Posting here for traffic and on the assumption that those who have already had experience of this won't be checking out the 'Teenagers' board!
DD has three weeks left at school. She is a mature, intelligent, funny, fabulous teenager and we get on really well but the thought of her being at home 24/7 until September is making me want to run away and hide!
She's a great kid, but the turbo witter is strong in this one, and although she'll strip her bed, tidy her room, make her own breakfast and lunch and cook dinner for us both from time to time, she will find an excuse to avoid doing virtually anything else I ask for a hand with and regularly leaves a trail of glasses, crockery, nail varnish and exercise equipment in her wake.
More of an issue is the fact I'm someone who desperately needs their own space. I'm on sabbatical until September, partly caring for my parents but now one is in residential care I have a little more time to work on a personal project of my own, however I never feel I can crack on with someone else in the house all the time and I can guarantee as I soon as try to start something she will be wanting to chat.
Her dad and I are divorced and for reasons to numerous and complicated to go into sheonly sees him a few hours a week and rarely does overnights. I don't feel I can ask her to change that as there's some issues between her and her step mum atm and I'd hate her to think I was trying to offload her.
Really just wondering if anyone can suggest some coping tactics? I'll get my study sorted and earmark some dedicated project time, but between DD and my remaining caring responsibilities (visiting one parent, lots of hand holding for the other), I know I'm going to struggle.
Unfortunately my face is very good at saying how I'm feeling even when I manage to keep my mouth under control!