Is this bizarre for a 17 year old to ask you how long to boil a frank?

[lgemini]

I think it is bizarre that a 17 year old do not know how to boil a frank.  I have two teens and I am glad they know how to cook a little.  You need for your kids to be independent, but now more kids are coming back home to live.  We as parents need to stop wanting help all the time.  The more they do the more they will more independent.

[hawkeye3210]

Not at all bizarre.  I can't even tell you the last time I boiled a hot dog.  It's a thing of the past.

[Joeyramone]

It would be odd if he asked you how long to boil Frank.  Otherwise it seems like a normal request.

[ShadeTree]

That doesn't really surprise me at all. I've known a lot of people that don't know things that, to me, are common knowledge/sense. I knew someone that didn't know how to cook a ramen noodle and had to ask me how. (It's not there are directions or anything on the package. -_- ) Anyhow, I don't know that there's a set time for all to follow when boiling franks. I usually just wait until the water has been boiling for a bit. 

[elswithp]

My two cents worth: No it is not bizarre. What is bizarre here is that the parents never bothered to show their children how a kitchen works. How to boil water; how to HEAT hot dogs (not boil); how to make a whole meal with all the food groups. I taught all three of mine - who of which were boys - and my youngest (boy) even invented cookies from scratch that were actually good. He left out the baking powder but after I told him, the next batch was perfect. And he was only 5!!

[natashaspy]

it's not bizarre really....most kids these days cant boil water, much less a hot dog.  theres way too many fast food places to satisfy their hunger these days to worry about cooking for themselves

[bschumacher]

I've never boiled a frank. They're better if you put them in the oven and bake them till they start to burst.

[mrisha]

IT'S NOT BIZARRE IF SHE HAS NEVER BEEN TAUGHT BY HER  MOM HOW TO COOK.  THE BLAME CAN'T BE ALL  HERS.  BUT THEN AGAIN AREN'T THERE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE ON HOW LONG TO BOIL A FRANK?

[shamilton62]

Unfortunatly it isn't odd, it unfortunatly is how most almost adults are now.  I work in a school and most of the students about 80% have what I call learned helplessness, everyone has done everything for them their whole life and they can't think for themselves.

I have a better one... 17 year old has to do his own laundry and asks what he adds to the washer so his clothes get clean.  His 16 year old Autistic brother knows enough to read the label for detergent and can wash his own clothes without help.

[lvstephanie]

I don't think it's strange... And it doesn't necessarily mean that the kid is helpless or lazy. When I was in high school, I was in all sorts of activities that I never had a chance to really learn how to cook, even though our family did eat at home more often than eating out. There was sports, band, scouts, confirmation, applying for colleges, as well as all of my homework. Tack on a side-job every few days, and my days were usually packed... I'd drive home after practice and mom (or dad) would have dinner sitting out on the table so I could scarf it down before heading out to my next activity. It wasn't until I actually got to college that I started to take an interest in cooking, and so would make an effort to watch my parents when they cooked whenever I came home from school.

I remember our college swim team once tried to make a spaghetti dinner... One of the upper-classmen insisted that she knew how to properly cook the pasta using the so-called "slow boil" method, where you add the pasta to the water and then bring it up to a boil before turning down the heat and letting it simmer for the time listed on the box....  Yeah, usually I don't really care for clumpy, starchy pasta.... 

[davidf938]

At least the kid didn't want someone to do it for him.

[rogery]

I'm pretty sure it's cooked when the water is gone. Pretty hard to ruin a frankfurter.

[wiersmak]

Nope.  I come across a lot of teens and adults that dont know basic cooking.  I usually boil for 4-5 min.

[diala84]

A lot of teens don't learn much about living and providing for themselves until they are out on their own. It also seems that in this period in time it is easy to forget information because you can always just look it up online later. This equals a lot of teens not knowing how to cook.

[Consultsone]

I don't think it's an odd question at all.
I think it's excellent that they are showing an interest in learning on how to self sustain.
It starts with a frank and moves on to being a culinary chef.
It would be a shame for them to get out on their own without any interest or knowing how to cook for themselves.