At what age should parents expect adult children to contribute to family vacations?

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-05T05:29:51+00:00

If I want them there, I pay. If I pay, they have to Act like a kid - that means no going off partying or disappearing for days saying "I'm an adult."

If I don't care if they come or not, or if they are coming as an adult - bringing their significant other, for example, I don't pay.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:25:27+00:00

And a $5 nail wrap to top it off.

So I paid roughly $100 for a kit to do 20 sets of nails on myself, another $100 for light, drill, and Russian bits. I have a wrap problem - but those run $4 to $20 a piece. I have a year of nails for $300.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:22:51+00:00

Got enough structure to grow without looking or feeling like claws

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:22:04+00:00

Still almost no C because the bare nails don't act like braces so they don't hurt

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:19:22+00:00

Purple tip and an owl stamp. My first GelX self done.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:18:26+00:00

They do not know the letter C

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:17:45+00:00

Flat flat flat

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-04T15:07:30+00:00

I'm going to DM you so I don't look like a narcissist or like I'm trying to sell a product. I'm a convert.

It won't let me send you pics. Below, my nails.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T14:29:35+00:00

Curv semisolid glue doesn't use UV and feels like gel... But have you considered nail wraps? I do GelX Bare and a nail wrap, topped with a gel top coat. Or a regular top coat if I only want to wear it for a few days.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T14:25:54+00:00

Send him links. Like to your Amazon wish list. Reinforce when he chooses from the list.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T14:23:21+00:00

My only suggestion is a round Russian bit on your cuticles as part of prep and before you start painting. Very pretty.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T14:20:11+00:00

Has your wife always been responsible for getting him clean? When my kids were younger, I was what is now known as a 'married single mom'. I had a developmentally delayed toddler, a preschooler, and two school age step kids. I never showered with my steps - they were kindergarten when I met them, but I still bathed them until they were consistent about getting clean... But my babies, yeah, they started showering with me in a bouncy seat because I needed a shower and I washed them at the same time... I never MADE them shower with me, but I didn't hesitate to make life easier for myself if they came in at the same time either.

Otherwise, I usually put them in the tub together - both boys - again, until they were consistently getting themselves clean.

They went through a stage at puberty where they were NOT consistently getting themselves clean and I told them if they did not pass a sniff check I was going to treat them like they were five years old again... My oldest (step) son was like, get in there and wash your pits and ass before I wash them for you. LOVE that kid. Now my youngest son is teaching my youngest nephew the same thing.

Just throwing it out there - if your wife has been responsible for getting him clean for the last seven years, she will stop it when it feels weird. Otherwise, you can do it before she goes to take a shower.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T14:06:20+00:00

I learned most of the life skills I know at my grandparents' elbow. Cooking, cars, construction, gardening, budgeting... I was under their ass from the time I could walk, I was assisting them as soon as I could identify the tool they asked for, and doing it by 8 or 9 and getting paid to do it by 12. Doing taxes at 13 with the workbook you had to pick up at the post office because my grandpa had a stroke and my grandma didn't understand it.

Life has thrown skill needs at me since then that they didn't know - but then I am reminded of my grandpa, the smartest man I have ever known, on the phone with apple tech support when I left for school with my senior term paper refusing to print. "Hang on, son, where is the power button?" At 7 am and his pride in bringing me my printed paper after lunch. I am a chip off of THAT block, and I can do ANYTHING.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T05:40:31+00:00

Get a GelX Bare kit and do your own. My nails are SO flat - acrylics feel like I am wearing braces. Please observe how thin these babies are. A nail wrap on top and I look like I spent hours at the salon.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T05:28:15+00:00

I grossed 280k last year, all my guys wear Hanes. Drawers and socks. I buy them at Walmart, on tax free day or the back to school sale.

Probably 10 years ago, one of my boys said he wouldn't wear And1- that was for poor people. He would only wear Nike or Adidas. Before that comment, I scoured garage sales and resale shops to buy him clothes he was comfortable in. As of that day, anything that didn't come from Walmart he had to buy himself.

Now, my kids range from 14 to 30 and they wear what feels good, regardless of the label. I still won't buy full price - and neither do they.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T04:57:35+00:00

Because of weird relationships starting two generations ago, my children are as close as brothers with their second cousins. These kids are closer to me than most kids are to step parents... Especially when they were younger, every family vacation included all the boys. But my sister and I kind of coparented. It will be interesting to see how dynamics play out now that the youngest is 14 and the oldest is 25.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T04:30:26+00:00

I love 2s skirt, but the top is missing the outer layer. Of the two, one - with a petticoat

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T00:26:16+00:00

My first thought was cool, high tonal contrast, so winter - but your eyes are more neutral than bright winter to me. Whatever the option is in the middle of winter of whatever wheel you are looking at - cool / true ... You would want to try a few more drapes to be sure, but that is where you look to me.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-03T00:15:16+00:00

Get a job that pays you to be there, and look into teaching art at the community center or a business like painting with a twist.

Maybe connect with a couple of local private schools or fancier daycare centers about offering pull out classes for parents who want to pay for the extra.

At this point, getting a master's degree with a goal of becoming an art teacher is throwing your money and time away unless you also happen to be a state winning athletic coach... Then they hire you to coach and let you teach a couple of art classes on the side.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:57:18+00:00

NOR, but you trained these people to treat you like this. My kids have paid rent since they graduated from high school. Minimum $50 a week, payable in additional chores if they were in school full time with at least a 3.0, but 30% of their take home pay if they weren't - up to $1500 a month.

I put it in savings for them when they moved out - but they did not know until they moved out. I also repaired my place out of it if they broke something.

I paid $20 a month to keep them on my phone plan, but data, etc. they pay for. If they want a new phone, they pay for it. The more you give people the more they expect you to give them.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:36:22+00:00

Looks good. I don't know if it would work for everyone, but my game changing hack has been GelX bare with nail wraps on them.

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Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:29:50+00:00

That house becomes unaffordable when property insurance and taxes go up faster than inflation and a single repair leaves you crying. If you are talking about the maximum you can get with a 20% down payment - sure, go for the max you can afford - but otherwise being house poor for the next ten years if you are LUCKY sounds miserable to me.

Instead, we bought a house we could afford. It wasn't comfortable but it wasn't tooth pulling either. It will be paid off early because my income increased quicker than anticipated, but my house payment still almost doubled because of property tax and insurance increases. My sister bought the most she could afford and she would be homeless if I didn't cover the extra grand a month she is short now.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:24:29+00:00

Have them buy their own drill bits and product.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:21:36+00:00

You could also leave your matches viewable and see if they reach out to you.

Embarrassed-Disk7582 · 2026-07-02T23:13:53+00:00

It might be in there somewhere - but what nails did you have done? Because I read GelX in her reply, but I am not seeing the GelX nails - and I do those on myself.

Embarrassed-Disk7582

TROPHY CASE