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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tell me about your teenager's stupid behaviour

633 replies

TeenagedTwit · 06/12/2023 04:30

16yo
Wants a job. Apparently.
Weirdly, a job hasn't fluttered into his bedroom and landed on his lap so he is most perplexed.

Picked up an application form for him from a local supermarket.
Encourage him to get a pen (no easy feat) and sit down to complete application.

20 seconds later... "What's my name?"

And that was just the beginning. I swear a 4yo would make a better employee. I fear for our future.

Note from MNHQ - we've edited the title as we had a few reports about one of the terms used there. We're sure there was no intention to offend but it was clearly upsetting a few people and we didn't want the issue to derail the thread

OP posts:
LoveableDave · 06/12/2023 19:06

Nosleepforthismum · 06/12/2023 18:27

My DH’s 18 year old employee rang DH in a right tizz after getting his first payslip demanding to know why he’d been paid way less than he should have been. After checking everything DH called employee back to say he couldn’t see what the problem was. Took a while to realise he was talking about the income tax and was horrified when DH told him everyone had to pay tax and national insurance and that it would be deducted from his pay every month. Employee huffily states “Well, I’ll just go and work somewhere else then”

My brother was the same when he first started working full time, apparently he'd never volunteered to pay it so didn't see why he should.

sueelleker · 06/12/2023 19:09

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 06/12/2023 10:56

One of DD's friends in University put her dinner in the oven and came back an hour later to find it still cold. She had no idea you actually had to turn the oven on. In her defence she had only ever used an Aga.

This vaguely reminds me of story on Reddit. A man came into a shop and wanted to buy a fridge that would also cook food, despite being told that no such thing existed. When his wife arrived and questioned him, he insisted that he'd seen her put a raw chicken in the fridge, and later take a cooked one out. She had to point out that she had actually cooked it in the interim!

Catza · 06/12/2023 19:10

MumblesParty · 06/12/2023 19:04

@Catza term dates are for the parents to sort. It’ll be in the school newsletter and on the website.

Show quote history

No newsletter or websites when I was growing up. Are you seriously telling me it is normal for a 14 year old not to know when she goes back to school after Christmas break?
How are they supposed to grow up and manage their annual leave and bank holidays if they are completely oblivious to their school
schedule?

Myfabby · 06/12/2023 19:10

AppleCrispMacchiato · 06/12/2023 19:03

Because promoting the myth that anytime you piss someone off they can just snap their fingers and get you dragged to hospital and declared mentally ill is extremely dangerous, and could lead to people not dialling 999 when necessary.

This is supposed to be a fun thread about dumb shit your teenagers have done, like exploding eggs in the microwave. Domestic disputes serious enough that the authorities removed the adult from the house isn't "dumb shit kids do", it's incredibly disturbing. (And didn't happen to the poster herself but heard about second hand.)

Sorry but I've heard "it was just a minor domestic dispute" enough times in my life to be sceptical.

Show quote history

No one is promoting any such thing.

CaveMum · 06/12/2023 19:13

Speaking of noodles, today when I poured my tea, noodles came out of the kettle! He'd had the bright idea to just stick them in the kettle rather than waiting for it to boil.

@TeenagedTwit to be fair it’s not just teenagers who do stuff like this. A few years ago the young admin assistant in our office decided the best way to make her hot chocolate was to put the milk in the kettle! Reader, it was ruined!

crackofdoom · 06/12/2023 19:18

Recently I made curry, which DS likes. I turned around to see him squirting mayonnaise on it. On being asked why, he shrieked and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door.

SignoraItaliana · 06/12/2023 19:18

I just object to the term 'moronic' which used to refer to people with learning difficulties and deep seated mental illness.

Hilarious thread though, classics, yeah!!

Original poster
TeenagedTwit · 06/12/2023 19:22

Ah bless those of you who responded in the spirit of the thread. And may our teenagers eventually emerge like butterflies from their cocoons, knowing their own names and how to turn on the lights.

OP posts:
Antiopa12 · 06/12/2023 19:22

It was DD ‘s 16th birthday and she wanted to take the train with her friend to go shopping in our nearby county town. Why not I thought she needs to experience independent travel. Later that evening I was wondering why they had not returned home yet. I got a call from her to say that they were at a station at the end of the line almost a hundred miles away. They had not realised that on the return journey they should have crossed over to the other platform to catch the train home

SequentialAnalyst · 06/12/2023 19:24

SignoraItaliana · 06/12/2023 19:18

I just object to the term 'moronic' which used to refer to people with learning difficulties and deep seated mental illness.

Hilarious thread though, classics, yeah!!

The term "moron" was at one time a label for a particular degree of learning difficulty. As usual, such terms migrated into everyday language, to replace the derogatory terms they were originally introduced to avoid.

It has never referred to mental illness.

fingerguns · 06/12/2023 19:27

I've only got toddlers, so here's something I did as a 19yo...

Tried to wash the windows with vinegar, except I used Balsamic vinegar.

EnoughPlayingNice · 06/12/2023 19:28

Zanatdy · 06/12/2023 13:25

Few years ago now, DS probably 14, wants a door bar (where you lift yourself up on the doorframe bar for exercise). He selects one, when we open after Christmas I said we can’t use this as renting and needs drilling in, I’ll exchange it. Can’t we use blutack was his response? Coming from the kid who got 9x9’s and 3 x A*’s. Book smart I call him, world smart he is not!!

One of my flatmates (2nd year of a science degree) attempted to fix all broken items with blutack.

The blutaked-on bolt on the bathroom door was obviously a spectacular fail, but the bluetacked blade on the flymo was the pinnacle.

AppleCrispMacchiato · 06/12/2023 19:30

fingerguns · 06/12/2023 19:27

I've only got toddlers, so here's something I did as a 19yo...

Tried to wash the windows with vinegar, except I used Balsamic vinegar.

I tried to descale the bathroom of my first bedsit by using copious amounts of Sarson's Malt Vinegar instead of white vinegar. Worked great, but entire bathroom smelled like a chippie for weeks.

Purplebunnie · 06/12/2023 19:30

LoveableDave · 06/12/2023 15:07

We used to see signs on empty hoardings Bill Posters will be prosecuted, we all felt Bill Posters was being persecuted.

Show quote history

I do remember seeing somewhere "Bill Posters is innocent". Can't remember if was on the actually notice saying Bill Posters will be prosecuted or if it was general graffiti. Still makes me laugh

Couldyounot · 06/12/2023 19:30

Almondmum · 06/12/2023 09:41

My son likes to answer either/or question with a yes or no.

So for example we text to ask 'are you finishing school early today or staying all day?'. He'll reply 'no'.

Very helpful.

We too have had to have the conversation about how questions containing the word "or" cannot be answered with yes or no. Several times.

Wiccan · 06/12/2023 19:30

AppleCrispMacchiato · 06/12/2023 19:03

Because promoting the myth that anytime you piss someone off they can just snap their fingers and get you dragged to hospital and declared mentally ill is extremely dangerous, and could lead to people not dialling 999 when necessary.

This is supposed to be a fun thread about dumb shit your teenagers have done, like exploding eggs in the microwave. Domestic disputes serious enough that the authorities removed the adult from the house isn't "dumb shit kids do", it's incredibly disturbing. (And didn't happen to the poster herself but heard about second hand.)

Sorry but I've heard "it was just a minor domestic dispute" enough times in my life to be sceptical.

Show quote history

So how exactly how is that my problem , have a go at the person who posted it . FFS some of you are so angry on MN . Fucking gatekeepers !! .

itsgettingweird · 06/12/2023 19:40

turkeyboots · 06/12/2023 09:07

I asked DS where his coat was this morning. He replied "Its Wednesday?" and walked out the door to school.
He must be waterproof on Wednesdays.

😂😂

BobDylansMasterpiece · 06/12/2023 19:42

Catza · 06/12/2023 08:34

I once worked with someone who told their daughter off for not helping with cleaning. The daughter (16) got upset and rang her friend. Friend helpfully suggested she rings an ambulance and says mum is crazy. Ambulance came out and as the woman was in some shock and distress over the situation, they “processed her” as having MH crisis and took her to the hospital. Psychiatry liaison assessed her and the moron put in her records “doesn’t have insight into her condition”, discharged her home with home crisis team support. Visiting nurses at the very first visit could clearly see she had no MH condition but the service psychiatrist wouldn’t discharge her because of the “no insight” comment. It took a week to reason with him that she couldn’t possibly have an insight into a condition she doesn’t have.

Show quote history

Was it a friend of a friend?

itsgettingweird · 06/12/2023 19:42

Almondmum · 06/12/2023 09:41

My son likes to answer either/or question with a yes or no.

So for example we text to ask 'are you finishing school early today or staying all day?'. He'll reply 'no'.

Very helpful.

Mine does this 🤣

"Are you working at home today or in the office"

"Yes"

BobDylansMasterpiece · 06/12/2023 19:43

Catza · 06/12/2023 08:24

I’m so relieved that’s not just us!
Not knowing when the school term starts (I genuinely don’t think my parents once received any information from the school in my entire secondary education, yet we are now solely in charge of school term times, starting times, what to bring etc. Apparently, all they need to do is being turfed out of the car on time - no other responsibilities)
Genuine surprise that there are instructions on a pot of noodles that she eats with relative regularity. Needs help to boil a kettle and pour water in in case she “does it wrong”
Despite being told where the bin bags are still wants her dad to go downstairs to help her find them.
When she has some rubbish to get rid of - “where should I put this?” Every single day.

That's weaponised incompetence. If I do it badly long enough, someone else will do it

sueelleker · 06/12/2023 19:45

LoveableDave · 06/12/2023 15:07

We used to see signs on empty hoardings Bill Posters will be prosecuted, we all felt Bill Posters was being persecuted.

Show quote history

We used to say "Bill Posters is innocent!".

housethatbuiltme · 06/12/2023 19:47

As someone with learning disabilities I would like to state I do not find the word 'Moron' offensive as a 'disabled person'.

Its meant to be derogatory in general (same way Oaf, Idiot, Simpleton or Nincompoop are) but I have never known ANYONE to use it specifically to mean 'disabled'.

These words all just mean 'lacking knowledge', if you hear them and instantly think/assume 'learning difficulties' thats say more about your thought process than the word.

For my multiple developmental issues and learning difficulties I am in fact actually quite intelligent and even hold a degree in a medical field so 'moron' does NOT link to my 'disabilities' at all, I know many things.

However if you asked me how to do something I have no concept of and didn't help my pathetic attempt would appear 'moronic' regardless of if I was disabled or not. You know like fish climbing trees.

Goatymum · 06/12/2023 19:53

BearSoFair · 06/12/2023 14:53

Similar here! "Do I put mother or son? Because you're my mother but I'm your son!" I can see his thought process to be fair

Show quote history

To be fair I have to enter relationship statuses at work sometimes and I always have to check - am I putting the relationship status of the (dead) person or their relative!

willowtalk · 06/12/2023 19:54

ohdamnitjanet · 06/12/2023 17:47

@willowtalk well good for you, controlling your children when they aren’t at home. Ban what you like - they won’t give a stuff about your rules when they’re with their mates.

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We’ve only supported friendships that are good influences.

everything else is kicked to the curb

sweatervest · 06/12/2023 19:54

a 21yo didn't know that you had to pick up the landline phone before your dialled

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