AIBU? I don't like teenagers....

[MrsTonySoprano]

Lord help me for this, I know I'm in for a flaming and I AM old but....

The more I see of them the more I can't stand them. They are (and I generalise here) rude, swear in public places as a matter of making conversation, the girls are plastered in makeup with over processed hair, they Twitter about how hard life is cause they have to get out of bed and go to school, they do nothing around the house, think everyone owes them, feel allowances should be made for nasty behaviour because they're teenagers (??). Push past you in the street and then say "WELL EXCUSE MEEEE" like you did something wrong. One I know well, talks with friends about anyone they don't like being like "a special needs kid" and "mong".

Oh God. Rant over. I just don't like them. And I'm about to have one of my own next year!

Yes LeQueen - wait until you have your own! And girls too - all that door slamming, all those dramatic tears, all that self-loathing!

I know loads of teens due to having several myself ( - well, one is 12, but nearly there) and they are a widely varying bunch. I am please to report that many are just as LeQueen says. One of my own, in fact, although he is thoughtful, polite and responsible, well spoken etc., to the outside world, but he can still be grumpy, curmudgeonly, lazy and vague at home. and he is intensely private and self-contained which can make me feel shut out at times.

The middle one (16.6) is less unappealing at the moment. He doesn't mean to be , and indeed he is a bit bewildered if we tell him he is being selfish or aggressive, or grunty and scowly - he doesn't know he's doing it. He has perfected the art of talking almost entirely without consonants, and garbling his words into an unpunctuated stream of undeciferable, barely audible lower register mumbling, which is something my eldest never did, and it just pushes all the wrong buttons in me. Having said that, he is a much more 'open', heart on his sleeve type person than the older one, so although he drives me nuts, I can at least 'read' him, and he will talk to me.

He's having more than a bit of teenaged angst, lack of direction, lack of application and self-discipline etc, but I'm sure this too shall pass. If I don't kill him first, he will eventually be a lovely decent young man, because the older male role models around him are lovely decent men. He used to have the sunniest, most easy-going disposition ever as a small boy - it's funny how they change in ways you never anticipated. I know he still needs lots of affection and mummy cuddles though, and in amongst all the hand-wringing and shouting we still manage to lay down our arms and do that from time to time, so all is not lost.

12 year old is starting to have the beginnings of teenaged strops - lots of angry shouting and door slamming over nothing in particular, but I think he'll be ok. I'd like to think there will be no major issues with him, but who knows what puberty will bring?

well sorry think your letting a few you heard seen cloud your judgement .I have two teens and trust me neither will use terms like mong infact they are far more likely to pull someone up on it

both mine mange to get themselves out of bed on days they need to and our house often gets filled with their friends , yes occasionaly they swear and then correct themselves and apolgise especially when pulled dup by my teens younger siblings .They put up with said siblings wanting to join in .

Teens are fun to spend time with .am of out on Satuday with one of mine , no younger dc and bliss .I shall be able to talk with them no need to supervise , we can both read or chat quietly on the train .

We can go for dinner and i can relax

'Anyhoo. During the time my DS was kicking off I would look at other teen in the street a bit like this . I was projecting my issues on to ALL of the little bleeders.'

Hahaha - Yes, MrsD I have been guilty of that too! With my middle son's friends and kids of their ilk, not the oldest one's friends - I understand them a bit better, and they are great.

But I find the middle lot harder to 'get' and because some of them, frankly, are arsewipes, I tend to project my feelings about that minority onto all of them, and onto my own son. Must stop. I know it's not right or fair.

My teens arnt plastered in makeup and have the hair they dont hang around and pretty decent human beings HOWEVER they do tweet how hard it all is and i just laugh my head off , Hard DEAR REALLY ? they really dont bite and i like them , couldnt eat a whole one though ,

I would rather have teens anyday than small children. I have 3 girls, they are stroppy and moody,slam doors etc. Noisy and irritating sometimes.

They are also witty,funny, kind and interesting. Mine aren't the sort that hang about streets. Love them to bits. Stroppy mares as they are,they need a huge cuddle sometimes.

Just wish they spent as much time on their rooms as they do on their appearance.