Are the teenage years that bad for everyone?

[Fluck]

Pondering this tonight. All mine are still in primary school and the eldest has just turned 10, I was thinking yeah I’ve had some hard times but it’s never been that hard. I keep telling myself the teenager years and going to be awful and hard but are they bad for everyone? Does secondary school / teenage really change a child so dramatically? It’s a bigger worry now my eldest is heading into Y7 soon and I feel like I’m bracing myself for the awfulness to come.

Has anyone had a relatively easy time with a teen?

16 and 14, and so far they have been 100x easier than when they were toddlers, and I was on my bloody knees😂. They still enjoy my company, we were playing card games earlier when the weather was lousy, now they are making the evening meal. I’m lucky in that they get on well.

Something happened to mine developmentally in the early teens. I'm hoping it might resolve itself by 21 but I don't recognise the person my child has become. I don't think lockdown helped.

My daughter is 16 and about to start a-levels. I had a few minor incidents with her when she was 13/14 mainly whilst she was in year 9 but she has never been in trouble at school and has been pretty much a lovely person since she went into year 10. My step son is the same age and again he had a couple of incidents at that same age but has been no bother at all. I have 2 younger ones and can tell the 10 year old will be no problem but my 5 year old is probably gonna be trouble due to his personality. So overall would say they aren’t all bad!

I've 4 children 2 have long passed the teenage years, ones out of it next year and ones just entered it... Ive thoroughly loved their teenage years,

I am having a really hard time with my almost 14 year old daughter. She's generally lovely and does well at school etc etc but we just clash. It's so sad but issues on both sides (suspect we both have ADHD for instance) I think she'd be happier elsewhere and reading this thread makes me sure I need to change my approach to parenting massively but it's so difficult to do that. Wish there some more support for parents feeling out of their depth!
Friends don't seem to have as much bother, although most of my friends have boys so not sure if that makes any difference.
There's lots of things that are easier but I feel like the teenage stage is the hardest yet - homework, drama with friends/boys, having to let go a bit. But there's lots of lovely things too when things are good so not all bad news 🙈❤️

I have teen DDS 15 & nearly 17. I’m enjoying them so much more as young adults rather than children. Teenagers can be annoying AF! No energy for anything they don’t want to do … eg.cleaning up after themselves, but can manage to stay up all night online with their friends. But they’re also really good fun and it’s amazing to have a sense of who they will be as adults. I’ve always home schooled so have spent a lot of time with my DDs daily … and it’s great to see them becoming independent & putting to use what they’ve learned.

Mine is 19, I've genuinely loved the teen years...soooo much better and more enjoyable than younger kids. They're so funny and generally witty and understand politics and world news so they're a joy to have a conversation with.

The teen years is by far my favourite age group!

Knocked for six! I even started a thread several months ago giving an example of what my teen daughter got up to. It’s been a chaotic emotional rollercoaster that I’m still white-knuckling through right at this point. Make the most of your young ones and treasure the calm sweet moments you have with them because if you have anything like what’s happening to my DD you will wish you’d not taken those carefree moments for granted. (PS I still love her to bits though!)

Sorry, only just seen this!

The older 2 used to fight like cat & dog. They were so different I didn’t think they’d ever find common ground. Then when they were late teens they started to get along. They’re now very close and have lots of
mutual friends and holiday and socialise together.