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Parenting a preteen can be a minefield. Find support here.

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Parenting a preteen can be a minefield. Find support here.

Preteens

What sort of reaction do you get when you ask your preteen to do a little job around the house?

48 replies

sicily1921 · 28/12/2013 17:47

I get the sighs (like a force 10 gale), the moans, the eye rolling, the whiny voice, the stomping about, the slamming of hands, it goes on and on....but apart from that DD 11yrs does everything very willingly.

OP posts:

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Claybury · 01/01/2014 14:31

Best way to get music practice / homework done - suggest they help with the dishes and suddenly my DC's have urgent maths revision or oboe practice etc. They know I'll let them off the clearing up if they are doing something constructive. Also it is sometimes easier just me and the Radio, instead of useless bickering kids doing a crap job ...
Yes I do realise they are being manipulative ....

sicily1921 · 30/12/2013 16:37

Please note it should have read this pile of shit as I don't usually tend to swear at the little bleeders

Finding this thread funny, so glad my DCs are the same as most!

OP posts:

sicily1921 · 30/12/2013 16:34

Does anyone else get the "stuff dumped everywhere"
It insenses me, bag clothes shoes just dumped where she takes them off and if she makes food literally EVERYTHING LEFT OUT, unwrapped with no lid, then attitude when asked to clear it up.

Ledkr this is my life!!! The amount of times I have said "kids, so what happens to bread/biscuits/cereal if it is left open to air?" or "shut that door I'm being cut in half by that draft" or the old classic "who left.....this pile of shit at the top/bottom of the stairs I just nearly broke my neck on it"

Ad infinitum

OP posts:

DollyTwat · 29/12/2013 01:03

I've told both mine what I'm going to do Fucky!
Chuck my rubbish on the floor or hide it down the sofa, bring mud in, wee on the loo seat, change the tv to my programme whenever I want, shout and scream if there's a vegetable I don't like on my plate, just take my own plate to the kitchen and run away, pick my nose and eat it, swear in front if their friends, drop my clothes where I take them off ... Can you tell I've thought about it!!

FuckyNell · 29/12/2013 00:55

I cannot wait to go round my kids houses when they move out. Literally CANNOT wait

DollyTwat · 29/12/2013 00:44

SirChenjin I will tell ds1 that you already hold te title when I'm 'ruining his life' !

I get so cross at rubbish and plates left around, for me to clear away, no-one else will will they?

Ds1 also quotes things he's done 'for me' like get dressed, washed etc like he's doing me a favour by doing them!

But the power of the Xbox confiscation or the internet being turned off is mine

willyoulistentome · 28/12/2013 21:41

Not sure I have your resolve. But I may make it a new years resolution.... and I'm going to include dh. He's a messy sod too.

MoreThanChristmasCrackers · 28/12/2013 21:31

Willyoulistentome

We have 3 dc who are 22 (barely here now) 19 (always liggin around) and dd 9.

I think it was with ds1 right from the start with picking up toys, he was so lazy though so it wasn't easy but we sort of made it the house culture, we all help out.
I am so lazy really and not giving in for a quiet life has let me be the lazy person I am today.
Seriously, I am very sad and have dedicated my life to dc almost solely, so if they need stuff from me and dh then they have to do their share.
Must admit anybody who was house proud couldn't have stood the mess our house was in when I went on strike, but it worked.
Just don't give them an inch

cece · 28/12/2013 21:30

I am also currently in possession of a rather large Nerf gun that has only recently been delivered

SirChenjin · 28/12/2013 20:54

We did that recently too! Found Kevin and Perry on Youtube and played them to the teens - they were both adamant that they were nothing like that

Knit2togtbl · 28/12/2013 20:47

We play the Kevin videos from Harry Enfield to our DCs!

Gluezilla · 28/12/2013 20:45

My DS has cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom today while I did the rest of the house - he had his laptop with him and watched various dodgy programmes but he is aware that he needs to do his share.

He sat down at about 4pm with a mince pie and announced " he needed a break "

Gluezilla · 28/12/2013 20:42

Haha cece !
You hold the cards dinner, lifts, money

wanderings · 28/12/2013 20:39

Recalling a few memories of being on the receiving end of demands requests to do things...

As a preteen I actually enjoyed doing chores per se, but I used to get very annoyed if I thought my mum asked in the wrong way; by that I mean ways she wouldn't have tolerated me asking for something. (But I used to think childhood was very unfair in many ways, and I am very glad to be an adult now!)

I hated being demanded to do things right here, right now, especially if I was doing something else. Being asked nicely was fine by me. I appreciated advance warning, although I came to dread the phrase "at some stage..."

As a kid I thought it was very unfair if "please" wasn't said when asking me to do things, after all I had to say it whenever I wanted something! Grown ups should play by their own rules!

And once when my mum was going on about housework when I was a minute out of bed, I started hoovering still in my pyjamas, without breakfast. Not a word of thanks did I hear; instead a whiny "that's a horrible way of reacting" from mum.

I was only trying to save time!

cece · 28/12/2013 20:30

He asks me how much I will pay him. I reply nothing. Then he does all of the above.

jonicomelately · 28/12/2013 20:28

Yes Ledkr It drives me fucking insane!!'

SirChenjin · 28/12/2013 20:28

Oh god yes Ledkr - I can track DD and her stuff round the house. She drives me nuts with the mess. DS1 is actually not too bad in comparison.

Ledkr · 28/12/2013 20:21

Does anyone else get the "stuff dumped everywhere"
It insenses me, bag clothes shoes just dumped where she takes them off and if she makes food literally EVERYTHING LEFT OUT, unwrapped with no lid, then attitude when asked to clear it up.
Grrrrr

jonicomelately · 28/12/2013 20:19

My DS is an absolute delight and happy to help when I ask him to empty the dishwasher or tidy his room.

I'm lying

Ledkr · 28/12/2013 20:18

the crack fox my three boys were nowhere near as reluctant as my dd is.
Even if I'm ill or recently after surgery she just couldn't give a shit.
It's not one of those battles I want to pick either as A I don't want to bring up a lazy oik and B I don't see why dh and I should do it all.

SirChenjin · 28/12/2013 20:17

Dolly tell him from me that actually I am officially the worst parent in the world according to my precious poppets.

DollyTwat · 28/12/2013 20:13

I get all of the above plus 'in a minute' and 'I will'
Sometimes in 'ruining his life' and 'the worst parent ever'

I may go on strike. I'm not sure I can bear the mess

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Gluezilla · 28/12/2013 20:11

Tsk Tsk - you are doing it wrong !
Only ask them to do chores 5 minutes before dinner or a lift they want or if they ask for money .

Amazing how willing they are ... and very quick !

MmeLindor · 28/12/2013 20:10

Mine aren't too bad, but I don't ask them to do many chores. Putting away laundry, setting table, and clearing table.

I get the sighing and the 'Why me?'. I tend to answer 'Cause I want to annoy you'. Sometimes that gets me an eyeroll, sometimes a laugh.

Skogkatter · 28/12/2013 20:07

I once went on a chore strike.

The house stayed pretty much the same- in fact, it might have got tidier! They still moan about chores too

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