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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be really annoyed with my teen?

39 replies

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:32

I was away this weekend. 17 year old DD was staying at home with a few friends stopping over to keep her company. She told me she was inviting 3 friends (girls). I said I was fine with this and OK for them to drink alcohol so long as they tidied up afterwards. My conditions were: no boys to stay over, no one in my bedroom at all (friends were to sleep in DD's bed and the spare bedroom only - plenty of room to comfortably accommodate all 4 in those rooms), and to not leave any mess.

I came home to a couple half empty beer bottles in the living room behind my toddler's toy box (good job I spotted them before toddler did!), a broken toy belonging to my toddler (cost £70 so not cheap - basically looks like it's been sat on / fallen into and it's in several pieces), and evidence of my bed having been slept in as things have been unplugged next to my bed that I know for certain I left plugged in (presumably for someone to charge their phone?), and the tap in my ensuite which was 100% fully turned off before I left yesterday morning was partly turned on and running, with a dark hair in the sink (I'm blonde). In addition to the beer bottles left in the living room, a bag next to the wheelie bin outside also contains several empty beer bottles (my daughter and her female friends do not drink beer).

I asked my daughter what they'd been drinking before I told her what I'd found - she said vodka and alcopops. I asked her who'd been drinking beer then?? She then told me "the lads" they invited. Annoyed and pointing out this was against my rule, I then pressed her further and she admitted the lads had also stayed over with the 4 girls. And there's evidence of someone having slept in my bed too, which feels really intrusive as I have no idea if this was a random teenage boy (my underwear etc was in a pile in my bedroom hence why I said no one to go in there).

On top of that all 6 teenagers are denying knowledge of the broken toy. The girls at least apologised to me for that but maintained they knew nothing about it - but the lads were less forthcoming and one of them was actually quite rude to me about it when I messaged him.

AIBU to be really upset and angry with my daughter? I'm not an overly strict mum at all, I give her a fair bit of freedom and trust. But I feel like she's just thrown that right back in my face. So disappointed.

OP posts:
Sarahzb · 05/11/2023 22:37

So, broke all the requests for having people over. Not grown up yet. Oh dear.

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:39

It won't be happening again that's for sure! She's proven to me I can't trust her. I'm upset and disappointed as I genuinely thought I could until now.

OP posts:
WhyDoIBloodyBother · 05/11/2023 22:40

Did she give you all their numbers so you could message them and tell them off?!
Yes she was bang out of order, and it’s clear she can’t be trusted, but I find it odd you contacted the other teens directly. What outcome were you expecting from that?

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:41

@WhyDoIBloodyBother

I already have the girls' numbers as I know them. I asked for the 2 lads' numbers yes, so I could get to the bottom of who had damaged my property since my daughter was denying all knowledge!

OP posts:
Maray1967 · 05/11/2023 22:42

DD needs to pay for the toy. If you give her money, deduct the amount for however long it takes to pay it.

Cas112 · 05/11/2023 22:43

You have every right to be annoyed but I think the messaging her friends is a bit far OP

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:44

A bit far when my property has been damaged and I want to find out how it's happened?? I completely disagree. Her girl friends were lovely and polite about it, apologetic even - but denied all knowledge. The lads on the other hand, completely disrespectful and couldn't care less based on their responses!

OP posts:
OfficerChurlish · 05/11/2023 22:45

Why would you think you might be unreasonable? You explained your conditions for a sleepover; whether anyone might think them too strict or not, your daughter understood and agreed to them then did things you had specifically said were not acceptable, resulting in a mess for you to deal with.

In your place, though, I wouldn't be speaking to or messaging any of the guests about the toy or anything else - that would be your daughter's responsibility to replace and if she wants to pursue any of the guests about it that's up to her.

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:45

Maray1967 · 05/11/2023 22:42

DD needs to pay for the toy. If you give her money, deduct the amount for however long it takes to pay it.

She's offered to pay for it. She has a part time job so it will come out of that money.

OP posts:
whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:46

@OfficerChurlish
It was more in the hopes one of them would tell me the truth as my daughter clearly wasn't going to!

OP posts:
commonground · 05/11/2023 22:47

Yikes, lesson learned - at least the damage sounds minimal - could have been a lot worse. Odd for you to message the other kids though - this is totally on your DD - she invited them after all. Too tempting to be left for a weekend alone...mates are always going to win out over house rules....

Cas112 · 05/11/2023 22:47

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:44

A bit far when my property has been damaged and I want to find out how it's happened?? I completely disagree. Her girl friends were lovely and polite about it, apologetic even - but denied all knowledge. The lads on the other hand, completely disrespectful and couldn't care less based on their responses!

It's your daughters responsibility OP, you hold her accountable. Make her replace the toy.

I guess the embarrassment from you messaging her friends will definitely teach her a lesson though 😂

Mangotango39 · 05/11/2023 22:48

Your issue is with your child - messaging the others is inappropriate IMO and not going to get you anywhere tbh.

Daughter pays for the toy and whatever other consequences but no need to go toy murder detective 😁

I'd be changing those sheets!

BackAgainstWall · 05/11/2023 22:48

Not that it helps you, but there’s no way I would go away and let my 17 year old DS stay home alone.

But getting back to you DD, I really emphasise, as it’s horrible when you have been so kind, to have your trust broken like that 💐

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:48

Just to be clear - I DO hold my daughter accountable. I messaged her mates directly in the hope of getting the truth out of at least one of them! Alas, they all conveniently have no clue what happened🙄

OP posts:
whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:49

BackAgainstWall · 05/11/2023 22:48

Not that it helps you, but there’s no way I would go away and let my 17 year old DS stay home alone.

But getting back to you DD, I really emphasise, as it’s horrible when you have been so kind, to have your trust broken like that 💐

Thank you!

You get where I'm coming from. I feel so hurt and betrayed.

OP posts:
TomatoSandwiches · 05/11/2023 22:50

You are well within your right to be annoyed, disappointed and have your DD to pay for a new toy.
However I would draw a line under it now and accept she isn't quite ready for this amount of freedom and also be a little bit thankful it wasn't anything worse that required a hospital visit.
I would consider this a right of passage on her way to maturing.

Maddy70 · 05/11/2023 22:52

If I was 17 I would have been shagging my brains out. 17 year olds don't care for rules put in place by parents. Yes it's disrespectful of course ot is. But you were incredibly naive thinking this wouldn't happen.

Janedoe82 · 05/11/2023 22:53

Why did you let them drink alcohol!! Did you not foresee this?!

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:53

I was trusting because my daughter is usually very sensible. I've learned the hard way now that I cannot trust her at all and she has zero respect for me 😞 so hurtful. I'd considered us close before this, genuinely feel really let down

OP posts:
Commonwasher · 05/11/2023 22:56

I would want her to replace the broken toy as one of her guests broke it. And she can clean the house, scrub the bathrooms and walk all the bottles around to the nearest recycling point. They are her guests so her responsibility.

It’s probably just peer pressure rather than wilful disobedience — if one of her friends let slip she had a free house, then the boys asked to come along too — it’s hard to be the party pooper.

I think you’re within your rights to say ‘no’ to sleepovers until she’s learned that letting her friends & their boyfriends use your bed is overstepping the mark though.

DisquietintheRanks · 05/11/2023 22:56

Honestly? You got off lightly, be grateful. My friend made a similar catastrophic lack of judgement and it cost her c 2k in damages.

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:56

Janedoe82 · 05/11/2023 22:53

Why did you let them drink alcohol!! Did you not foresee this?!

Because I'm not completely stupid - if I forbid my almost adult daughter from drinking alcohol at home with her mates I know she's going to go behind my back and do it all the more, and covertly (I know this because my own parents were incredibly strict with me and I rebelled strongly and was never honest with them about anything). So by giving her this small amount of leeway and trust bit with clear conditions attached, I was hoping she'd meet me halfway and respect my rules. Evidently I was wrong and I seem to have failed at teenage parenting. 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:58

DisquietintheRanks · 05/11/2023 22:56

Honestly? You got off lightly, be grateful. My friend made a similar catastrophic lack of judgement and it cost her c 2k in damages.

Christ alive. I suppose I should be thankful it's only £70 worth of items damaged 😳

OP posts:
Pinkpinkplonk · 05/11/2023 22:59

whyohwhyffs · 05/11/2023 22:53

I was trusting because my daughter is usually very sensible. I've learned the hard way now that I cannot trust her at all and she has zero respect for me 😞 so hurtful. I'd considered us close before this, genuinely feel really let down

Don’t let this spoil your relationship. She’s young she made a mistake. life is an endless learning curve. You’ve learnt she’s not ready for that degree of responsibility. She’s paying for the toy, she’s knows she broke your trust and needs to earn that back. Just move on now.