To think most teens are actually pretty fab?

[NeedAHoliday2021]

My dc are getting older (10-14) and I’m loving this age of independence, hanging out together and moments of real closeness. It’s not just them, their friends are lovely, friendly, polite. There’s moments of hormones but they support each other. I love watching them grow and have enjoyed every stage but everyone always tells me teens is where that stop and they’ll be a nightmare.

Am I alone in actually liking teens? Not just my own. Some teens are dicks but so are some adults. Most are nice though aren’t they? This is prompted by multiple Fb posts realising dc are going to secondary and parents are yearning for their babies back. I just don’t feel like that.

Totally agree. Love that they sort out their own social lives, that I no longer have to accompany them when they do, bar a few lifts, love how they start to shop and explore their own interests and make new friends.

We’ve had house parties, nobody trashed the place nothing broken or stolen, usually clean (ish) up after themselves.

Starting to work and realizing that they do need to work hard and be engaged etc.

I have 2 teens. They are both fabulous. I really couldn’t ask for or wish for anything different at all.

I also have a 9 year old. And he’s getting so big and it does make me slightly yearn for the sticky chubby toddlers they all were.

But yes, a lot of teens are just lovely.

Yup! Totally agree. We have a 16.5yr old & she's amazing - cracks us up all the time & the conversations are brilliant. She has a lovely group of friends too

I love teens

Yanbu I agree

Well this is lovely to read! Mine are younger and I’ve been dreading the teenage years but maybe I shouldn’t

Yes! I teach them and 95% are genuinely lovely. The remaining 5% are mostly just having a teeny time and are also lovely, but not at that particular time. In 20 years of teaching there's very few kids I have taught who are actually not nice people. Am I am talking the drug dealing, In court for GBH and sex offenders.

Most of them are just lovely.

Yes! Mine (and their friends) are awesome.

Polite, engaged, caring, funny, thoughtful.

Totally agree! I teach in a secondary school, and the majority of the students are great - responsible, honest and funny. Of course there’s a vocal minority who meet the stereotype of rude teenagers, but most of them are just lovely.

I have a 15 and 18 year old and they're my friends as well as my kids. They're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and they can certainly have their moody, grumpy moments, but on the whole they're pretty fab. I see some kids their age who really are a nightmare and count myself lucky.

My pre-teen and most of her mates (12-13) are pretty awesome too!

Everyone keeps saying that she'll make me pay for being such an easy child as she hits her hormones...

So far other than a bit of sullen attitude lasting about half an hour at a time, randomly, she's been ace.

Nice to hear yours are the same!

l also love teens and l think we forget how anxious and awkward these years can be, there are an awful lot of transitions.
Of course always bumps in the road to navigate but its something you go through together as a family and come out even stronger in my opinion.
Almost all of the teens l know and work alongside are decent, hard working and conscientious and just trying to get from A to B like the rest of us.

I agree too…. My eldest is 12, so not quite there yet but he’s lovely and loving and caring. He’s even getting along better with his 8 ye old sister now he’s older!

I also work with teens, with behavioural challenges. They can be really really horrible sometimes…. violent and verbally abusive.

But not all the time… they can also be really lovely and chatty and fun. An example is a few weeks ago one boy threw a chair and smashed the classroom window, the chair bounced and hit my leg. I said ow!! and he said oh I’m so sorry! And patted me on the back! 🤣

I've worked with 'challenging' teens and the vast majority are absolute poppets given the opportunity and if you have a consistently positive story about them to them.

They're like a basket of excitable puppies when together.

I work with teens and have one of my own at home too. They are great. So funny and righteous, and I love all the teen phrases that they use.

Yep, love mine, they're funny, thoughtful and adorable and although occasionally they go over the top about something, they don't stay cross.

Yanbu at all, my youngest is very nearly out of his teens now but for both my kids it’s been the most rewarding phase of parenting. Yes there are challenges but like others have said, they’re fab human beings

Mine are now 20 and 22, but both were good kids as teens. There was occasionally a bit of drama with both of them, but that's to be expected.

I stay quiet on threads about teens where someone will say 'they are all like this' 'they come out the other side' etc when it's clear there are some serious issues. It's not normal to be horrible and treat other people like shit and my teens went all the way through to adulthood without the awful behaviour that is portrayed as normal on here. Yes, teens are great.

I loved the teenage years
DC are now adults and still fab we are very close and I know how lucky I am

Everyone keeps saying that she'll make me pay for being such an easy child as she hits her hormones...

I actually found the pre-teen years, from around 9/10 to 13 the worst for mood swings, being angry, etc. I think that's when girls hormones seem to hit with a vengeance. After that it seems to calm down a lot.

Mine are 17 and 18. They were infuriating and unreasonable from 13-16 but are much better now.

Love my boy, love his friends. He's 18 now which is absolutely amazing. Best patch ever was 14-15. Funny and sweet and caring but also lots of change. Occasionally heartbreaking.

Totally agree. Mine are 22, 19 and 11 and the pre-teens/teen years are brilliant. Love the conversations, love seeing them become independent, love the dynamic.

Yes to this!

Of course they have their moments.. but I've found the teen years much easier and more relatable(!) then the baby/toddler/primary school years.

I actually enjoy parenting now rather than just drudging along...

Yep. I supervise quite a few teens at work (events) and on the whole they are hard working and fun to be around. I quite often wish I could tell their parents what a great job they have done bringing them up. My children are all below 10, but I'm starting to get those glimmers of being able to spend time with them having proper conversations, sharing interests and seeing the yound people they will become.