My mother was a tolerant woman

[Wuldric]

I have difficulty dealing with my teenage DCs. Then I think back to my own teenage years, and I recollect that my mother had to deal with the following:

1. My existentialist phase. I painted my room grey, wore nothing but black polo neck jumpers (even in the height of summer), bought a coffee machine with my pocket money, condescended to my parents, and read nothing if it wasn't by some esoteric French intellectual. I was thirteen.

1. My partying phase. I painted my room bright pink, dressed like a prostitute, kept the coffee machine going, but added a wicked sound system, condescended to my parents, and stayed out until 2am dancing. On school nights. I was sixteen.

1. My shagging around phase. I painted my room dead white, continued to dress like a prostitute, kept the coffee machine and the wicked sound system, condescended to my parents, and took any opportunity to shag random boyfriends wherever. I was seventeen and eighteen.

They seriously must have put the flags out when I left home.

Thanks for cheering me up reading this, have been at end of tether here tonight. Can relate to most of the above, most note ably the prostitution dress sense. My kids are tiny but teenage years terrify me as I was utterly hateful.

Your teens sound brilliant

Sounds similar to my teenage years. DD is only 2, but I dread those phases. I always thought I'd be a cool mum, but having recently switched from listening to Radio 1 and often catching myself looking at teenaged wondering what on earth they are wearing, I'm not so sure! In 10-12 years' time, I'll be the ancient parent who doesn't have a clue!

Have you told them this??

:)

Yep, mine were also amazingly tolerant. I also had an existentialist phase

The eco-warrior phase aged 15 where I refused to use electricity was probably the most wearing - they only put their feet down when the candles I used instead burnt a hole through the shelf.

The conceptual art phase aged 18 where I brought home 'found objects' (usually bits of piping and old hubcaps) to turn into sculptures (that still looked like bits of piping and old hubcaps, but painted red) - a shrug and a 'so long as you put some paper down first' was about as much of a reaction as it got.

Apparently one of my uncles had a dismantled car in his bedroom, so they figured they got off lightly. God alone knows what DD will end up doing..