You know the phase when boys move from being LOUD and BOISTEROUS, to monosyllabic and lethargic?

[TheTeaspoonLady]

Could someone please tell me exactly when that occurs, because my 12 year old and 10 year old sons show no sign of ever toning it down!

Between about 15 and 18.

Only a few years to go then.

Except if you are trying to give advice, or are having a disagreement about something. Then they absolutely HAVE to have the last word. Because, of course, at 17 they know everything - and parents know nothing.

just in case - State boarding schools

But they do become lovely again. And they start to want to look after you - and worry if you are going to the supermarket at night, and advise you to take care, guard your purse, watch out for dodgy people etc. It is quite sweet really.

I have to say I am really looking forward to the phase where all he wants to do is sleep and lurk in his room.

Sounds rather relaxing too me, I will not be banging on his door!

oh morloth me too.

i remember my wonderful antenatal teacher who is quite East Oxford and boho saying that she had given up any attempt to regulate her sons' timetable and they just all lived nocturnally instead. I'd love that.

Never in this house (currently 15 & nearly 20) (we do get lots of last word arguments though)

Mind you DS2 did stop running everywhere when he got so big he started bouncing off the walls and furniture - that was sad, in an end of an era kind of way.

DS 12 veers between verbal diaorrhea and monosyballic grunt. He spends alot of time playing those epic games with gnomes and on the PC.

Morloth - I so agree. Then my 2 would be so much more like me.

My DS 12 has got verbal diaorrhea as well, tonight spent the whole evening singing silly songs about his guinea pig at the top of his voice[hmmm]

I can certainly relate to the comments made here!

My two DSs (12 and 13) alternate between screaming and hollering, usually at each other, or sulky silence.

DS1 is particularly good at the typcial teenage grunts, and DS2 is an expert in so-called clever answers and comments for everything that is said to him.

And of course, they both know everything, having had so much life experience - far more than mum or dad know!

sleep and lurk in rooms - bliss.

DS1 (11 just) DS2 (8) - when did you say? How long will it be?

sadly, the sleeping/lurking/nocturnal thing does not fit well with school timetables. And supreme alpha male confidence does not fit well with gcse revision. It is also worth spending some time now with dp discussing your attitude to
a) pictures of semi-naked girls on the walls of his room
b) acceptable limits for prices and quantities of trainers and hair gel, and location/storage of said items
c) personal hygiene (reasonable numbers of showers per day/year, according to personality)
d) body piercing and tattoos
e) bedrooms as territory: is his room yours or his?
f) decibels
g) money

I am sure there are more but can't face the thought this early in the morning

By the time you have had all the discussions, and got it all sorted out, they are ready to go off to university.

DS (5) always comes bouncing into our room demanding breakfast at 6-7am on a Sunday. I can't wait until all he wants to do on a Sunday morning is slouch under his duvet and wank until 12 noon before shambling downstairs for toast and grunting.

Lol UQD, you need to get him trained to switch on CBBC & get himself some cocopops.
We never tolerated the bouncing in to our room thing.

"Mummy and Daddy need to talk about important things till 10 am at weekends, so don't disturb us unless the house is on fire"

OTOH, it is very wearing when they roll in at 3am with at least ten friends (because we are near the tube/night bus) and they all have big noisy feet and very full bladders (and the loo is next door to our bedroom).

The fact that they all sleep till lunchtime is not much consolation TBH.

At about 14-15yrs -and then you wish you had loud and boisterous back!!

Or come back from university this week and all friends congregate at our house til 10 -11pm happily drinking and being 'boisterous' THEN go out and THEN come back at 3am to stay the night all with full bladders, also have loo next to our bedroom.....

Do they all come back with kebabs? There are few things more revolting than half eaten, cold kebabs next to the kettle first thing in the morning. UGH.

Couldn't agree more, do you think it ever ends??? Am exhausted today having been not able to go to bed when I want, great guffawing etc as they leave the house at 11pm, then woken at 3am when coming back in, then woken by text from DD in Australia at 6.00am (oops didn't realise time difference), then up again at 7am to get DS2 off to school.....don't mean to distress those people with younger DCs or anything......Still I do miss DD and DS1 when they are not here.

I have just come in from work, via the supermarket, looking forward to a nice quiet cup of tea. There is very loud music playing, ds1 is having his hair "professionally coloured" by a young man in a startling floral shirt. Ds1 looks like an alien with tin foil and assorted hardware all over his head. They are drinking my (expensive ground) coffee, and my kitchen sink is full of blue stuff.

I really feel as if I am getting old.

And he has an exam tomorrow and should be revising.