Is this what teenagers are like?!

[sergeilavrov]

I just got home to my family after 14 days spent in isolation after a work abroad stint. I have two under 5s, and my usually wonderful nephew who lives with us. He's 19. It's 2am here, and if I'm honest, I want to eat. Specifically, I want some chorizo. Halal quarantine has left me craving. It's in the fridge. Quiet, through the darkness, I approach the fridge. Silent, gliding along effortlessly on bare feet as I prepare for my bedtime snack. Door opens.

CRASH. "FUUUUCK IT HURTS SO MUCH FOR FUCKS SAKE."

Not the type of language I aim for around my little ones, to be honest. A full 2l bottle of Root Beer hits my toes. I take a step back in pain, heel digs into an upside down non-alcoholic beer cap. The very same drink my nephew thinks is great.

Obviously, everyone woke up and my DH tried his best not to laugh, as I tried to be nice. But I have shooting pain up to my knee and honestly I'm planning a murder. My little boys are my world, I adore them. Will they really one day turn into the teenagers who injure their exhausted mum by failing to put things in the fridge properly and refusing to use the bin??

Please, please tell me I'm not the only person who has been so furious over what should be a small incident that absolutely does not require the hiring of an assassin over the dark net.

Yes. Sorry.

I have a 14 year old and regularly wistfully yearn for the cute little boy I had...

BUT despite the lip, the appetite, the grunting, the mess, the personal hygiene, he’s still bloody brilliant. The standard of conversation I can have with him now is incredible, he’s so intelligent and insightful. And he still loves hugs

I have 2 teenage sons. They don't grunt, they keep themselves clean, and they don't speak rudely to me.
I get hugs every day and we have some really lovely chats.
But yes, they do swear sometimes and make a mess but then so do I.

"FUUUUCK IT HURTS SO MUCH FOR FUCKS SAKE."

I thought that was the teenage - especially as 2 am!

yep, they don't think about anyone else's needs and get huffy if you suggest they should have thought about them.

It's not all bad though, they don't wake up in the mornings and are good at running errands

Haha no the swearing was definitely all mine. I have a spinal condition that makes my nerves really sensitive, so it felt like a knife going into my foot. My leg is still throbbing in pain. I'm hoping neither of the little ones remembers those particular words...

I hadn't even thought about potential personal hygiene issues?! Given we live in the hottest area of the world, I'll definitely be hiding deodorant when the time comes. Glad to hear it is rewarding and nice too though - I love hugging them, and don't ever want to give them up. I'm going to hold onto every second of them being so small.

I love my nephew, of course, but my god I feel like he planned a Home Alone style trap on me... unimpressed, but will never mention it!

Personal hygiene here tends to depend on whether there is A Girl on the scene. Current Girl is with her dad at the moment on the other side of the country as her mum is shielded so it’s been hit and miss 🤣😆

But as I said, he’s brilliant. He’s amazed me with his motivation for school work during all this mess and he makes me proud every day. Self sufficient too to a great extent so easier to cope with in lockdown!

personal hygiene goes one way or the other.

Either you can't get them into the shower

Or you can't get them out of it and the hot water bills and cost Lynx cost you an arm and a leg.

I have 3, oldest is clean, middle is passable but doesn't care, youngest needs frog marching to the bathroom. (and the younger 2 are girls!)

Mine is kind and we have a wonderful relationship. But he can also sometimes fall into being a proper teenager ( he is 16 ). But most of the time he is okay. I get hugs when wanted and if I’m bored he lets me sit in his room and chat.

Seems like supporting romantic relationships is definitely the way to keep them clean!

@steppemum Ah, so trying again and hoping for a girl will not mean one doesn’t do these things? Damn. In fairness, I was a clean but extremely moody teenager.

Seems like they can be great, just need to train them on not setting fridge traps... my heel has an imprint from the bottle top ... training tips anyone??

My 16 year old is fabulous. He's clean, polite, helpful and incredibly funny.

(I have three more children - but only one other teenager, and she's a girl - she's less likely to shower than my teenage son, much more hormonal and stroppy at times, and is very untidy.....!).

So no, not all teenagers are the same.....

A bottle fell out your fridge, you'll live. You sound worse than a teenager. Screaming blue murder and then thinking there's a conspiracy against you because you were clumsy.

@Notredamn Did you leave your sense of humour in the fridge too? Do make sure it doesn’t roll out and hit you!

Obviously this is lighthearted.

Sorry I just didn't find it funny. Too contrived!

I've had things fall out of the fridge that I've put in myself, thing get dropped on floors and not picked up occasionally, it's not particularly to do with teenagers. Why didn't you put the light on? That seems odd to me.

Bare feet went out the window after the lego incident, never ever to return

@crowdedhouse Oh no, that must hurt! We are still in the softer, big block stage in this house. So much to learn... and will invest in decent slippers.

Didn’t turn light on as our kitchen has panoramic city views, so the soft light from that is enough to navigate by. Plus having been away, I like to see our surroundings - the view is one of my favourite parts of our home.

Oh relax people. It is a light hearted thread!

Currently my dog brings in pebbles from the garden, as a reminder for my bare feet

Huh? A bottle falling out of a fridge isn't exactly a notorious teenage crime is it? I think people of all ages can accidentally fail to put things in fridges and cupboards securely. Confused

Wow. A bottle fell out of the fridge. Big deal.

It was an accident. Nothing to do with 'what teenagers are like'. Forget it and move on.