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Teenagers

Am I being unreasonable or is my mom?

59 replies

Daughter16 · 04/10/2019 14:57

Hey everyone, I’m a 17 year old girl here, and I’m not a mom, but I’m here just to hear some moms’ perspectives on an issue we are currently having at home.

So I’ll get started. Since September last year, I’ve been attending a college which is roughly 40 minutes away from our house. This year, my little sister (11) got into a selective school in the same town, and now we both get drove by our dad to school/college respectively.

Now that we’ve got the background, I’ll get straight to the problem- our morning routine:

We start by getting up somewhere between 6 and 6:30, which I feel is ok to get into school/college at 8:45 or so as we both need to. After that we brush our teeth as people normally do, but here’s the problem- instead of showering and getting ready for school/college after brushing, we then go downstairs in our pjs to have breakfast.

Just to make it clear, breakfast in our house doesn’t mean a croissant or a packet of belvita breakfast biscuits. It means toast and cereal, or an omelette, or a bowl full of porridge with fruit.

By the time we finish eating breakfast, it’s usually around 7:10 or so, after which we go in the bathroom one after the other to get ready.

My sister’s usually first in, and only takes around 10 minutes (as she has had to forgo showering in the mornings and showers after school instead.) So despite this, by the time she comes out, I get around 15 minutes on an average day to go to the toilet, shower and get ready for college.

Let alone getting time to put on makeup or try different hairstyles, I barely get a couple of minutes to dab a bit moisturiser on my my dry skin or put on lip balm.

Despite both me and my sister literally racing out the bathroom, putting on our clothes at break neck speed and running down the stairs to get out the door, we are often late or almost late to school/college.

I have tried to speak to my mum about this issue, but she always says we should just eat faster and be faster in the bathroom, but I personally find it impossible to eat 2 slices of toast and an apple, drink a mug full of tea, and THEN go to the toilet, shower and get ready in under half an hour 😭

If I persist my mom always says that this is the best routine as apparently we’ll need the toilet as soon as we get to school if we eat after getting ready. If I suggest having a smaller breakfast so that doesn’t happen (like a packet of Belvita each or a croissant or something), she insists it won’t be enough.

Basically, however I approach the topic or whatever I suggest, there’s always a reason why this the best way to do things despite it being very inconvenient for so many reasons.

What I wanted to know is if there is a good way I could solve this issue without upsetting my mom?

And is it actually unreasonable of me as a child, from moms’ point of view to ask to change the morning routine?

Sorry if the post was too long btw, I just wanted to make it detailed so you can get a good idea of what’s going on!

OP posts:
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mankyfourthtoe · 04/10/2019 15:08

Get up get in the bathroom then eat or eat in the car or at college

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mankyfourthtoe · 04/10/2019 15:09

You're 17 your toilet habits are your own.

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TheQueef · 04/10/2019 15:11

Get ready before everyone gets up.

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Soubriquet · 04/10/2019 15:13

Get up earlier, have a shower and get yourself ready

Go down, eat breakfast

Go up, brush your teeth and do your make up

Done

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Windydaysuponus · 04/10/2019 15:15

A week each of shower +breakfast. Or breakfast and shower.
Take turns!!

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PatriciaHolm · 04/10/2019 15:18

This is bonkers.

Whilst one is in the bathroom, the other eats. You are both old enough to deal with your own bathroom schedules.

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DoctorAllcome · 04/10/2019 15:25

Lots you can do

  • shower night before
  • get up a half hour earlier and shower before breakfast
  • buy a small mirror and put on makeup & do hair in your bedroom


It’s weird you brush your teeth before eating breakfast....pointless should brush them after breakfast.
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BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 15:33

How does it take an hour and ten minutes to eat breakfast?

But anyway at 17 you should be setting your own morning routine.

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BertrandRussell · 04/10/2019 15:33

And your mum shouldn’t be dictating when you or your sister gif to the loo!

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FavouriteSong · 04/10/2019 15:36

Stop going downstairs in pyjamas. Get up earlier, shower and dress. Have breakfast, clean teeth, do hair and make-up. You're creating a problem where there isn't one.

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notangelinajolie · 04/10/2019 15:40

Get up early and shower and dress before breakfast. Leave teeth until afterwards.

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pumkinspicetime · 04/10/2019 15:44

I have two dc, we get up at 6:15 to leave at 7:15. DC shower in evening usually. But one comes down in pg's and eats breakfast, the other gets dressed first and then comes down. This is just personal preference. But if your family did this you would have more time in the bathroom.
Just shower and get dressed before your breakfast.
Does your mom want you to all eat breakfast together?

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Rachelover60 · 04/10/2019 15:49

You could surely get up and do your ablutions before eating.

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notangelinajolie · 04/10/2019 15:51

Why doesn't your mum want you use the toilet at school in the mornings? What is wrong with that?

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LovePoppy · 04/10/2019 15:52

Take turns in the bathroom/breakfast.

It’s silly to do both at the same time

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BackOnceAgainWithABurnerEmail · 04/10/2019 15:55

I think your mum hasn’t realised you’re 17 (mine hasn’t realised I’m 35)! In your shoes I’d shower the night before, which is what I do for work, then in the morning it’s dressed, hair, teeth, out. I eat at work and have never immediately had to go to the loo. She’s too interested in your bowels!

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coconuttelegraph · 04/10/2019 15:58

The whole set up is bonkers but if I'm reading it right you get up at 6 and it takes until 7.10 to have your breakfast? What are you doing, can you break down exactly what activities you do in that time, I can see 2 minutes for teath brushing but what else is there?

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peachgreen · 04/10/2019 15:58

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titchy · 04/10/2019 15:59

Why on earth are you involving your mother in your morning routine - you're 17 not 7!

Aside from that - you're up at 6, you go to the loo and clean your teeth, but you don't have breakfast till 7.10 - how does it take over an hour to use the loo and clean your teeth? Just shower then as well Confused

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MsChatterbox · 04/10/2019 15:59

I don't think you're unreasonable to want to change your morning routine at 17 years old. So you do your way and find one morning you need the toilet at school and feel a bit hungry. So what? That's for you to figure out and adjust appropriately. I think your mum needs to loosen the reigns a bit. Maybe approach her by saying you need to make some mistakes to learn how do to things and needing a wee at school is an easy mistake to fix! Plenty of suggestions above about new routines. I think the most sensible one is to wake up earlier and get ready before breakfast. Do your makeup and hair in your room.

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GinasGirl · 04/10/2019 16:03

I would get up and straight into the shower, get dressed, go down have toast, bring tea back upstairs to drink while doing hair and make up in your room and if still hungry eat your apple in the car on the way in.

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Mumofboth · 04/10/2019 16:05

Remind your mum you are 17! My 16 year old has been responsible for her morning routine for at least two years. I tell her the times I need the bathroom for myself or her sibling and there is always (usually 🙈) breakfast prepared. She works around us.
What you’ve described sounds a bit nuts and totally impractical!

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TheJellyBabyMadeMeDoIt · 04/10/2019 16:29

At 17 I was working full time (1996) and it was up to me to get myself sorted in the morning with both parents also working FT and my younger brother to get to school.

Get a grip.

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theemmadilemma · 04/10/2019 16:33

At 17 your mother sounds overbearing and rigid in her view of how you start your day.

For some reason I feel like OP would be frowned at for getting up earlier and showering and getting dressed before breakfast. Am I right OP?

Most early teens are responsible for their own morning routine. If your Mum wants to stick a family breakfast round the table it needs to be at a set time that you can all work around to ensure you have time to get ready and not be rushed or late. If that means you getting ready first then she has to do that.

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23Squared · 04/10/2019 16:45

TBH if I was your mum I would just be glad you were eating breakfast - my teens don't!

Agree with the others that at your age you should definitely be in charge of your own routine. You will be a uni soon!

(another one here who moved to a city hours away at 17 with no family!)

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