Worry over son's unemployment

DEAR AMY >> I'm a 45-year-old woman, married to my wife for five years. My issue is my 21-yearold son, who lives with us. He's a good kid but is unemployed and spends his days playing video games.

My son had a full ride to a prestigious university, but only stayed for a year and a half.

He recently applied for the police academy, but he never follows through with anything. He also dropped out of the fire academy — because he was bored.

He was working as a forklift operator while in school. He's always done very well in school, but he's lazy.

I'm a nurse and his dad is a truck driver who just had another son with his younger wife.

My wife and I have never lived alone our entire marriage, and she's getting frustrated. My wife has no children and feels like it's time to get mine out of our home. It's putting such a strain on me, as I feel like I have to choose my wife or my son. Honestly I'm torn and now they are starting to argue more with each other. I feel completely torn.

— Torn in Wisconsin

DEAR TORN >> Your unemployed adult son living at home is not “your” issue. Overall, this is everyone's issue, but mainly it is his. Don't count on his father to motivate him — he is not living in his father's house.

You and your wife should approach this as equal partners in your household, and you should present a united strategy for how to parent him into adulthood.

The unemployment rate right now in Wisconsin is a very low 3 percent. Your son does not need another special opportunity put into his lap due to how smart he is. He squanders those opportunities because he knows he can.

He needs to get a job. At a fast-food drive-thru, a landscaping crew, the Walmart warehouse, or wherever he can get hired.

Working a full day will give him a skill set, some money in his pocket, and self-esteem.

I would cut the wireless at your house during the day, stop paying for his cellphone, and offer him only a roof over his head and nourishment until he can afford other housing. I know this is tough, but your marriage is on the line, and so is his future. Many parents have dealt with this issue by offering their adult children the option of working full time or of joining a branch of the military, which, given your son's interests, might actually be a very good fit for him.

DEAR AMY >> Regarding the ongoing discussion about pressuring college students to get As and Bs, I was a recruiter for a decade and have spent another decade in the onboarding phase of employment. These parents worried about grades ... for employment purposes grades don't matter. College is a yes or no question.

DEAR RECRUITER >> Grades might matter for graduate school. A degree matters for employment.