Is it normal to get on with 13 year olds this well?

[Lifeislifenanananana]

Just wondering if i’m a bit immature..!

Dn is 13 and if i’m round at Dsis house and she’s there with her friends, we often have some great conversations. They’re funny and interesting to talk to, of course there are some points where I inwardly roll my eyes and it highlights their age, but mainly I enjoy their company and it makes a change from talk about mortgages, politics, food shopping and so on. It reminds me how my friends and I used to be in our teens and i’m quite envious, is this weird?

I hope I can feel this with my own Dd in years to come.

My 13 year old is often thoughtful, funny and impressive, when he isn’t telling fart jokes or complaining about how exhausting and difficult his life is.

Yabu.
Teenagers can be fab. Interesting, interested, curious, fun, endearing. They can also be utter, utter twats. If the only teenager I'd had much contact with was a relative, I'd assume I was the teenage whisperer too. Hopefully your own is a delight, mine was a knob for about 6 years. She has good days where I bloody love her, but don't assume you've cracked teenager just yet.

We have the same kid. He's great 😊Some of his friends are more tolerable than others. My 15yo dd is either a delight or a horror. But more delight than not, funny, sharp, insightful, silly and kind. As are her friends. I'm lucky to uave them.

I love spending time with my teens. Love to find out what they're thinking and their views on the world. They seem to enjoy my company too. Hope that never changes.

My teens are both lovely...he is more lazy and very laid back, she highly motivated and a bit ditsy, but both kind, courteous and nice to have around. Likewise their friends, all I've met are similarly friendly, chatty, polite and fun. I know that many others have challenges but I get cross when their generation are run down. I see young people who are reliable with good work ethics, social, nice natured and who look out for each other. Enjoy your DN and her friends, teenager's take on life is funny, quick, charming and often surprisingly insightful.

When he’s not being a hormonal arse, my 14 year old DS makes wonderful conversation. He’s funny, animated and happy to share his daily antics. It’s nice to be able to get on this level with him and that he trusts me enough to feel free and can open up. Nice to have that insight into their lives. I really do enjoy it.

Honestly, if I go to my partners family dos I sit with his nieces and nephews. They currently are between 20 and 23 but I’ve been doing so for 7 years. Simply because if I don’t sit with them the ‘grown ups’ bore the crap out of me talking about weather and mundane crap. The younger ones will joke and have a laugh. Same with my own children’s friends. My daughter who’s just turned 20 has some great friends I love being around.

My eldest was like this, my friends loved chatting to him, and often when we had parties / gatherings he would spend hours chatting to adults, who all enjoyed the chat. My younger two though, no chance they’d have wanted to chat to adults at that age, but my eldest was always more mature from an early age.

I work with teenagers, from 12 - 16. I think they are great, they have so many valid, thoughtful and interesting opinions. Every day I hear a new insight. I love working with teens and would never swap it for younger kids or adults. You are definitely NBU.

I have a 15 year old niece and how she’s consistently viewed the world is ace. Love hanging around with her.

As long as your not trying to be their friend rather than a responsible adult / parent, everything is fine.

When you've given birth to them, however, they tend to view you as an incredibly irritating and stupid encumbrance whose only purpose in life is to make theirs as miserable, embarrassing and unpleasant as possible. But other adults? Oh, they're great.

It improves once they've gone through this bit and are out the other side, though.

YANBU - this is the reason so many of us love the teaching part of being a teacher! I work with this age group and they are (mostly) just brilliant. Utterly hilarious, incredibly insightful much of the time and great company. Much more fun to be around than younger ones!

We have 2 children +18 yo. They were great teenagers.
We have a younger one too. Next is secondary school - but so far no issues.
I see a lot of teen girls as a girl guide leader - they are amazing.

My two DS (17 and 14) are brilliant. My elder one was hard work as a child but seemed to totally chill around 12 and has been great ever since.

I love the company of my teens! It's easy to imagine teens are like there stereotypes but lots of them are lovely

I work with teenagers from Europe/South America etc and get on brilliantly with them. We have some amazing convos and big laughs. I socialise with them maybe once/twice in six months….put it this way…..the world is in good hands with youngsters like this…….not weird to get on with teens. Glad that you do OP 😀

I’ve always preferred teenagers and pre teens (I used to work in children’s/youth TV). Often found the boys more entertaining and good fun to be with but generally I just like this age group.
Zero interest in babies and toddlers, sorry!

I work with teenagers.

don’t get me wrong they can drive me insane but equally they are really good to chat to because they are in between the child stage of seeing the world but not quite at the adult stage.

I love getting to see the world through their eyes and hope they learn as much from me as I do from them.

Very different chatting to them as a "cool aunt" than a parent.

Do be careful that you aren't cringing your niece inside out though. I knew someone who used to tell people how they were an "honorary teen" and she "was just one of them". I met the group when they were out once and the teens' body language told a totally different story. Person was totally oblivious to how embarrassing the rest of the group found them, but being a nice bunch they hadn't the heart to say.

Edited to say it was cousins not aunt/niece but about a 10year age gap.

I’ve my daughter’s company and she has an amazing set of friends that are much fun to be around.

Of course. Teenagers are human beings too, and many of them are lovely and great fun to be around. Mine included!

I always wonder what people mean when they say “I don’t like teenagers” or “toddlers are a nightmare”. They’re generalising an entire age group 🫤

Oh, I think this is another terrible generalisation. Mine ask to hang out with me (and I am not particularly cool!)

My 14 yo dd’s friends are amazing! I love a good chat with them. I get to hear all the gossip and they are funny as heck! I don’t think it’s weird at all.

My 14 year old DS is great, he’s really fun and witty to have a natter to. I’m trying to lose a bit of weight so wanted an extra walk yesterday so he came with me and made me laugh lots.
some days he can be a bit prickly too and teen boy daft but on the whole I think I’ll keep him.. his two besties are lovely too.