Mumsnet Talk

yes some are horrid, but most arn't. I love chatting to ds and his mates they are such fun and they make me feel alive.
don't the moaners realise that teens were once tiny people too.

and they can also babysit when you go out, giving them good life experiences

i had a lovely experience the other day.I took ds and dd to Pizza Hut as a treat because ds had had a really good school report (Proud mum emoticon).When we got there I asked for a table for 3.DD was in wheelchair and bastard ignorant manager took one look at dd in wheelchair and snottily said "Oh we haven't got any tables available I am expecting a party of 25,you will have to wait at least 20 minutes"(Though,funnily enough, did not say this to anyone else coming in)At which point two lovely lads of about 15 sat at a table for 4 overhearing conversation said "Scuse us mate,but we are just about going and we are sure the lady can have our table".I could have kissed them.

Oh and slight thread hijack,I have woefully ignored many e-mails and spent an hour deleting stuff cos inbox was overflowing,was on ttr but they must have excluded me cos of full inbox.How do I re register?

This was also the first time I have felt discriminated by having a disabled child (Have prob been lucky).If said lovely teens had not offered seat I would have walked out.I am still quite tempted to send a complaint letter to the head office ,as weirdly this party of 25 did not materialise in the hour and more we were in the establishment eating our meal.

So I will name and shame.

Pizza hut manager,Hull,you are a PRIZE TWAT.

I was at dd's school yesterday for parents meeting and I can't get over how pleasant all the young people were. Just listening to them speaking, to each other and to the teachers- it was really lovely.

I work with a group of 16-19 year olds and I love them all. They are funny and bright and (sometimes) enthusiastic about their life options.
They keep me young, and I especially love it when they assume I am 10 years younger than I actually am!

A lot of parents post from the current place they are in, totally focused on their own experiences and they are usually linked to the ages of their children.
If they hang around here long enough they will eventually progress to being parents of teens if they are lucky. It's normal for the majority to have spotlight vision and everywhere else is labeled 'Here Be Monsters' Until their situation changes.
So I haven't looked at the thread labelled 'Are new mums the most boring people on the planet?' because I often find they are, but I bet I was too when I had my PFB.

I don't have any teens as of yet, but this is a subject close to my heart. I wrote a poem as part of my A Level English on this topic last year. It's free verse and not that good but this is my thoughts on it.

At twenty and one,
It will all come good.
From ten,
Box is closed, Sealed in.
Scratching to be heard.
No one hears them,
No one listens.

Chemicals abound,
Fill them up.
Their head carries a peak,
Hood on their shoulders;
Quick they're on the attack!
Don't you see it's a label?

They are the accused, innocent still.
Fleshy cheeks are gone,
In mind still,
They are babes.
Not a boundary set,
Confusion is there,
Show them the way.

As for the bunch
A few rot, yes.
But to throw the whole lot away,
Is danger and waste.

My mum is a foster carer who cares for young offenders. Alot of these kids when away from their peers are completely different to what most imagine them to be like.

DS1 (16) has lots of friends. In the main, are lovely kids. Funny, good company, entertaining, just 'lads' really. He has known many of them since he was at primary, and generally I don't think they have changed that much, just matured into nice young men. He has also met some great friends at high school. We have done quite a few things this year where he has invited 1 or 2 of his mates along, ranging from rock concerts to airshows, which has meant spending the majority of the day with them. Some have slept over, etc, and I can honestly say that I have generally enjoyed all their company a lot. They also do quite a lot of biking, camping, football matches, etc. together, and invariably have a great laugh without any bother. Some of them are talking about organising a couple of charity bike rides next summer, and I know that when they go into 6th form the teachers have some of them earmarked for some mentoring/volunteering etc.

Mavis, I would like to think that any of them would have acted similarly to the ones you have described in Pizza Hut, and I agree with the OP that there is not enough praise for the good young people out there, of which there are many. 'My' lot are certainly surpassing my expectations, hope it continues!!

2 shoes do you mean on mumsnet or on this Teenages Topic, as I dont think the majority on this topic is Teen bashing, or moanars, have two teens dds 13 and 14 who I love deely and our at most great girls, but like most teens have their moments, and the teen bashing on this topic is usally because parents need advice or help when their teens have gone off the rails and our moaning as they need help,If you mean Mumsnet there will always be someone bashing some one.

ds's friends call me 'MRS' Custardo.

they are mostly polite - but gracefully accept chastisement if they slip up and swear in front of me.

i love their mates

on mn not this topic. just seen another one grrr
mavis email me on mshadowsisfab@yahoo.co.uk

I think Goblinchild is spot on. The majority of MNs are young women with young families and probably no contact with teenagers.

I wasn't exactly young when I had my first child but I had zero experience of children.
Children older than my own were a complete mystery to me and TBH I was nervous of them.
Now I have a 13 year old and have more contact with teenagers I'm learning fast.