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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to feel like I've failed as a parent

10 replies

SuburbanFraggle · 26/02/2020 21:56

My 15 year old gets good grades when she bothers to do the work and teachers and other parents genuinely seem to like her and she has always made friends easily. BUT

She lies and steals
She treats my like a skivvy

She takes money from my purse. Anything from my room that she wants she helps herself to then lies. At one point I marked the inside lid of my body lotion. Then when she said her usual 'grandma bought it for me' I showed her the mark and she just shrugged.

Once she and her friends called me from Next saying security needs me to collect her because one of them was caught shoplifting. Obviously she swears blind she had no idea Chloe was doing that, I don't talk to her anymore now! No way of knowing what's true.

I know some of her friends and their parents and they seem nice and normal people. She gets pocket money and we buy her things. She just seems to have a mindset that "if I want it I'll have it" and the shop security incident doesn't seem to have had an impact.

She does no housework. Her room is a biohazard. She is meant to empty the dishwasher. She will do it about twice a week after being asked 50 times. She leaves such a mess everywhere it's so so depressing. 'Oh, I'm making a beauty face mask' = oats and banana peels on the kitchen counter, oats everywhere in the bathroom. She can leave it for weeks. I end up just cleaning because I can't live like that.

Everything she eats, crisp packets on the living room floor, mugs everywhere.

The one thing she does is her own laundry, but that ends up spread on her floor, clean and dirty. Running the machine for one top etc.

She had always been a "wilful" child. Punishments like taking her phone and computer don't work because she legitimately needs them for school. She is on a sports team she enjoys but saying things like 'you can't go to the match' as punishment would let down the whole team.

AIBU to think it's a lost cause?

OP posts:
Delbelleber · 26/02/2020 22:01

She will grow up and become a decent human being. She's still young and immature, even if she may think she knows it all right now.

tiredtrumpet · 26/02/2020 22:08

I'm sure a more experienced poster will come along in a minute and give good advice but just thought I would say I was exactly like this as a teenager.
I thought the world owed me something and I knew better Blush
I now have a good job a nice little family and a clean home! I went through a steep learning curve in my early 20's when I had my own place.

My mum regularly comments on my home and laundry like she's still astounded all these years later that it's done so well Grin

Daftodil · 26/02/2020 22:20

She gets pocket money and we buy her things. She just seems to have a mindset that "if I want it I'll have it" and the shop security incident doesn't seem to have had an impact.

What were the consequences of the shop incident? Did you stop giving her pocket money/buying her things?

She does no housework. Her room is a biohazard.

Stop her pocket money and tell her you are putting the money towards a cleaner instead. If she wants pocket money reinstated then she'll need to do her chores. Her choice.

SuburbanFraggle · 26/02/2020 22:30

I was worried that if I cut the pocket money she would steal more. The house is too untidy for a cleaner to do her room and I'm embarrassed of it.

I think we took away her phone for a few days as punishment.

OP posts:
morriseysquif · 26/02/2020 22:32

Stop pocket money
Turn off the wifi

I bet she respects her teachers more - teach her bad behaviour has consequences.

PennyGold · 26/02/2020 22:35

I understand the position that you're in and I know it can't be easy, but I can't help but think you're making excuses e.g. can't take her phone away, or her laptop or her pocket money, can't get a cleaner.
I'd take everything off her, and monitor her on the laptop doing homework to ensure she only did homework. Otherwise what's the incentive to stop shoplifting, doing chores or being disrespectful to you?
I'd worry this was the start of a slippery slope.. it's hardly annoying teenager behaviour as she's commuting a crime.
Good Luck!

Tatiebee97 · 26/02/2020 22:39

This is coming from experience, I was like that as a kid except I wouldn't go try extreme of stealing from shops. My parents just let me get on with it. They said one day you will realise all the wrong doing you have done, you'll realise that there is no trust between us and that day you realise it you'll need us the most. Believe it or not that day came and because of all the shit I put them through as a kid they wasn't there be cause we had no relationship anymore I tore my mom down to nothing. You don't understand how many time I could say sorry and still that wouldnt never fix the tear she shed or the sleep less night. But now at the age of 22 I can honestly say I love my mom and I'd do anything for her it just took me time to realise what I was doing. Most of it was because I rebelled against everything they said but part of it was influence from those around me. Maybe you should sit down with her and have a conversation about it all. I honestly wished my mom done that so I actually knew sooner. But she will stop it eventually and she will grow up.

KinderGurl · 26/02/2020 22:46

Start taking things that are hers, when she asks “I thought we could take what we wanted, whenever we wanted”

Stop pocket money & stop buying her things

Yesmate · 26/02/2020 23:00

The team thing. It’s not you letting down the team it’s her. I would make sure the coach knew the reason why too. Sometimes kids respond more to coaches/teachers than parents?

SuburbanFraggle · 26/02/2020 23:09

Thanks for all the suggestions

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