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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be looking forward to the teen years?

68 replies

slatternlymother · 08/12/2012 17:35

And I'm not wishing the time away. I'm not.

DS is 2 and genuinely a nice child; I enjoy looking after him and we all get on really well as a family.

But sometimes I look forward to the days when we can chat about stuff, go to the cinema to see a movie we'll all enjoy and take him out for a proper meal. Peppa Pig (and the constant chatter about it) can be a bit wearing...

AIBU? Tell me about your lovely teens

OP posts:

VivaLeBeaver · 08/12/2012 18:13

Dd is 11 and the last few years have mainly been lovely. Shopping, lunch out, cinema, holidays just the two of us, art galleries, etc.

However she is definitely getting more grumpy. Can fly off the handle and be quite nasty at times. I kind of wish I could have frozen her at about 9 or 10.

valiumredhead · 08/12/2012 18:14

Tbh I find the (nearly) teen years as hard if not harder than when ds was 2.

The lie ins are better and not broken nights but my God you have to be on your toes constantly or they are one step ahead all the time.

Like Almost says, it is lovely when you realise you have a proper person with their own sense of humour and personality :)

froggies · 08/12/2012 18:14

DS is 16. Most of the time he is lovely. He has been lovely most of he time all the way through, but the not lovely bits have been different at different ages. I found the toddler tantrums easier to deal with than sleepless nights as a newborn, Writting on walls and wrecking stuff at 3 easier than attempted attitude at 13. Constant talk of bodily functions at 8 easier to deal with than the flash emotions of 15.... But this is just me.

Looking forward to the DD's getting older, DD1 and I have many shared interests and she is like my little best friend (now 7) and DD2 (4) is a law unto herself, really looking forward to her bursting through every stage of life with her own interminable style!

ImperialSantaKnickers · 08/12/2012 18:17

Do you mean inimitable rather than interminable froggies ?

SecretSantaSquirrels · 08/12/2012 18:18

yy mineork
My teens are great. They were also wonderful at 5,6,7.....9,10,11,12. Under 5 was hard though.
DS1 is 17 in a couple of weeks and we had a lovely day today we went Christmas shopping, had lunch together then came home and we've just decorated the tree together.
They are not all eye rolling morons.

AcidTurkishBath · 08/12/2012 18:22

We have teenagers and a 3 year old. The teenagers can be very good company but they can also be a lot worse than toddlers. A young child having a tantrum is not nearly as embarrasing or long as a teenager's tantrum/rant/sulk. Plus you don't have to worry about drugs with a toddler (other than clamouring for Calpol constantly ).

The conversations can be better as well. I had a debate with the 16 yo yesterday about press regulation - my 5 yo kept interrupting with anecdotes of his playground Spiderman game. So, YANBU.

thekidsrule · 08/12/2012 18:31

YABU in my experience

1 of them is pretty good

the other is another story and seriously find him very very hard to cope with,and maybe will not be living here by christmas

so your not totally aibu,uve just caught me at a bad time

im sure you will enjoy them years

acceptableinthe80s · 08/12/2012 18:32

What's your secret then ladies? Your teens all sound lovely. Op I think yabu, I am dreading the teenage years, mainly because I wouldn't wish my teenage self on any parents. Saying that I feel like I'm getting a preview with my 4 yr old. He's just stomped upstairs and slammed his bedroom door because I gave him a row for stabbing me with his sword!

thekidsrule · 08/12/2012 18:32

i also have a 5yr old and hes fab

i dont want him to grow up

Original poster

slatternlymother · 08/12/2012 19:02

Oh yes, not wishing time away at all. I love DS' company, chatting to him etc.

I just look forward to the time when he can appreciate life's niceties; going for a meal, shopping, out walking, holidays, all the good stuff

Love hearing about your teens. DS is (and will remain) the only one, so there is a lot of focus on him I suppose.

OP posts:

SecretSantaSquirrels · 08/12/2012 19:03

acceptableinthe80s My DSs were both horrid at four. As four year olds they could out tantrum any two year old. They had staying power.
My teenage self was horrible but my teenagers are lovely.
Must their father's genes .

mamhaf · 08/12/2012 19:44

Teenagers are great! I have much preferred these years (tho dd1 is now 20) - I found pre-teens hard work and largely unrewarding.

Yes, there have been some hormone-induced unpleasant bits, but on the whole it's great fun. Lots to share and discuss and I love their senses of humour.

We've always played sport together and I think that has helped.

Be prepared for lots of taxi-ing though unless you live somewhere with good public transport.

Sparklingbrook · 08/12/2012 19:48

In my experience teenagers and toddlers are much the same in their attitudes.

Groovee · 08/12/2012 19:48

I don't think you need to wait to a teen. My 2 are 12 and 10 and the last few years have been fun!

Jingleallthejay · 08/12/2012 19:48

look out for grunting and Oh mum and be prepared for them not going anywhere with you for a few years but apart from that it is ok, but you have years to prepare

BOFingSanta · 08/12/2012 22:11

I LOVE seeing them grow into their gorgeousness, with the world at their feet. You can't beat it.

cardibach · 08/12/2012 23:12

My teenage DD (16) is fab and a real person (has always been :) ). She does go to the cinema/theatre/rock gigs with me - infact she bought Madness tickets for us both for my birthday and came with me to see them. I did the same with Noah and the Whale for her.
YADNBU! But as others say, this lovely time can start from about 8ish (alhtough DD did have a hormone surge at about 9/10 which made her a bit stroppy for a month or two).

lookoveryourshouldernow · 08/12/2012 23:24

....NO NO NO - your real worries will just only just begin then .... and you will have an articulate teenager who can argue back..... enjoy your time with your "little ones".

.. my Son has just passed his Driving Test and I haven't seen him for the last week or so - our conversations now centre around his comings and goings - he seem to go on lots of "little trips" out and about and is just relishing in his independence ...

This is great but it's icy out there and lots of silly drivers and I am worrying like mad...

I am pleased (and if I was honest also very very sad) that he has finally after all these years got to where he wanted to be - when he was little and asked for anything I always said "when you are 18".... now it's here I feel redundant .. and need to let go..

Enjoy it and don't wish it away - time really does go very very fast..

SirBoobAlot · 08/12/2012 23:25

Hmm. If DS is similar to my 15 year old brother, there may be hope. He's a total tit sometimes, but generally he's actually a lovely lad. He will even hug me in public now

I kind of know what you mean, but actually find I can do some of that now DS is three. He's a very curious child, wants to know everything, and loves learning, so we go out to museums and art galleries. He told me off recently for going to the British Museum without him!

I've enjoyed DS much more since we've started being able to interact and do things properly together, and I really can't wait for that to just continue to increase :)

innoparticularorder · 08/12/2012 23:30

Must be just me who would love to swap my two teenagers for 2 toddlers.

threesocksfullofchocs · 08/12/2012 23:32

when ds was a tot I didn't see the point of being a parent to a teen lol
but once I he got there, such fun.
I really think the teen years and after are some of the best,
he is in his 20's now and I really enjoy him

LadyBeagleBaublesandBells · 08/12/2012 23:33

I did enjoy all the stages of my ds growing up, but must admit I've loved the teen years.
He get's my jokes, he truly understands when I can't afford to get him something, he really is a perfect companion , he's 17 and we do seem to be kindred spirits.
He'll be off to Uni next year
That will be a whole other thread.

exexpat · 08/12/2012 23:37

DS (14) is actually interesting to talk to these days, we sometimes like the same films and TV series, and we go to festivals together (just the two of us) and sometimes go right down the front for bands we both like. His friends are reasonably civilised too.

lovebunny · 09/12/2012 07:54

there are years in between when you can have a proper chat. start now! he probably thinks peppa pig is all you're capable of.

Sparklingbrook · 09/12/2012 08:25

Have just thought of an advantage. DS1 (13)- is still asleep at 8.20am on a Sunday morning, and will be for the next few hours probably. DS2 loves his sleep too so that's good.

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