to want to hug my teenagers several times a day, every day

[TalkinPeace]

because, all thing considered, they are excellent people with good manners (allowing for hormones) and I love them to bits

and I wish there were more positive stories about lovely teenagers in the news so they felt less like freaks

Lovely post.
I chase my 15yo round to get a hug nearly every day. He makes out he doesn't like it but I know he secretly does.

The teenage years have been my favourite, I think. I hug mine and tell them I love them every day. They even hug me back .

My eldest will be leaving home soon- I'll be bereft . But it's so exciting seeing them getting ready to step out into the world.

YANBU at all. DD18 and I hug every day if possible, although kisses are on the cheek these days.

All the feckless teenagers stories do piss me off a little. There's a hell of a lot of hardworking ones too! Plenty go to school or college five times a week and then work weekends too, along with homework and coursework and constantly having to worry about the future and what exams are next and what the hell they're going to do with their lives. But by some people's attitudes you'd think they did nothing but smoke weed and spit at old ladies in the street.

I hug mine often, it's a vulnerable time in life.

I love teenagers. It's amazing how anxious they are under all the lairiness. They are really just small kids in adult bodies.

My own are 12 and 13 and they are fab.

My boy is 13 and has had a really rough time of it at school over the last 12 months, bad behaviour, falling behind in schoolwork and just generally struggling with everything. It's been a worrying time. BUT I spoke to his HOY last week and she reckons he's turned a corner. Everything has improved and he's back to being his old happy self, his work has improved 100% and all of his teachers are really proud of him. He's back to giving out and happily receiving hugs now even in front of his mates.
So YANBU, everybody needs a hug.

I love this thread!

I have 2 DDs that are 3 and 6 and I've always looked forward to when they are teens - not in a wishing their lives away way as I'm really enjoying them at the ages that they're at but I was just looking forward to chatting to them and days out etc.

Due to all the bad press that teenagers get I was starting to dread it, plus all of the comments you get about having 2 teenage girls (hormones, temper tantrums blah blah blah). Thanks to this thread I'm looking forward to it again! :)

I work with teens too, and I wish more of them got hugs. It's really tough being a teen. I'm approaching 40 and am still glad every year I'm not turning 16 again!

I've very lucky that all of mine are very cuddly - they're 23, 21 and 18 and there's always a hug available somewhere! Even though the older two are away a lot of the time, when they're here, they are quite happy to hug mum and dad.

I work with a group of teens on Sundays. It's one of the highlights of my week. YANBU.

DD is totally stressed out at the moment, but we manage a cuddle whenever she's in reach. She's lovely.

The Shockerteens are wonderful enormous folk.

The napes of their necks are very good to nuzzle too

DS1 is 14 next month and he and DD (11) make me laugh more than anyone in the world. DS1 and I have spent many hours over the last week discussing the dangers of UKIP and the BNP (mostly initiated by him) and DD is sorting out stuff to do a table sale and give proceeds to Amnesty (her idea). They are the loveliest people I know and all their friends are lovely too. And DS1 gives the best bear hugs.
5 year old DS2 on the other hand ...

I hugged both of them when they got up this morning afternoon : they stand there with a rictus grin, but its a game.
They know I love them unconditionally, so hopefully they will be open before hassles become problems.
But boy oh boy : how to explain that deodorant is NOT washing