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My teenager just called me a f£&ing bitch

189 replies

Bookishworm · 21/11/2025 17:41

Things are not good in the family as my husband and I have separated. My son has always been rude so this isn’t new behaviour but tonight his behaviour was particularly bad.

When he came home he sat on the stairs on his phone - due him being with his Dad this week I asked him if everything was okay and he said yes fine then said I hate you by the way. I told him to speak to me properly then he called me a “dribbler” multiple times. Things were tense and later in the evening when we were talking about him seeing his grandparents tomorrow (they haven’t seen him for a while) he called me a fucking bitch 😔 I said don’t you dare call me that etc.

I’ve only recently got back from a holiday with him which wasn’t cheap and he had a lot of treats. He could be lovely and affectionate one minute then if I made a mistake abroad like not being sure of where something is he would call me a dumb ass and stupid or say he was the adult not me.

His rudeness and disrespect is extremely difficult to deal with. He had ADHD and ASD, I also suspect ODD. I do correct him but he smirks and doesn’t seem to care.

He can be very loving and affectionate too but also extremely rude.

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 21/11/2025 18:23

have a chat with him
make sure there is nothing going on.

Mumofoneandone · 21/11/2025 18:22

Seek some family therapy. The way he's speaking to you is unacceptable but he is lashing out because he's hurting due to the separation.
He does need to learn that it isn't acceptable to speak to you like that. But he needs to be heard too.

Silvertulips · 21/11/2025 18:21

Change the narrative - you say to correct him.. but do you?

If he calls you a name you say ‘I think you meant … I’d love to see my grandparents

I think you meant …thank you
I think you meant Thanks mum that would be lovely’

Do it on repeat and change the behaviour and show your expectation.

Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · 21/11/2025 18:20

buymeflowers · 21/11/2025 18:18

Well presumably the fact his dad spoke to you like that is why you are seperated from him. I’d tell him that and send him to his dads for a bit to reinforce the fact no one gets to speak to you like that.

Yes OP, send him to live with a man who speaks to you the same way.

What could possibly go wrong with that idea?

Namechanged999999 · 21/11/2025 18:19

Namechanged999999 · 21/11/2025 18:19

Sounds like literally unlawful violence from you. You need to be in prison for abuse.

And yes. That is what I got as a child.

Namechanged999999 · 21/11/2025 18:19

Evaka · 21/11/2025 18:00

Wow, what an ironically rude, disrespectful and nasty response.

Sounds like literally unlawful violence from you. You need to be in prison for abuse.

Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · 21/11/2025 18:18

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 21/11/2025 18:07

I’d wait until all is calm and tell him if he ever speaks to you like that again he will lose his phone/wifi gets turned off/ cooks his own dinner/ (delete as appropriate). Do not allow disrespect from him. Ask his dad to support you if things are amicable, or maybe mention in front of his grandad. Don’t be a pushover or he’ll treat his future gf in the same way. You can do it. Xx

According to OP this is how his Dad speaks
to her.

OP you and your ex have taught him for 13 years that this is how men talk to women.

He needs therapy. You need therapy.

You are both responsible for how this young man sees others.

buymeflowers · 21/11/2025 18:18

Bookishworm · 21/11/2025 17:51

He’s mirroring what he’s heard his father say to me unfortunately. So I always tried to correct him/take devices away and he would say why is it ok for Daddy to speak to you like that and not me? Or why don’t you take Daddy’s phone away etc.

Well presumably the fact his dad spoke to you like that is why you are seperated from him. I’d tell him that and send him to his dads for a bit to reinforce the fact no one gets to speak to you like that.

BlondeCircus · 21/11/2025 18:16

Send him to live with his father

therole · 21/11/2025 18:16

Bookishworm · 21/11/2025 17:49

He’s 14 in a few weeks. He can be so lovely and funny/intelligent but so vile too. He really doesn’t seem to care how he speaks to me. I’m at my wits end as I don’t know how to deal with him anymore.

if he’s 14 I’d put my boot down before it becomes more ingrained. Clear rules need to be established and communicated and followed through every time without fail. I’d start with taking the phone away… you can still turn this around. And forget that he can be funny / intelligent. No excuses when he is vile.

heartofsunshine · 21/11/2025 18:15

I'd tell him he's a fool to behave this way when it's peak "Xmas present buying season". I'd also unplug the wifi and when he went mental say "Well you know I'm an absolute bitch" and go to bed with the router.
I did this sort of thing when mine played up and they both love recounting the "Badass mum" stories now they are adults.

SuziQuinto · 21/11/2025 18:14

whentwilightfalls · 21/11/2025 18:12

Nothing you can do about it will change it.

Does anyone think confiscating his phone for a week is going to show him the error of his ways and he will emerge a chastened respectful soul? It won’t. He’s clearly troubled, and realistically the OP needs to ensure she’s safe and any other children in the house (if there are any.)

I didn't suggest confiscating his phone.
If you read my posts, I agreed with the poster suggesting therapy and structured guidance to work through this, with a professional.
Parents who ignore this sort of thing are never helping the child.

whentwilightfalls · 21/11/2025 18:12

SuziQuinto · 21/11/2025 18:09

You cannot ignore that misogynist, aggressive language.

Nothing you can do about it will change it.

Does anyone think confiscating his phone for a week is going to show him the error of his ways and he will emerge a chastened respectful soul? It won’t. He’s clearly troubled, and realistically the OP needs to ensure she’s safe and any other children in the house (if there are any.)

SuziQuinto · 21/11/2025 18:09

whentwilightfalls · 21/11/2025 18:04

Actually I think ignoring is the best bet here.

Consequences are both meaningless and likely to escalate the situation. I wouldn’t be sending him to live with his dad. Would his dad even accept him? disengaging and walking away is the most powerful thing you can do.

You cannot ignore that misogynist, aggressive language.

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 21/11/2025 18:07

I’d wait until all is calm and tell him if he ever speaks to you like that again he will lose his phone/wifi gets turned off/ cooks his own dinner/ (delete as appropriate). Do not allow disrespect from him. Ask his dad to support you if things are amicable, or maybe mention in front of his grandad. Don’t be a pushover or he’ll treat his future gf in the same way. You can do it. Xx

whentwilightfalls · 21/11/2025 18:04

Winterwonderwhy · 21/11/2025 18:01

Ignore him?? Terrible advice

Actually I think ignoring is the best bet here.

Consequences are both meaningless and likely to escalate the situation. I wouldn’t be sending him to live with his dad. Would his dad even accept him? disengaging and walking away is the most powerful thing you can do.

Winterwonderwhy · 21/11/2025 18:02

InterestedDad37 · 21/11/2025 17:58

Don't the letters (adhd etc) be an excuse for outrageous rudeness and disrespect.
Deserves you to come down like a ton of bricks tbh, just to let him know that it is absolutely unacceptable and not allowed in your house. What the consequences might be for crossing that boundary, I'm afraid I don't know, but I think there have to be some (real) ones.

Exactly. I would send him packing back to his dad

Winterwonderwhy · 21/11/2025 18:01

cestlavielife · 21/11/2025 17:48

Things are nor good in family asyou say.
You separated
He s been with his dad
He might be 14 but stll is procesing a separation.
consequences yes. Ignore him.

Ignore him?? Terrible advice

Evaka · 21/11/2025 18:00

Balloonhearts · 21/11/2025 17:48

You've hit the nail on the head yourself, he's always been rude. If you didn't discipline him effectively as a child, it shouldn't come as any surprise to you that his behaviour now is disgraceful.

My teens wouldn't bloody dare, I'd knock them into next week but they were never permitted to be rude when they were little and smirking at a telling off would have had major consequences.

Calling me a fucking bitch? Yeah, I'd wallop his arse so hard his grandkids would feel it.

Wow, what an ironically rude, disrespectful and nasty response.

SuziQuinto · 21/11/2025 17:59

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/11/2025 17:57

So he has been trained for 13 years to disrespect and belittle you in particular and I’ll bet women in general.

This won’t be unpicked with 5 minutes of ‘discipline’. You need family therapy and parenting support. You don’t want him to get into relationships where he is abusive and he’s practising on you.

This ⬆️.
Please access some help and support with this.

SuziQuinto · 21/11/2025 17:58

Do not ignore this.
It's absolutely unacceptable, offensive and disrespectful. His own mother?!
I teach many children with ADHD and ASD etc. they're never as rude as this. You're going to have to set very, very firm boundaries about language here.
It's very difficult, but you're not his metaphorical punch bag.

InterestedDad37 · 21/11/2025 17:58

Don't the letters (adhd etc) be an excuse for outrageous rudeness and disrespect.
Deserves you to come down like a ton of bricks tbh, just to let him know that it is absolutely unacceptable and not allowed in your house. What the consequences might be for crossing that boundary, I'm afraid I don't know, but I think there have to be some (real) ones.

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/11/2025 17:57

Bookishworm · 21/11/2025 17:51

He’s mirroring what he’s heard his father say to me unfortunately. So I always tried to correct him/take devices away and he would say why is it ok for Daddy to speak to you like that and not me? Or why don’t you take Daddy’s phone away etc.

So he has been trained for 13 years to disrespect and belittle you in particular and I’ll bet women in general.

This won’t be unpicked with 5 minutes of ‘discipline’. You need family therapy and parenting support. You don’t want him to get into relationships where he is abusive and he’s practising on you.

outerspacepotato · 21/11/2025 17:55

Phone would be gone. No rides. No nothing. Chores. Give him a crash course on taking care of himself. Change your router password.

He acts like that, he gets zilch.

Bookishworm · 21/11/2025 17:53

cestlavielife · 21/11/2025 17:48

Things are nor good in family asyou say.
You separated
He s been with his dad
He might be 14 but stll is procesing a separation.
consequences yes. Ignore him.

He is processing a lot, things haven’t been easy for him lately but the rudeness and disrespect aren’t new behaviours. His go to when angry is name calling and nastiness.

OP posts: