Kylie,
MOVIING into a house with two mates is idyllic at first.
Every day feels like a holiday.
Hanging out on the lounge watching rugby together.
Cooking up big batches of spaghetti bolognese.
Drinking game nights that end at 3am without parents complaining.
No one to nag about the towels on the bathroom floor or the pile of shoes at the front door. Pure freedom.
By about week three, reality kicks in with niggling irritations, like the housemate who puts his clothes in the washing machine, but neglects to hang them out.
Tidy James suddenly develops an aversion to unpacking the dishwasher, even though he is the first to wake up, meaning the sink is always bulging with dirty dishes.
Soon, your son will discover what a bathroom looks like after three weeks with no one cleaning the tiles (or the toilet for that matter).
Worse, one or more of the housemates will start relationships, so the share home of three becomes more like a share home of five and the fridge that was well stocked consists of a takeaway container of fried rice, three protein drinks, an empty tub of margarine and some sour milk.
It is at this stage that your son will realise just how much you did for him and appreciate you, possibly for the first time.
It may also be the first time that he looks at the gift you gave him.
This is where my suggestion comes in.
I think the very best present for a person moving into share accommodation is a ‘My Housemates are Feral’ survival kit.
This should include cleaning basics including bleach, scrubbing brushes, window cleaner, dishwashing tablets and washing powder.
If you are feeling generous, I would also add meal vouchers that entitle your son to 10 home-cooked meals that he can collect from his former home.
As a finishing touch, include a roster so your son and his mates can divvy up the household chores.
This will hopefully make things more streamlined and also negate any chance of your son moving back to his (now spotless) childhood home.
Carpe diem,
Jasminda.
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