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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Terrible awful morning ds in tears both upset

23 replies

onceamai · 05/11/2010 09:18

A bit of background but I feel really at the end of my tether and very upset.

DS is 15, very bright, at one of the most academic (and most expensive) schools in the country. Very good grades, popular and sporty - everthing going for him (apart from his awful mother) Every time I speak to him I am snapped at in an insubordinate way "what" "in a minute" "ffs" "no I didn't".

Every time I ask him to do something it's in a minutes. Of particular note is his bedroom which is a complete tip. I had a week off at 1/2 term and wanted to tidy it. He had two weeks - complete refusal to help always later or not now. In fact seemed to spend entire two weeks in bedroom on computer, game station, etc.

Is asked constantly to sort out piles of clothes on chair and make sure what needs washing is in linen basket. Always an issue finding essential stuff - asked time after time to get games stuff ready night before so if something can't be found or needs washing there's time to deal with it. Never happens.

At five to eight this morning - we have to leave at 8, "where's my PE top". Is it in the cupboard I say, no. When did you last have it - if you unpacked rucksack at beginning of half term and put in wash 3 weeks ago, shoudl be in cupboard. Response is rude and insubordinate - more the tone than the words. PE top found, screwed up in heap bottom of pile on chair.

I completely lost it, yelled at him about rudeness, speaking to me like s**t, treating me like a servant, complete lack of responsbility. Never doing what is asked.

Response is "i'm still growing and I get tired and you don't understand". I completely lost it again - I'm nearly 50, work full time, bend over backwards, can't do any more and dreadfully "I don't have any of this with your sister".

Then I found that yet again, he had thrown my clothes on the bedroom floor and not picked them up (he uses my hairdryer and mirror in the morning) and I lost it again.

In the car he told me I was a bully (I had said earlier he could get the bus but relented so he wouldn't be late) and he couldn't help it - it was his personality and the only problem was that we were both the same (we are). He said he felt that I said he was useless and had ruined my life - don't think I did. I told him to buck up his ideas and that if he couldn't he could go to the local comp. because I was sick of bending over backwards and making sure he got the best of everything when he was so ungrateful.

Awful, awful morning. I feel absolutely dreadful and a completely useless parent. He got out of the car really upset. I am on the verge of talking to his tutor.

This was all over a PE shirt but I feel at the end of my tether because I simply cannot do any more and feel there is zero appreciation.

Sorry this is very long and rambling but really really upset and worried. DH works abroad Mon-Fri so I do keep a lot of balls in the air and it is hard sometimes. DH though does tend not to confront issues - that's his family's way and why his two sisters are completely non conformist, ie, have never worked, grubby, lazy, scroungers. May be a bit of I'm not having you turning out like either of those two lazy so and so's in here in case it's in his genes.

OP posts:
Eleison · 05/11/2010 09:22

I could have written every word of your post (except that my 15 yo son does go to the local comp). I'm afraid I am as lost as you are, but I hope it helps a tiny bit to know that you are not alone.

mummytime · 05/11/2010 09:25

Sounds like normal teenage behaviour. Have you tried reading "Get Out of My Life: But First Take Me and Alex Into Town"? It helped me.

Do talk to the tutor, they have probably heard it all before.

Hullygully · 05/11/2010 09:25

You are COMPLETELY in the right and he is an arse.

The only comfort to be offered is, it will pass.

What about a calm chat at some point where you explain how shit you feel, how sad and underappreciated and how damn unfair the whole thing is, and ask him how the two of you might move things forward together so both of you are happier?

onceamai · 05/11/2010 09:27

Thanks.

OP posts:
ColdComfortFarm · 05/11/2010 09:28

Good for you! The worm turned, and he didn't like it, did he? You are not his servant. Get a grip now, or he'll be giving all this 'it's my personality' crap to his future partners.
I love the fact he is calling you a bully while you are DRIVING HIM IN YOUR CAR! How teenage is that? I think at that point I would have chucked him out of the car and made him bloody walk.

brimfull · 05/11/2010 09:29

your ds is messy normal teen

irrelevant to his school or his intelligence btw

close his bedroom door

let him deal with his own washing and deal with the consequence of not doing it

Hullygully · 05/11/2010 09:29

I do think that unfortunately most teenagers lack even a shred of empathy and they have to have things explained to them over and over. Crying is good too, really gives 'em a shock. They need to understand that there are other people in the world who need to be considered. It's good for them.

scaredoflove · 05/11/2010 09:32

You need to stop being his servant

Immediately, stop doing his washing. Not another item. Tell him as he can't get it into the correct place, it is now his responsibility. Give a day or two where the washing machine will be free and tell him that is his laundry day/s

Shut the door on his room, he wants to live like a pig, let him. Shut the door so it doesn't impact on the rest of the house (I would go in and open a window every so often.

If he isn't organised for school, let him take the flack. If he is late, so be it - stop running him around. If he doesn't have correct equipment, let him get in trouble

He is 15 not 5. Give him a taste of adult life and he will appreciate you just a little bit more (prob won't tell you though)

wfrances · 05/11/2010 09:33

i ve got a 15 yr old son too,his attitude is awful but only at home,
i never put up with it ,we have time out from ps3 ,phone taken off him ect.
but as for chores and helping around the house he does his fair share.
does your son not do any housework at all?
i find if you give them chores they have more empathy for you , what exactly you do and the time it takes.

Matsikula · 05/11/2010 09:38

If it's any comfort, sounds like utterly normal behaviour. My brother and I (equally academic) were probably the same, though for some reason, not particularly messy. My mum just stopped doing any laundry for us. We soon learnt that clean school shirts and clothes for going out in don't spring out of nowhere.

onceamai · 05/11/2010 09:40

No, they don't do much except laying the table and DS does have to help with heavy stuff, ie, unloading the car after a big shop. I had to do a lot and always said I would let my dc have more of a childhood. Also because I work full time, up until this year have always had au-pairs and the downside is that they have always tidied the dc's rooms.

OP posts:
thelunar66 · 05/11/2010 09:41

You sound like a lovely mum OP.

Agree with other posters. Stop doing his washing or tidying his room. If the washing isn't in the basket, then it doesn't get washed and he wears a mucky, screwed up top for PE - his choice.

What are his peers at school like? You say it is one of the most expensive schools in the country. Is he hanging out with a bunch of very priviledged upper class types who really do have servants at home?

noteventhebestdrummer · 05/11/2010 11:25

Also, get him his own hairdryer and mirror. And a lock for your bedroom door for when he can't find them and wants to use yours!

inthesticks · 05/11/2010 13:59

Does he realise he is behaving like a spoilt brat? When you are both calm I think you need to try to explain that his attitude to you is upsetting. As others have said it is normal for teens to lack empathy.
If he goes to such a posh school he must know how to be well mannered to others and he is choosing to speak to you in a way he must know is rude.
Maybe agree a list of jobs he must do, and when, and withdraw privelidges if he doesn't do them.

Gemma10 · 05/11/2010 19:52

This morning my 15 year old daughter had a similiar tantrum because she got up late, had an exam, and her PE trousers weren't washed. She told me that the only thing in life that was stopping her becoming a barrister was me and my selfish attitude! (She wants to be a barrister when she leaves school).

usualsuspect · 05/11/2010 19:54

sounds normal..don't sweat the small stuff, oh and no need to mention the very expensive public school

onceamai · 05/11/2010 20:41

Gemma 10 she's good at arguing she might make it.

OP posts:
nottirednow · 05/11/2010 20:43

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basildonbond · 05/11/2010 21:54

I feel/share your pain ....

I could have written your post on many occasions - except ds is 13 so we have even more of this to go through Hmm - and dh is also working abroad, but we don't get him back for weekends

at least your ds is getting good grades, ds1's achievement grades are ok-ish, although hardly stellar but his effort grades are bumping along the bottom of the scale

I too hate being spoken to like I"m something he's just scraped off his shoe = and the sense of entitlement!!!

Not rising to the bait helps a bit = at least it helps my blood pressure ... biting my tongue and not raising my voice, but it doesn't always work because, hey, I'm human. I told ds last week that if dh spoke to me in the way he did, we'd have been divorced long ago ...

sadly, you are not alone

mumeeee · 05/11/2010 23:29

I agree with other posters, Messy roms are normal for teenagers just shut the door,

NotanOtter · 05/11/2010 23:39

I just read this and empathise BUT I just cannot ignore ds room as it smells!

Today I have had to clean out the whole room and wash loads of his clothes (put away dirty) and bedding (again). He washes (showers) at least once a day and I wash his clothes every day (school shirt) and still he hums. I wish I could ignore it.....I just do it quietly to prevent a scene Sad The 'lynx' stereotype is also sooo true of him

Tonight he went into town to - helpfully- get me something.He managed to loose a tenner Hmm and seemed aghast that I was cross.

I do actually give up - ds has a few aspergers 'tendancies' and I have learned he will never ever think he is wrong so it is not worth the battle. Best just to suck it up. It has been a steep learning curve for me ...

Op - i hope you feel more chilled realising just how 'not alone' you are!

edam · 05/11/2010 23:45

Love the teenage logic of telling you you are a bully while you are giving him a lift to school... and that dumping your clothes on the floor/failing to put his clothes in the linen basket are adorable personality traits that he can't possibly help. Yeah, right...

Everyone is right about shutting the bedroom door and stopping being a servant. BUT don't treat him as if he's dh's sisters. He isn't and if you are extra strict with him on their account, he might rebel all the more against you - you may create the very consequences you are trying to avoid.

cat64 · 05/11/2010 23:49

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