A new survey found that 48% of university-ready teens have never paid a bill, 44% have no idea what to cook if asked to make a meal and 43% would struggle to do the laundry
New research has found 61% of parents think that their teenager is currently completely ill-equipped for life outside of the family home.
Meanwhile 47% believing that their child is in for a major awakening when they do leave, such as for university.
The survey found that 48% of university-ready teens have never paid a bill, 44% have no idea what to cook if asked to make a meal and 43% would struggle to do the laundry.
It also revealed 27% of parents said their teenager would have no idea how to make a GP appointment if they were ill, 26% cannot even boil an egg and 22% wouldn’t have a clue when it came to changing bed sheets. Almost half, 46%, of parents said they thought social media had held their children back when it came to them learning how to do practical tasks.
As a result, 56% of those polled said they were more capable and had more practical skills as a teen, than their kids do now.
Neil Harris, divisional vice president West Europe for Abbott’s Diabetes Care business, which commissioned the study said: “It can be an anxious time when your teen is ready to spread their wings, especially if you don’t feel they are well equipped to take on the realities of the world in front of them.”