Dear Annie: I have a pretty, petite 24-year-old daughter who is quite immature for her age. She still lives at home, occasionally helps around the house and attends the local community college. But she can't keep a job for long.
亲爱的安妮:我有一个长相漂亮、身材娇小的女儿,她今年24岁,但显得很不成熟。她仍然跟我住一起,偶尔会帮忙收拾屋子,去当地一所社区大学上课。而且她每干一份工作都不会长久。
People who know our daughter tell us how wonderful she is because she is not pregnant or doing drugs. But we feed her, clothe her, pay for her car, gas, etc. Lately, she has had boyfriend problems. How can we get her to grow up without being the bad guys?
认识我女儿的人都夸她有多么棒,因为她既没有怀孕也不吸毒。但她依然靠我们养着,我们给她吃穿,买车,加油等等。最近,她又遇到男朋友的问题。我该如何帮她成长起来而又不伤害她呢?
She does not know how to cook or take care of herself, so we are reluctant to simply throw her out. But we want her to do things other people her age do. Any advice? — Clueless in California
她不知道该如何做饭、如何照顾自己,所以我们不愿意直接让她搬出去。但我们还是希望她能像同龄的孩子一样。请给些建议吧?——加州愚人
Dear Clueless: If you are concerned that your daughter doesn't have sufficient life skills to manage on her own, then teach her. Put her in charge of cooking dinner one night a week. Tell her she will need a part-time job to pay for room and board. Then help her look for her own apartment. While she is in school, you may wish to subsidize her rent, but living independently will help her mature.
亲爱的愚人:如果你担心你的女儿没有足够的生活技能来照顾好自己,那么就教她吧。让她每周负责一顿晚餐。告诉她她需要做兼职来支付食宿费用。然后再帮她找自己的公寓。虽然她还在上学,你可能会给她租房补贴,但独立居住才能帮她成熟起来。