Anybody else's parents never teach them anything?

No, my parents were pretty good teachers. They both taught public school, but I mean they were good life skill teachers as much as they knew, things like doing my taxes, cooking, changing a tire, how to properly shine my shoes, and those things.

My parents taught me a lot. I watched how they lived their miserable lives and did the opposite with mine. I'm grateful.

I learned how to be a spoiled bitch

The first word out of my mouth was gape

I was a kid with ADHD and lacked impulse control so my parents taught me a lot of things just to keep me alive.

My dad did teach me to drive but most people I knew were taught by friends and siblings and by the time they got to driver’s ed in school already were pretty good at driving.

My dad was not around and never acknowledged me

My mom, I guess she did the best she could. She had the mentality of teenage girl in perpetuity

Be thankful you have a mind and can learn now. It’s never ever too late.

Both of my were drunks but they taught me a great deal.

They taught me very little that one would consider “practical”. My father taught me a lot factually and from an intellectual perspective but nothing I could use to accomplish tasks. My mother taught me manners and civility. It didn’t help that I’m autistic with limited hand/eye coordination. I don’t know how to cook, iron, repair anything mechanical, etc. I “farm” out all those things.

How could your parents not teach you anything, OP, unless they were major substance abusers and out of it most of the time?

My mom never taught me anything. That's how I ended up like this. And she's a vengeful witch.

Bet you can wrap a gift in nothing flat, r11.

My dad and I really didn't get along, especially when I was in my teens. He tried taking me out on the weekends for driving lessons and we would just end up yelling and arguing with each other. It got so bad my Driver's Ed teacher said he'd rather I NOT practice than practice with my dad as any progress I made during the week was lost over the weekend. I stopped driving with my dad and proceeded to pass my driver's test on the first try. Happily, we could actually talk to each other FINALLY in the last 6 or 7 years of his life. Both my Mom and Dad were very good with money and tried to teach me about finances but both my sister and I were financial train wrecks. She luckily married a very frugal accountant. Sadly, it took a codependent marriage to a guy just as bad with money and a bankruptcy before I finally started following my parents financial advice...better late than never. I miss them both.

R13, are you a Nunavutian?

My mom talks about architecture, but she never teaches me anything about it.

My parents outsourced everything.

In the presence of my mother & some outsider, I once attributed to her some wise advice (that she never offered). She shook her head as if to claim ownership. I quickly shot that down by saying, “ You never said that.”

Mee-ow.

No, I'm from Ontario, r14 However, I will be visiting Nunavut as part of a cruise through the Northwest Passage late next summer.

I am so envious, R19. Please greet the Nunavutians on my behalf.

On a separate note, interesting that the Northwest Passage is now, well, passable as a result of global warming. It may be a source of global friction later this century.

Youngest of 6, not taught much. Learned from much older siblings. Also my parents would be considered alcoholics today, I think.

[quote]Bet you can wrap a gift in nothing flat, R11.

Yeah but I'm not going to get a minimum wage job wrapping gifts at a store at Christmas time. That's beneath me. I'd rather starve.