Ever had a teenager around?

[DAK]

I have a 15, 17, and 19 year old.


I try to reason with them. Help them see the better path. Help them understand that what they are doing is really, really unnecessary and most likely intensifies and compounds the problem.

But do they listen?

They got the brain damage

Yep, can soooo relate! Mine is 16. He's a great kid, most of the time. But every so often he just does something so totally off the wall I wonder if my real kid got stolen and an alien pod left in his place.

He's not much of a chow hound because he does tend to pack on the weight, and he's trying to look buff for the ladies.

His room is a fire hazard. I don't think there is one article of clothing that is actually on a hanger or in a drawer.

I got home from work one day at 5 PM and he was still asleep!

And he can't even stand the smell of his own shoes!

 

[HighteeHeller]

.

His room is a fire hazard. I don't think there is one article of clothing that is actually on a hanger or in a drawer.

Ya, that's pretty much what my daughter's room looks like.

I asked her to clean her room before i get home from work tomorrow but she said no. I said that i'd clean it for her and she seemed rather ok with that. Which actually sucks because i don't want to clean her room.

My mother took the door off my bedroom when i was a teen which pissed me right off because i wanted my privacy. She thought if everyone else could see the mess i would feel bad and clean it. I left home instead.

So i think i will let my daughter close her door and i will ignore the mess until she grows up.

 

[RandyS]

Yeah. That never goes away.

At least I'm still able to remain skinny like a teenager as well.

That does go away the closer you get to your thirties, or at least it becomes harder to eat without consequences.

That's mostly true. But it really depends on your metabolism. For example, my girlfriend's mom is in her late sixties, eats whatever the hell she wants, and stays rail thin. So does my girlfriend (aged 35).

Of course, they both walk several times around the block every day, so I'm sure that helps too.

 

[Samurai8472]

I just had a family stay over for the weekend, one twelve year old, one 18 year girl old and one close to her age.

The two of the girls we're just rude or gave off a vibe of rude and being spoiled.

No thank you for when my dad payed for the lunch before they embarked home.

No thank you for when one of the girls orders was delayed. She just keep drinking her bubble tea.

Complaining endlessly about the heat.

I have to set this one up. So the family arrived at midnight on Friday. I was fast asleep and sleeping in another room. I didn't get to meet them.

Saturday morning. I have to get back into my room to burn some CD's. I find the outlet being used for a ipod and phone charger.

I politely ask if I can use one outlet to replug my PC( I leave it unplugged at night) The girls just give me a dirty look.


I've also got this cousin who is in college. We treated her family to dinner. She proceeds to start ordering a drink, an egg roll and other things.

My parents just don't like that. It's like she's taking advantage of not having to pay.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I just spent over 2 weeks schlepping my 17-yo nephew all over Italy. So yeah...I've had a teenager around lately.

My biggest frustration? The kid only eats about 3 things, and none of them are on a typical Italian menu. So he spent 19 days in the best-eating country on EARTH living off of cheese pizza, spaghetti and red sauce and....wait for it....MacDonalds.

Gah!

You should have brought the punk to me. A couple of weeks on bagna cauda and truffled mushrooms would have made wonders.

This kid will not eat:
[snip a lot of heavenly delicacies]

Just out of curiosity, how does he survive? It sounds like he lacks 3/4 of the food groups...

In fact, I took this same young cousin with me to Italy a couple of years ago, and she has the most developed palate I've ever seen on a child.

I commend and praise your awesome relative. Bravo!

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Ever had a teenager around?

Yeah, I got one chained up in my basement. I keep reminding it to put the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

 

[1001001]

I have a 15, 17, and 19 year old.


I try to reason with them. Help them see the better path. Help them understand that what they are doing is really, really unnecessary and most likely intensifies and compounds the problem.

But do they listen?

They got the brain damage

Exactly.

What happened to your hair?

I don't know.

Well, was your head with you all day??



We have a 14 year old daughter. She is a complete wreck. I keep suggesting boarding school, but I'm not finding a lot of support for that one.

She displays all the symptoms: ultra-picky eater, sleeping hours are completely reversed, total slob, emotional nightmare, constantly on the phone/texting, etc.

I used to be a God to this child. I had power. Magic. I could make boo-boos go away with a single kiss.

Now I'm an embarrasing ATM.

 

[SalvorHardin]

I've had 2 teenagers around, bro & sis.
Sure there were some "problems" but overall it was ok and nothing like you folks describe here.

Maybe you are doing it wrong ? Or exaggerating ? Or maybe I was lucky...

 

[Kestra]

We have a 14 year old daughter. She is a complete wreck. I keep suggesting boarding school, but I'm not finding a lot of support for that one.

She displays all the symptoms: ultra-picky eater, sleeping hours are completely reversed, total slob, emotional nightmare, constantly on the phone/texting, etc.

I used to be a God to this child. I had power. Magic. I could make boo-boos go away with a single kiss.

Now I'm an embarrasing ATM.

I went through a phase probably similar to that. I have two older siblings, but it was like my parents didn't know what to do with me when I hit the teenage years. They actually searched my room because they thought I was on drugs or something! They didn't know how else to explain my complete change in behavior.

Add into that the fact that my sister was only about a year older than me, and you had two teenage girls that were either best friends or worst enemies, who fought over everything from clothes to who got to use the computer, and a phone bill that even my dad said he'd have to get a second job to pay for (he's a surgeon).

The phases passes. Sort of.

 

[sidious618]

I've had 2 teenagers around, bro & sis.
Sure there were some "problems" but overall it was ok and nothing like you folks describe here.

Maybe you are doing it wrong ? Or exaggerating ? Or maybe I was lucky...

You were lucky. My sister is 15 and most of the time she doesn't care if I live or die.

 

[T'Bonz]

I used to be a God to this child. I had power. Magic. I could make boo-boos go away with a single kiss.

Now I'm an embarrasing ATM.

But then, one magic day, they grow up. And they start phoning you. For recipes, especially during the holidays. For advice on insurance, or how to do this or how to buy a car.

You're no longer a god to them, but you're intelligent again.

And only semi-embarrassing.

 

[SalvorHardin]

I've had 2 teenagers around, bro & sis.
Sure there were some "problems" but overall it was ok and nothing like you folks describe here.

Maybe you are doing it wrong ? Or exaggerating ? Or maybe I was lucky...

You were lucky. My sister is 15 and most of the time she doesn't care if I live or die.

To be honest, though I'm sure some luck was a factor, I tend to credit my parents for it and their work in the family ever since we were all born.

 

[RoJoHen]

I used to be a God to this child. I had power. Magic. I could make boo-boos go away with a single kiss.

Now I'm an embarrasing ATM.

But then, one magic day, they grow up. And they start phoning you. For recipes, especially during the holidays. For advice on insurance, or how to do this or how to buy a car.

You're no longer a god to them, but you're intelligent again.

And only semi-embarrassing.

My friends and I make this observation occasionally, that it's weird that we actually go out of our way to call our parents now that we're in our mid-20s.

I mean, I talked to my mom this morning at 10am about Harry Potter!

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I'm 39 and this still describes me. I wonder if I should be worried.


The amount of time they spend in the bathroom (2 hours at least)
As you get older you find a good sit down where everything goes smoothly can be the highlight of your day

The amount of mess they can leave behind every step they take
Well I am a guy. It's a woman's job to clean up after me.

The absurd sleeping hours
I have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder. If it was up to me I go to sleep around six in the morning and get up at 4 in the afternoon.

The amount of nutrients they can pack away, and still remain hungry
I am a typical American fat ass. Yesterday I went to the Soupplantation and took 5 trips to the buffet.

The strong emotional outbursts, whether of happiness or annoyance
I have to take Celexa to control my emotions.

The shoes that have to be left outside
My girlfriend and I have a different opinion on when to buy shoes. She thinks you should get a new pair at least every six months. I think shoes are usable until the hole goes straight through the bottom of the shoe.

 

[Emher]

I'm kinda saddened to see people have their kids see them as embarrasing, or vice versa. Then again I've always had huge amounts of support so I would never never ever think of being ungrateful to them. I mean they're the reason why I'm alive. Well of course they're the reason I'm alive, but I mean still. Otherwise I would have killed myself years ago.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm kinda saddened to see people have their kids see them as embarrasing, or vice versa. Then again I've always had huge amounts of support so I would never never ever think of being ungrateful to them. I mean they're the reason why I'm alive. Well of course they're the reason I'm alive, but I mean still. Otherwise I would have killed myself years ago.

It's just a teenager thing. And from what I understand, most parents know they're being embarrassing. They just don't care because they know better.

 

[An Officer]

I was embarrassed to be seen with the adults in my life as a teenager, and so was everyone else in my peer group. That's as normal as it gets. If you don't act and dress like a teenager, you're just not cool, and not to be seen with EVER. I used to try to control what my mum whore to parents evening (I think you guys on the other side of the pond call it parent teacher associations or something)...

 

[K'Ehleyr]

I'm kinda saddened to see people have their kids see them as embarrasing, or vice versa. Then again I've always had huge amounts of support so I would never never ever think of being ungrateful to them. I mean they're the reason why I'm alive. Well of course they're the reason I'm alive, but I mean still. Otherwise I would have killed myself years ago.

I have no idea why my son finds me embarrassing...

It was his 'new entrants day' at college this week so I said I'd pack a lunch for him;
Sausage roll
ham and cream cheese bagel
marmite sandwich
crisps
chocolate...
a tea bag
an onion
a jif lemon
packet of cup-a-soup
sachet of cat food
origami bird
bottle of water
napkin.

In the second part of his rucksac ~ an emergency kit;
rubber gloves
pack of batteries
drawing pin (pushed into a cork for safety reasons)
golf ball
fast food menus
candle
photo of Valentino Rossi
a clothes peg
belly dancing kit...

Unfortunately I forgot the map of Syria but that wasn't needed

How can that be embarrassing

 

[K'Ehleyr]

... I used to try to control what my mum whore to parents evening ...

Well I'm not surprised

 

[RoJoHen]

I used to try to control what my mum whore to parents evening (I think you guys on the other side of the pond call it parent teacher associations or something)...

We also tend not to call our mothers "whore."