Teenage boys are great

Before I read the whole thread, you have really brought a smile to my face. DS16 brought 10 friends on holiday with us this year (long story) and it was EXACTLY as you say.

We are in full boy teendom with 18, 17 and nearly 14.

We went on holiday with DS's teen cousins this year and they are all lovely lads

Fab thread thanks OP. Think mine is half Labrador half cat. He got a new gaming chair but was almost as excited about the giant box it came in! 🤦🏻‍♀️. I absolutely adore him, he is just an awesome human and was excessively pleased when I told him his top lip hair was looking darker yesterday!

Mine is 17 and (mostly) an absolute joy. We had a fairly low-key day yesterday, but he scooped me up in a huge hug as I was going to bed and said 'Thank you - it's been brilliant.' He has a lovely bunch of friends too - it's like being descended on by a pack of oversized Labrador puppies.

Yip, adore mine

The best bit of Gavin and Stacey last night was as Neil the Baby was leaving and Nessa said 'He's lush' .. Feel exactly the same about my DS. Great in so many ways 😍

I agree and think they keep
Me young and in touch with modern life, so different to when I was a teenager , they are mostly fun and I love watching them grow up into the young men that they are going to be one day

Totally agree. My 15 year old is the light of our lives and has some lovely friends too.
(Have to caveat that some of the other boys at school are not so great, but I guess that’s representative of all of humanity!)

I have teenage nephews - see them at this time of year more than any other time and it’s great.

Ha, I love the description of how they all sit and give it the big I. Am with each other before one of them mentions having to check with their mum 😂

Absolutely the case here too. Ds1 is 16 so his friends are all 16/17 and doing A Levels. I internally chuckle every time I'm standing next to a 6ft 3, bearded 17 year old who says so politely 'thank you for having me for dinner, I'll check with mum if I'm allowed to come on Friday' or similar 😂

What a wonderful thread, nice one OP.

My DS is 17 and still has a loud, high pitched squeal and laugh!

He tried to take his life recently and the way all his friends rallied (teen boys and girls) was beautiful.

My 13 year old veers from strop to affection in 0.5 seconds!
Every night he comes into my bedroom and flings himself on my bed and climbs up for a cuddle. He’s ace.

I have this strange contrast between work and home life. Work life involves working with teenagers who have committed offences and there is loads of grunting and life just being thrown down the drain. Then I get home and have these strong, caring, chatterbox teenage boys. Such strong sense of right and wrong, so perceptive, great jawlines too!!!

💯 agree 💙

I am really surprised at all the puppy/labrador/empathy comments - my teens are ok but absolutely nothing like that.
I find the teen years quite stressful, vaping/smoking/drinking/drugs are common where I live, so helping them navigate that is an ever changing thing.

I guess reading about other people's lovely teens makes me feel a little envious but when I look objectively at mine, they are doing ok out in the world, have lots of friends (not all of whom I like) and I am hopeful they will launch as young adults. They were wonderful toddlers/little children, so I am hoping once these years pass they will be wonderful adults as well.

I have a 12 year old and this made me tear up. Thank you.

I do think boys get a lot of bad press.

I have a girl and a boy. My son is like a large puppy. He's extremely empathetic and thoughtful, lacks any common sense but is a total joy. I'm missing him so much now he's started Uni.

What a wonderful thread! I completely agree. DS14 is rapidly heading for 6ft, puts his chin on my head and calls me 'my little Mummy', gets very enthusiastic and detailed about highly specific things like the exact recipe for the perfect cheese toastie (baby bells and tabasco if you're interested), has delightful friends who go gallumphing off to school together wearing lightweight coats in freezing temperatures, is a martial art black belt and so gentle with his little DSis who's only 8 and learning too, is sweet and patient with both his confused DGMs and a gentlemanly thug on the rugby pitch. He's very dyslexic and thinks he's thick but is so articulate and witty, very popular and an absolute goof in a group. When he wants something cheeky and outrageous he'll ask me, then hold eye contact, half smile and nod as if in wise agreement to make me say yes (it quite often works or makes me fall about laughing). Oblivious to how gorgeous he is and no idea what to say to girls. I love him so much it takes my breath away and I want to squeeze out every drop of time with him while he's with me before he goes off to whatever life adventures await.

I wish my son had been like that. He was always grumpy and rude tbh. He moved out this weekend and whilst I should be feeling sad, I’m kind of grateful. I’ve had 22 years of crap, throughout school and now adulthood and I’m burnt out. He’s gone to his dad’s so his dad can deal with him for a bit 🤷‍♀️

Mine's only recently joined the teens and he's still great, so affectionate and makes me laugh all the time with his silly humour, like the other day he came with the idea that there should be a seafood truck called the Clambulance 😅

Mine is 14 and an absolute joy (most of the time)
He gets moody and tired and does absolutely bugger all school work. But he's kind and thoughtful and helpful and makes me laugh out loud all the time.

Such a lovely thread - great to read postive things about young men!

What a lovely thread!

Oh, yes, the obliviousness to girls. I think the girls kind of enjoy it tbh, it seems like it's almost a game to see just how outrageously they can flirt before the boys take notice. (answer: very, very outrageously)