So is it normal for a teenager to just grunt or blank you?

[ComeScareWithMe]

He is 13 one minute he is hugging me and the next he hates me and is ranting or blaking me.

Spending most of the time in his room and just generally been an awkward pita.

Have no advice but watching with interest

Totally normal.

I came on to the teenage section to basically post the same thing! It has driven me CRAZY today to say...:"DD, DD, DD, DD, DD." And to get no answer. Even when we are the only two people in the room.

Then she looks at me as if I'm the PITA when I finally get her attention.

I think it is definitely normal and it is a phase but it is still bloody annoying!

In mine, the chatting gene has overriden the blanking gene.

Sometimes I long for a bit of quiet!

But they're probably wonderful to everyone else - it's just family who get the bad behaviour in my experience!

I can recommend 'Blame My Brain' by Nicola Morgan. It's aimed more at the kids but it's helpful for parents as well. It's all about why the changes in the brain at this stage turn them into uncommunicative, bad-tempered beasts for a few years.

For instance, one technique recommended in the book is to get them to take up 'safe' risk-taking activities, so we've starting climbing together.

Totally normal - I say this because all my friends moan about this. My 3 neuro typical DSs don't seem to go through this phase & I wonder if it's because DS2 has ASD, SLD & a speech & language disorder. He has been non-verbal most of his life, but at around age 15, (he's 17 this week) he started saying "yuh" & "nuh" in context. I'm guessing the others didn't see much mileage in deliberately limiting ones communication options!

comescare i would say you're lucky to get the odd hug - mine stopped all that malarkey years ago (is also 13)...

Mine is generally shut in his room, only to be seen when he wanders through the hallway either on the way to the fridge or the loo. Any attempts to start a conversation are greeted with an 'urrrrrrh'. This all changes at the weekend, when he becomes sociable, friendly and a joy to be around. He has worked out that the more friendly he is to me & DH at the weekends, the longer he is allowed to stay up and watch late night tv with us....

Come Monday it's back to grunting again.