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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say that 16yr olds are too young THESE DAYS to make decisions

94 replies

Kattyy · 19/07/2018 23:52

Mine went for a GP. I had arranged. You know that they are in charge of their medical health from when they're 16, right?
All he needed to do was to attend and pick up a precription. Came home with nothing... so frustrating! Really needed the prescription! At 16 they dont know their head from their ass...

OP posts:
Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:22

Also never said i had a child at 16. Said was a young mum.

OP posts:
FlyingMonkeys · 20/07/2018 03:24

So what country were you living in that you could facilitate paying full housing costs and child care at 16? It's very interesting the cultural financial divides.

Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:26

Umm, nobody paid for any of my costs but me.

OP posts:
FlyingMonkeys · 20/07/2018 03:26

You implied you were in your teens to be fair. Apologises for making the 16-19 assumption.

Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:27

Housing costs? You kidding me? We don't do that "there"

OP posts:
Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:30

Was in my teens and that"s correct. Was fine. Anyhow, has got off the topic now.

OP posts:
FlyingMonkeys · 20/07/2018 03:31

You lived in a country with free housing?

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 03:33

kattyy
Their brain migrates to their underpants.

Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:34

No. I paid for it. I never got a penny off the government

OP posts:
Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:34

Well apart from the maternity leave:)

OP posts:
Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:38

Haha at melonscoffer:)) uve done well to manage 3! Wish i was as strong

OP posts:
blackdoggotmytongueagain · 20/07/2018 03:48

My 16yo is reasonably competent. He’s been life guarding for a year, so he gets paid to keep other people from drowning. My 17yo signed her first housing lease (found the rental and set it all up herself) nine months before she needed it, while living in her own seven hours away. (Oh and is more than capable of sorting her own doc appts etc). The 14yo has cerebral palsy and volunteers for an organization that runs activities for youth more disabled than she is. She has her first driving lesson on Monday. Oh, and last week I dropped her in town for her psych on the way to work. She managed to make the appointment, collect her prescription, catch the bus closest to home, and walk half a mile through bear country to the door. Grin
I love my teenagers. But they do drive me batshit too.
In all honesty - the bepenised one is the worst. I don’t suggest it’s causative. But...

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 03:50

kattyy
You're strong as hell.

It's a little Sad that there isn't more support from women for other women.

stoneagemum · 20/07/2018 03:57

Kattyy,
Get a grip, if your sixteen your old kid can't look after themselves that's your parenting problem. Why did you not teach them?

Original poster
Kattyy · 20/07/2018 03:59

melonscoffer
Think there must be women like us..
Love u too
Wtf

OP posts:
DistanceCall · 20/07/2018 04:21

If you think your 16-year-old is too young to make decisions, it's down to your parenting. Those are not the factory settings or anything.

melonscoffer · 20/07/2018 04:27

Kattyy Fri 20-Jul-18 03:59:15
melonscoffer
Think there must be women like us..
Love u too
Wtf

???? No idea what you mean.

SofiaAmes · 21/07/2018 06:16

If you think your 16-year-old is too young to make decisions, it's down to your parenting. Those are not the factory settings or anything. WRONG!!!! Some kids come out with good executive functioning skills and some not so much. It's genetics + parenting. As melonscoffer said...I got one of each. Same parents, same parenting. I think it's really interesting how many mumsnetters like to demean other parents. Just because your child didn't end up perfect (whatever the f that means), doesn't mean they won't be happy and successful in life. And it doesn't automatically mean that mom (how come dad is never blamed) did something "wrong" (again whatever the f that means).
Kattyy posted in frustration. She's just looking for a bit of support in the "yes teenagers are stupid" arena. Do you really think she doesn't question herself every day as to how to best parent her teenager? Sometimes you just need someone/anyone to reiterate..."you aren't crazy or bad, your child is just a frontal lobe-less teenager."

Dungeondragon15 · 21/07/2018 08:07

It is ridiculous to decide that all 16 year olds are different nowadays to how they used to be just because your 16 year old is a bit immature (from the sounds of it). My DD at 16 was certainly attending her own appointments at doctors, dentists, opticians etc. If anything she was probably more mature in some ways than I was at that age over 30 years ago. Her friends are similar to her. I'm not going to say that it is down to your parenting as clearly genetics and other factors are also involved but don't assume all 16 year olds are like your DS because they aren't.

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