LATE BLOOMERS - 9: THE GREAT ADULTING TEST: Are We Actually Functioning Adults?

Episode Date: September 30, 2026

This week on LATE BLOOMERS, Rich and Rox sit the Great Adulting Test: 20 questions pulled from Reddit and the internet about what actually makes someone a functional adult, with producer Max keeping score.Rox lost her licence in her 20s for running red lights, thinks "important mail" means her skincare deliveries, and has 350 unread WhatsApp chats. Rich has never paid a bill late in his life but will not do small talk with strangers, full stop. Neither of them knows their bank balance within £100, and nobody can agree who actually booked the dentist.It's ADHD vs autism at its most petty, and one of them wins comfortably. Keep score at home and let us know in the comments.Get our book THE CHERRY TREE THEORYhttp://linktr.ee/cherry.tree.theoryListen to the audiobookhttps://linktr.ee/CHERRY.TREE.AUDIOBOOK20% off Loop Earplugs: https://www.loopearplugs.com/adhdlove

Have you heard of the great adulting test? No, well that's because we just made it up. 20 questions to figure out if you and if we are actually functional adults. Welcome to late bloomers where we are getting our lives together and adulting. Eventually. What's you by our amazing sponsor loop earplugs? I'm feeling fairly confident on this one. I love you, but do you know what I mean?

I like think that I'm going to do okay here. So this is the great adulting test. It's 20 questions that's basically been pulled from the internet and read it about what makes somebody a functional adult. Disclaimer. It's obviously like tongue in cheek a little. You're taking it really seriously already. It's like a test.

Of course I'm going to take it seriously. So Max, you're going to be scoring. Okay, I'm ready. Yeah, so Max is in the background. He kind of edits and manages the podcast of anyone that doesn't know. He's more than that. Yeah, and he's a friend.

He's more than that. He's a friend. He's a best friend. He's a best friend. He's a brother. And basically, you'll decide whether we get an adulting point or not per question and then give us the totals at the end. Okay, so I've got to really lock it in here.

You've really got to focus. You should be focused anyway. Right. Are you ready for the first question? I'm ready. It just feels. weighted against me. Well, adulting.

Oh, the questions. Do you have a valid driving license? Yes, of course. Do you? I think I have a valid provisional driving license. But you've passed your driving test, haven't you? Yes. What happened there then, babes?

I lost my license in my 20s. Because why? I think I ran a few red lights. Mm-hmm. And? Got sent a letter and had my license revoked. Just one letter? A few letters.

Okay. I think there's a clear winner on that. Sure. Just so you know, you could give a point to each. It doesn't have to be a winner. I'm not arguing that I should get a point on that. It's a bad example. But for the listener,

at home, you get to have a point, you know, it's not win or lose. That's one nil to rich, just to clarify there. Yeah, sure. Are you ready for question two? Sure. Could you tell me within £100, how much is in your bank account? Right now. Yeah, not when you're looking at it, because then you definitely could.

I could. So my savings is... You don't have to give the amounts. 3.150 pounds. Oh yeah Oh Do you know your current account No

No Do you know Within a hundred pounds Yeah I don't believe that Well I can I can prove it And I want Max

Can you verify Because I don't want you Look can you say it And by the way For viewers Listeners at home Say your number And then look

No cheating All right Okay So I Believe there is all 2,600 pounds

that's loads I know it's because I've recently had to put money in there because I've got to pay the tree people wait 2723 that's I've messed it out yeah you've messed

I You were close I feel like I should have a get you just like you'd guess it Your claim there's wrong So is it my savings Or my current account Come on

What's the date of the month At the month 23rd or something end of the month. So I reliably spend all of my money every month. There's a week left. I get about $2,000 a month. So I reckon there's £500 left just by now and I spend money, yeah.

Oh, £350. So neither of us got that. No, she said $500. She got $350. Don't try and hoodwink me. So you're both wrong there. So neither of you get a point. Neither of us get a point.

Come on. next one we've had enough time on that. Number three. Oh. Are you registered to a dentist and do you visit regularly? Regularly. Um, we, we both are, because I did it. I went, you cancelled.

You didn't go. Wait, I literally went like a couple of months ago. No, you did not. That is such a poor. key pie. We went to that lovely lady in Orpon, High Street, together and got our teeth done together. You're talking about seven oaks, which was two years ago. So you don't go regularly. Neither do you. So we're both the same. So who, who said we need to book the dentist this year? Who did it? Who said we needed to do it? You said it, but it doesn't, like, I made it happen. I found the dentist.

came out of registered us. And she said we need to come back for hygienist. And we didn't. I think Rocks actually wins that. Oh, shut up. No, but this is... You didn't act on it off your own accord. You wouldn't have done that if you hadn't been told to do it.

She wouldn't have acted on it on her own accord. No, because I came back from therapy and was like, we don't take care of ourselves. I was going to for a dentist. Why didn't you do it then? She might have done it if you had a given her an extra half an hour. No, she wouldn't have done it. Oh, this is... Well, this is rigged.

I'm not happy about this. But am I getting the... point or not? Yeah, no, you've got the point. What's the score now? This is one all. This is ridiculous. Well, this next one's a clear, easy win for me. Do you open important mail? I don't know why you're thinking about this. So, I'll tell you. Because important to me, to me, would be delivery of my beauty products,

my hair dye, my skincare, my new clothes, I would never, ever, ever miss opening an important package to me. Can we just distinguish importance in terms of like the definition of... Well, it's, in my opinion, it's not shopping. It's bills, council tax, water, gas, electric. Like government tax bills, all of that, all of the stuff that you actually have to do as an adult. I open all of mine and all of hers and action, all of it. Yeah, well, I don't think much needs to be said, I'm too on a two and to reach.

Thank you. Number five. Shopping. Have you ever paid a bill late despite having money in your account to pay it? No. Ever? Never. In your, like, entire life, you've never...

No. Live a little, man. Yeah, live a little. No. Like, I always, I always set up direct debits, so I don't ever miss a payment for anything. What bills have you paid lay then? Like, what would it be, like? So recently?

Oh, no, no. Yes, I haven't paid my, you know, I went to see that doctor. Yeah. I still haven't paid that. Yeah, were you going to say recently, I haven't paid anything late? Yeah. What bills do you have that you do pay then? Um, my phone bill.

Okay. Or does that come out of the joint? That's right, do it, yeah. Subscriptions? Oh, yeah, but I don't have to. Come on. Bills, bills, bills. Who, what?

What? I'll tell you what, I'll share this point because it's, I'm not even like, this is a me, but if you can name, our gas and electricity supplier. That's all I'm asking. Southern Electric. No. Point to Rich then. What is it?

Octopus Energy. Oh. This is not an ad for Octopus Energy. I want to say, but they are brilliant. It's three one to rich there. Okay. So number six, I don't know how this is an adulting thing, but if someone is coming to your house,

would you need to hire you? hide or tidy up. I guess you're talking about hiding up. You're not talking about actually hiding from someone. No, it's like, would you need to hide stuff quickly?

Hide mess. Hmm. I don't think so. Like, I... What do you mean? If someone's coming around, do you... You tidy up and you light candles

and all of that, no? If Max is... coming around today. I don't feel they need to go and hide things or if your mum and dad come to visit, I don't have to hide things, like how I used to hide the way I lived. I'll do a quick tidy, I'll like,

can't, yeah, make like it nice. But I think that relates to like, is your house in a state where people can show up at the door and you'll be fine? My answer in this house is yes. In historical houses, would have been no.

And, okay, that's cool. So you're the, I didn't really understand a question. but just for clarity. So you, it's good. So you have a house now where you are like, someone could come in, it's fine, it's like tidy, it's okay. And you're obviously,

you're the one that makes that happen. Like that you're obviously facilitating in the house looking presentable. Who bought all of the decor? Oh, 100%. Who bought all of the candles? I'm not, I'm not, I'm not professing this is a clear me. No. All I hear.

think that's like broadly day to day I'm more bothered about maybe clutter and mess because it stresses me out you love the vibe and the feng shui yeah so together we keep a lovely gorgeous tidy home yeah is the difference now that you have a bigger space and more space to put things no I have him oh that is the difference yeah okay I'm gonna give rich the point on that one I tried to incorporate you and you also can't when you come into our front door you can't turn right and go through that door. Fine. The junk room, can you?

No. Number seven. Can you wash, dry, fold and put away a load of laundry easily in a 24-hour period? I think you're really setting yourself up for failure. Well, it's not. It's Reddit. Yes, I can, yeah. And do.

What about you? So? I feel like I'm being mean, so I'm going to try and be supportive now. That's okay. Before I went away a couple of weeks ago. Yeah. listening party tour, I did a load of washing. Yeah.

Do you know who took that out of the dryer, that load? Did I live in the dryer? Yeah, all of it. Did I? Yeah. But how did I take it away with it? Oh no, it was before your signing. You did a load and left it all in the dryer.

I did wonder why I ran out of clothes so quick. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like And I do but I I can do multiple loads in a day I quite like I quite often I quite often

get into a bit of a flow state Yeah No I can't I don't I'm sorry It's not my Have you got any argument to No All right Concede that one then 5 1

Oh babes I'm sorry It's alright There's got to be another one for you No will Do you plan meals and cook what you buy Mmm So I like to buy really, really simple meals.

Yeah. So I'll buy that like apple slices with peanut butter. I will buy Ravita with patte. I think they're more snacks than meals. But yeah. Yeah, but I'm just saying like I buy them because I plan to eat them. And I do eat them. Like I will eat my snacks, whatever, like my ADHD girl dinner.

you often buy a lot of vegetables and leave them to go rotten you often throw away a lot of vegetables well usually what happens I think is that we go shopping and I'm like let's plan for the week and we buy meals for the week and then when it gets to Tuesday

you're like should we go Nando's and then again on Thursday so like we've got too many meals and not enough days so what you're saying is if I wasn't here Do you think you'd be cooking more regularly at home and like? I think I'd be cooking. I think I'd be putting lasagnas in the oven and stuff.

That's cooking. Sort of cooking. Yeah. I don't think either of us are very good at this because we do have some food waste. Yeah, on the topic of food waste, Rock Sands actually wastes less food. And if you have enough snacks in a day, I would say that classes as meals.

It goes beyond the realm of snacks and crosses into meals. That is a sympathy point. No. I don't think it is like, because I know how I work, so I shop to make it easy for me. Yeah, that's an accommodation. What's the score? It's 5-2. Thank you.

Okay, number nine, when you leave the house. Yeah. Can you do it without a mad panic for keys, phone, bag or other items? Yes. Yes, I can. And do. Well, I don't have keys. That's true.

I have many multiple bags. My bag finding is a joyful experience trying to match my outfit. Yeah, unless there's something in one of them that you don't know which one it's in, like your sunglasses or whatever. Or ear pods. Phone. What are you saying about your phone? I lose, yeah. I often, when I leave the house, I'm quite stressed.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Six to. Sorry, babes. Ah, oh. One for you, I believe. Oh.

If plans change, can you just go with the flow? Oh. Wow. Yes, I'm so functional. I just flow in and out. In fact, I love a little changing of the plans. Like, let's go. No, I can't.

I can't. No, like. you will freak out. But now I think it's unfair because that's just autism. Yeah, but most of this other stuff that I've won the point is because of your ADHD, let's be real.

So like you get to have an autism. Yeah, so I should take even, no, yeah, I should use and abuse. Is that an adulting thing? Being able to go with the floor? I think so because it's like just being able to like live in a world where sometimes plans change.

Like you have to open mail, not shut down. like, but I feel bad saying that. I think it's good for the game. Six-three. I like it. What's the score? Six-three. Wait, how's it six-three if we've done ten?

One points, yeah. Okay, before we go on to the next one, I'm going to talk about our wonderful sponsor for a sec. If you are neurodivergent, you will understand what I mean. When I say, the world can sometimes just be a little bit too loud. We are so lucky on this podcast to be sponsored by the amazing loop earplugs, which is literally one of our favorite brands that we use

pretty much every day. They help you, whether you're on a train, going to a concert, going to a restaurant. They've got loads of different loop earplugs for kind of blocking out the sound. You can still always hear and interact with people as much as you want to. We have got a website with loop earplugs where every single one of our late bloomers listeners gets 20% off. You can get that 20% off by using the link in our show notes or in any of our social media bios. Right, you ready for number 11? Yeah. Oh, wow, this is, the tide has actually changed.

Can you easily attend social gatherings and partake in small talk? No. What? You've done that. I haven't. I haven't. This was literally like finding. obviously we've created the test

but this was like signs of functional adulthood to go and hang out with people and to have a conversation like I might not like it but I can walk into any room have a chat with like anyone and that's an adult thing because it means you can meet people

you can network you can be polite I'm not arguing I can't I hate it I won't do it I won't partake I don't know if that's necessarily true I feel like you're being harshing yourself there a bit Now you'd speak to Max in the corner Max is not we don't do small talk

We just big talk Just big talk exactly You know we're talking about your album party Go ahead In the corner talking about Ranking our favourite Marvel films for 20 minutes I mean that's like perfect for you That's a huge topic

Nerd talk Okay But I think for strangers I would I struggle a bit Yeah I'll give you that rocks That's six four Right. Number 12, can you tell when someone else is bored, annoyed or sad easily?

So easily. I think that I'm really good at emotional intelligence, reading other people and knowing whether to stop talking or engage or give them a cut. Like, yes. So I would admit that you are better than me at this. But I don't think I'm terrible at it. So that's six, five. I'd consider, I can see. What a comeback. Come on. Yeah, they call it a comeback. Come on.

13. Mm-hmm. If someone says to you, we should get dinner sometime. How do you feel? Depends who it is. Mm. Yeah, depends who it is. Now, now I think maybe the question is, I would be like, sure, let's get a date in and then get our diaries out.

and then book it like I'm thinking Joey and Danny, like the people that he's been. So what I... People that you like who say, we should get dinner. You'd go, cool, let's calendarise now. Let's book it. Whereas for me, it would be like, sure. And then it would just fumble away into the atmosphere. So dinner would never happen.

Or it might. And then you might have to cancel other plans. How do you feel? I kind of feel like, yeah, sure in the moment. But I wouldn't book it in. You go to book it in, which I feel... Yeah, you don't. And then what you end up doing is, is maybe.

be meeting a friend sometimes when you've got other plans. Yeah, double booking. And then having to cancel those plans. Like, I honestly feel like I'm happy to concede. Yeah, that's fair. Seven, five. Just for everyone. We had plans tonight and Rock's cancelled.

Furious. So, there you go. Number 14. Can you receive a text and reply in a timely fashion? Who can? Who can do that? I can. Oh, come on.

Come on. Like, I physically... Yeah, do you? No. Oh, gosh. Stop it. I will say you've got a lot better at it. I've noticed this.

Thank you. How many, get your phone, how many unread messages have you got on WhatsApp? What is the big bubble say? That's not unread. I'm talking in a work situation. You're much better. Right.

I've made a conscious effort. By the way, Therapy's also helped for work to go back. There is no bubble. It's just a plane. What have you disabled it or something? Where would it say the bubble? Well, you can't have, you can't have none, or is it just maxed out?

Chats, three, is it 350? Is it that? 350. Oh, that's unread. You've got 350 unread messages on 350 chats. And then there's my archive where, when it's just gone too long, I just, so I don't have to look at it. My chats is 34 and most of them are groups I'm not interested in. But that doesn't mean that you're, you could just be ignoring people. You can just open the message and ignore it and you wouldn't have the message. Are you replying?

Because like you're not as good as. That's different. If I get a message and I'm like, I don't even intend to reply to that. You're not as good as like Auntie Claire at replying. She would message. She would check it. You'll often not go back. Yeah, but that's just that's a choice.

What I won't do is be like, oh, I need to go back to that and then stress myself out about the fact that I haven't gone back. I would just reply. I don't think either of us are brilliant messaging back, to be honest. Who wants the point? I don't really know. I don't think either I deserve that point. Wow, okay. No points.

Nils 5. Remains 7.5. Could you enjoy a totally unstructured weekend of free time? Yeah. Me too, yeah. And we'd just vibe. We'd just be like on the golf course.

Like if I had an unstructured, oh, is that structure? If I was like, can we play golf? Is that them structure? That's not structured because you would say that in the moment. If I have, yeah, I can absolutely do that. So we can just vibe. So you don't mind no plan.

You just don't like a changing plan. Yeah. So unstructured time, we're just like vibing. Well, that's like a plan to have no plans. You made a video about it the other day, didn't you? Did I? Did I? Yeah.

About how when you say you're doing nothing. Yeah. I mean, that's my plan is to do nothing. That's the plan. Yeah, I like that. That's different. That's different. That's different.

If I plan to do nothing, then I'm doing nothing. If I have no plans, then I am open to go and play golf or whatever. That's different. Right. Nothing is an activity. Okay. Number 16. Do you know when, MOT, insurance?

passports are going to expire. Oh. So I don't have a cast. Like MOT doesn't count insurance for the house. No. Passport. Yep. When?

So I got a new passport quite recently in passports last 10 years. Yeah. So I think my passport expires in June, 12. 20, 35. No. Do you know when mine expires? Yeah. How do you know that?

Because I got your passport for you. Yeah. Because it was coming up for a renewal. And it was just before you went to Dublin. So it's like 2031, 2032. When's your MOT due? My car doesn't, it's got like two and a half years left before it needs an MOT. When's your insurance due?

14th of August next year. When's your passport renewing? 20303. That's just like, that's such a boring adulting thing. It's so boring. It provides no benefit to know those things. It does. You can go on holiday without getting turned away at the airport.

Which has happened to me. And you don't, roughly the year. And you don't lose your driving license or whatever or get fines because you've got a valid MOT and insurance. He's right, Max. All right, you can have it then. It might be boring, but it's next. necessary.

That's 9-6, that one. Come on, Rox. If something breaks in your home, could you easily find and book the correct tradesperson and arrange a date and be there to let them in? Yes. How about you?

I think you could do that. Do you reckon? Yeah. What was... When was the last time something went wrong with the house? I think it was maybe when you flooded the kitchen. I've done that a few times. Yeah.

Well, for example, doing a bit of work in your garden. If you lived here on your own and you're like, oh, I'd like to have a patio redone, could you go on Google and search patio man? No. She could search it. I could search it for hours and hours and hours

and then get trapped in like comparison. and then I wouldn't be able to book it online, I'd have to phone, so I'm out. And even if I phoned and booked it, I'd be double booking the wrong date. And then even if I booked the right date and was in, I wouldn't answer the door. But in fairness, that's why we are a good team, because she sources the companies and I actually book them in. I find the dentist and you book the appointment. It's a similar thing.

But I'm happy to, I'm happy to, like, no, I'm not a tradesperson person. And what's more likely to happen is if I'm not here when they're arriving but rocks is, she just won't answer the door. Yeah. Same with mail getting delivered. I used to be quite good if I got locked out at calling a local locksmith. I guess that's in a real emergency, right? That's kind of what we're talking about.

I don't think. No, I'm trying to get you up. I don't think it's working. Okay. 10, 6. Okay. Right. Number 18.

I think that's it now, isn't it? I can't lose. The last one's worth double points. Oh, is it? Yes. However many that's needed. That's it, Max. Keep it exciting.

Oh, my God. You can tell his favourite he is. Come on. Number 18, do you regularly go to the supermarket and buy only what is on your list? No. I like to go to the supermarket. I'm not interested, in fact, in what's on my list. I want to go the homeware aisle, if they've got one.

I want to smell candles. I want to find clothes. I want to look at the shoes. I want to see just the bits and bubs. Like have they got a tent or a swims spot? I don't know, but like I love seeing unique things. I love making it an experience. I might discover a new deodorant flavour or like a body spray.

I love spraying. You're so passionate about this answer. Do you believe that's good adulting? You're like so enthusiastic about this answer. I do. I think it improves other areas of your life. Oh my God, look at it. This is an actual scam.

Yeah, I only buy what's on the list unless you're with me. I think it is can you go with a shopping list and buy it only on. But would you put a candle on your shopping list? No. Well, that's a nice thing to have around the house. You wouldn't get that if you just went to the shop. Also not necessary for adulting, whereas milk and bread and stuff is. Milk, toilet roll, butter, like.

I'm in the wrong place for this because I often go to the shop and just buy the additional things without. That means you are a bad adult like me. You can't twist the results. Even I'm saying that's Rich's point. I'm not happy about it, but if you want to give Rich the point, that's fine. 11-6. Oh, Lord. It's neck and neck.

Neck and neck. Okay, on to 19. When someone that you... you love and are close to is upset. Can you work out what they need from you? No. I should just tell you, right? I'm really glad that you, yeah, like,

it can confuddle you a bit, can't it? I don't want to shame you because it's... Yeah. You're not sure, and it can sometimes be a surprise even if someone is upset. Yeah. See, this is where I'm in the middle of you guys, because I'm the same. If you've got a problem, just tell me and I can sort it out. Yeah, whereas I think for me, I can tell, like, I would be attuned to, I'm just thinking

of the kids, the little shoulders drop in, the little mouth, like, those micro movements that are like this, this. What about me? Can I tell when you're upset? Yeah, because when you're upset, which isn't, like, very often, you get kind of angry, you get annoyed, and I can tell those, because those often. external emotions, like when you're driving the car and things. Yeah.

But upset for you, you would be visibly, like you would have a little cry or you'd be a bit low. I could tell. I'll give you a cuddle. I can tell if you're crying that you're up a lot. I know. I know. It's like on the rick to scale.

Like I have to get to crying. And then it's like, oh, Bobby. Okay. Like all those, the bits that come before. I think the other thing is, I, you can recognize the. emotional, the fact that someone's not behaving as themselves, but knowing what to do to resolve that issue. Oh, yeah, and it's what to do, how to show up for them.

So that's, that's a rocks point. So that's 11-7. And this last one is worth five points as they do on all good quiz shows. Come on, rocks. Okay, last one. Oh, this is actually all right. 16, 6 it is. But if your partner disappeared for one month,

Oh. Could you keep the house, finances, food, appointments, pets, work and your self-functioning? Should call it a day, man. Go through the list. I guess it's a point pair of one. House? Nope. Food.

Oh, no, there was, yeah, food. When you say keep the food functioning. You'd be able to be alive when you. I'd order my apple and dippies. You'd order it on, you'd pay double what it actually costs, though, because you would Uber eats here. finances no appointments no pets

I'd keep rocket alive it would be like me and rocket surviving for the month 27 hours work yeah you'd be alright yeah

and yourself yeah all about you yeah all fine all of them yeah probably be easier I actually have a thing to say on that no come on max stop this

Let's talk about work. Yeah. Creatively, Rocks is the powerhouse of this dynamic. How are you dealing with that? How are you coming up with all of your ideas? That's a fantasy. Like, for video ideas and stuff like that, I think I'm completely fine. Yeah, he's very independent.

He's learned quickly. I concede. So final score? Don't give six. Just give one. Just one, yeah. Oh, right. So it's where five of you were.

No, no, let's do it. It's 16.7. 16. It was a good race. Was a good race. So on that scale, which is an accurate, you would be more of a functional adult than me. Well, the actual score is 12.7.

So it's not that far up. Double. What do you mean on that? Oh, the scoring is inaccurate. Right. Yeah. Okay. What did you?

you guys get, I hope you were counting. If not, go back and watch again. Are you a functional adult? Did anybody get less points than me? Please let me know in the comments. And did anybody beat Rich? Please let him know in the comments. See you next week.

If you liked it, give us a like, follow, subscribe, share. Anything else? I think that covers it. Yeah, see you next week.