To be sick and tired of teenagers! Aibu to want them to go back to when they were 4.

[ILoveFairyCakes123]

I'm a sahm and nothing is worse than a house full of teenagers at half term.

I'm sick of

1. Being asked for lifts everywhere like I'm a taxi driver.
2. Being asked for money
3. Having to hear petty drama about them not sharing the television, or for stealing an iPhone charger or for hogging the PlayStation.
4. For the constant arguments and bitchiness.

I have 4 teenage girls from dd17 dd 16 dsd 14, dd 14 and 3 teenage boys ds17, dss17 dss17 (twins).

I can't stand it I'm not looking forward to summer at all.

Mrskennington, I had awful teenage years, I was determined to help my own kids have a good experience through adolecence.

7 teenagers? Good god you deserve a medal. How on earth do you stay sane? My two are driving me mad. DS2 should be revising but is either living in bed, playing PS4 or out. DS1 should be doing coursework and looking for a summer job but again, lies in bed and goes out all night.

All they do is make a mess and eat everything. Then expect lifts and money!

Westray Congratulations, you win the award for the smuggest post on Mumsnet (which is quite an accolade). 🏆🏅I have 2 teenagers and a 9 year old and my mantra is 'Everyone fed, no-one dead'.

OP I salute you.

'Everyone fed, no-one dead'.

Good for you. But I had miserable teenage years.
I don't want my kids to go through that.

I had 4, had a friend with 7 all very small age gapes, she ran her house like a military operation, it was imaculate, and they were really well believe, all boys.They still want you to be a taxi driver when you work full time. Get a roat they are all old enough to help around the house.

well behaved not well believed!!!

Oh dear god you have my sympathy.

I agree with the previous poster about jobs / volunteering.

How about setting up a cooking rota, in pairs they either prepare and cook the evening meal or clear up afterwards?

Keep them busy, if they have time to whinge and argue, they have time to help out more.

I would be encouraging them to be more independent and take the bus (even though it is 2 hours each way), fresh air and exercise and being apart from each other would probably cut down on the petty dramas.

I second, going out with the router in your handbag in my experience changing the password would not work, teens can always know some code breaking website and find out the password.

I have 31 teenagers that I have to try and teach.Then 36. Then another 34 and then 28. Some of them arrive at school stoned having had very little sleep, they ignore me, talk over me.
Then I come home to my 4 year old when work finishes.
The 4 year old is still more demanding.

I'm impressed, OP. Sounds like you're doing a great job and if you need the occasional shoulder to rant on, that's what the vipers are for.

You're doing a great job OP. ( I'd rather teens than 4 year olds, I found that stage harder)

God I hear you op, I only have 3 teens very close in age. Was hoping it was just a phase as mine are only just into their teens.Maybe not. Frankly I think you deserve a medal.

It's the snide comments to each other they think are funny. I have said "if you have nothing nice to say say nothing"over and over again. The bickering over minor things.Then it's the fallout every time I restrict screens or insist on healthy food( is it worth trying to do either),the bellyaching whenever I drag them out on heaven forbid a walk or a day out embracing nature,the arguing back when they are told something they don't like.......

I think from some of my reading contrary to a particular smug poster being blissfully happy during your entire teenage years just isn't what nature intended. They are entitled to feel shit,moody and tired at times. How they handle it is what they learn during these years. Can't say I'm the greatest role model as I have been known to explode and join in with a them when it all gets a bit much.

If it's any consolation I had a friend in a big blended family which sounds like yours. I was always envious and they seem to have grown into well balanced adults with an abundance of happy memories. There is hope. I hated having to pretend everything was tickety boo as a teenager. We have our downs but we have our ups(have to keep reminding myself) and talk through things that are making them feel crap. Just some days 3/4 year olds seem so damn easy in comparison even though I had 3 at once.

Ps the coloured headphones and chargers helped us too.

Out of interest is 2 hours of screens a day during the holidays for young teens reasonable? I collect in all devices after they have used up their allowance. Causes a lot of seething resentment.

How do you get healthy food into them,is it worth continuously trying?One of mine wails" there is never any food in this house" after I have offered cheese sandwiches and fruit for lunch. When I say "go without then" he wails"you're starving me"(grabs his waist to illustrate his point). It's so tedious,shovelling sausage rolls,pizza and crisps into them would make life a lot less stressful.

I have a pre-teen who thinks he is a teen and a 7 year old and whilst I feel like a lightweight, probs are not dissimilar. Constant petty arguments, not lifts so much but I dont drive. Money demands from older one (luckily he has birthday money at the moment). If I was you I would be planning to go out on my own lots over the Summer, I might also take up some voluntary work or something, anything to be out of the house as much as I can. There is no way I would want to go back to mine being little though

give them a price list on a monday and set up a rota of jobs and prices for the jobs...

then the cost of a taxi to town, and let them earn it if they want it...

One of that lot will soon cotton on to the fact they can increase their share of the budget and will crow about it, and bet the others stop moaning and start working...

You can shout out a job,,,, Who wants £2 to mow the lawn,,,,,,

Channel Maria Von Trapp, get a whistle, make them clothes out of curtains and sing happy songs.............

I was about to come on and moan about my surly 13 year old DD but I'll just go and hide now. We bow down before thee in awe!

I feel your pain. But have teens AND a four year old.

2 hours screen time a day in holidays for teens does sound a bit controlling GreenGinger!!

West be careful that they are just not pretending to be happy around you, because it's what they know you expect. Teens are good at hiding problems from people that they don't feel they can open up too. I'm sure you are a good reassuring mum though, but some of us can try as hard as we can and our teens are still going to be rude sometimes. My husband said it's so it makes it easier on us when they leave home.

OMG and I'm a teacher.

Give them something competitive to do - drop them off in the nearest town with £10 each and see who can get the best bargain.

Or buy a couple of tents and make them camp out.

Either label the chargers or you take possession and they hand their phone over to you to charge.

In three weeks time, I am saying goodbye to an 18 year old lad, keeping hold of 14 and 9 year old lads and saying hello to three 13/14 year old girls...... please help me plan my change in tactics

All teen girl management techniques gratefully received!!!!!!

Thing is Big if I don't restrict they end up in their fetid rooms wasting the day. But on the other hand they keep in contact with their friends via their phones.What do you think is more reasonable and how do you manage screen time with teens ? Don't want to hijack the op, can start another teen thread but then we'd end up with two on the go?

Sweet Jesus 7 teens! The smell!

I had 2 teens while having 2 toddlers and that was fun

Op book a day off so no lifts or money or anything else, get a bottle of wine, a book and blanket and head to the hills.

I have a 16 yr old DD in the middle of GCSEs so I am giving her a free pass this week as she is likely to go off like a train if I press the wrong buttons. she is in her room a lot but is revising ignoring my suggestion that a tidy room and made bed would create a calmer and more pleasant atmosphere in which to revise and DD 13 is moping around saying 'I'm bored' so nothing new here. I do find that their emotions are extreme, they get very upset about things, I take it all on then half an hour later they are smiling and laughing and i'm . Poor DH, at least I was a teenage girl once, he doesn't have a clue!