Top things your teenager boys do that annoy you

[Pythianlegumes]

Just as the title says. I am writing a comedy about teenage boys, and a lot of the audience will be parents. I am aware of many of boy's shortcomings, but list your top ones in case I have left some out.

Mumtomoley - I promise you, there are plenty of loveable things about teenage boys. My favourite is the way that, even though they are all taller than me, they still need cuddles with their mum. Then there's the way ds1 will rub my back when I'm stressed (or have spent too much time on mumsnet ). Or the fact that there are now 4 people in the house who can reach things off high shelves for me. And how polite and nice their friends are when they come to visit. And of course the huge sense of pride I get when they achieve things - like good results at school (and seeing their pride too, though they are too cool to make too much of a big deal about it of course, which is also rather endearing).

Ds (18) spends an HOUR, a frigging hour, in the shower, what he can be doing in there for a sodding hour, I don't know. And the half a can of Lynx under each arm thing drives me mad..... when DO they grow out of that?

Oh and if it's in the house, he presumes that it's his too, that goes for food, earphones, any CD that he fancies a listen to that isn't tied down.

ginganinja, don't ask ....

@ boff - yes the re-discovery of a treasured play thing resulting in long spells in the bathroom or tissues or socks on the floor

at DS's stinking of Lynx. I have to tell almost 16 yo ds to have a shower and brush his teeth every sodding day! (Coupled with change your clothes, hang your clothes up, clear your floor etc etc).

Oooh my first message - how exciting!

Now where to start:

Being taller than me and patting me on the head everytime he walks by.

Sensing through some strange teenage hormone when there are biscuits in the house, eating the lot and then putting the empty packet back in the cupboard.

Leaving clothes, wet towels and sports gear all over his bedroom floor.

Filling all his pockets with empty sweet wrappers, tissues etc. so my washing machine rattles every time it runs.

And, worst of all, finding my expensive treat shower gel and using three quarters of it in one shower!

But he does reach things down from high shelves and makes a lovely cup of tea so I still love him! :)

All of the above plus:
Doesn't answer your texts / calls; phone always goes to voicemail
But answers calls from others/ texts / BBMs back when in the middle of meal / conversation with you
Need to print something for college 2 minutes before having to leave for said college and it's YOUR FAULT when he is then late

I think there is some comfort in knowing that they are all as bad as each other! :)

there's something quite sweet about it all - she says in denial because her DS is only three - and I can't wait to get big six foot plus cuddles off my DS...secretly wishing impending DD was a boy, much more terrifying prospect

Why are they so tall?
Wet towels on bed daily. Grrr.
Mumble mumble mumble.
Emailing/texting me rather than walking down the stairs.
Will not go to bed, can't wake up for school; unable to spot the correlation.
Everything that's been said already.

Wouldn't change them for the world, though. DD much harder work, aged 9.

Breaks everything!

But

Rescues me from the spiders!

Strips off down to boxers as soon as he walks in the door.
Leaves the clothes in a trail.
Later when he gets cold, instead of putting on clothes he traipses about with a blanket or duvet wrapped around him.
They both do this. They never wear clothes in the house, apart from pants and even that is only in deference to me I think. If I wasn't here they'd strut about naked.

I agree with everything everyone else has said.

And what is it with the word 'basically' mine uses it in every sentence!

YY to basically and peppering sentences with "like, so" - something can't be boring, it is "like, so boring"

Drink all dh's Jamesons while we're away for a week then when I find the empty bottle under his bed, say he must have drunk it by accident . He did replace it though.

My son constantly leaves EVERYTHING to the last minute, leaves the house 10 minutes before college starts (its 15 minutes away) and insists he's never late! Opens the fridge and always leaves the door open, never lifts the toilet seat, so it's always got dribbles of wee on it, wet towels on bed, dirty clothes all over the floor, BIG trainers in front of door so everyone trips up, but he is a lovely kid most of the time and now I know he is not unique I feel great, other mums and dads are experiencing the same, whew, glad it's not forever and I know when he goes off to uni I'll wish he was back.

Agree completely with EVERYTHING so far, but can't believe the classic bad habit - 'a complete inability to flush toilet' has been missed so far......a constant battle in my house and one that I've yet to resolve!!

I love teenage boys - I have a teenage girl, but she is friends with a lot of boys, and I love it when they come round the house. The take up so much space, the big lurches.

My best friend also has 3 boys 2 years apart, I used to love the general atmosphere of her house when they were teens, always great big half asleep boys lummocking around, massive trainers everywhere, toaster constantly on. Bless them.

If it is any consolation the bathroom hogging, nightmare bedroom, food hogging and mumbling is the domain of teenage girls as well imo.

DS1 is only 12 but some of these are familiar already sadly. The not flushing the toilet one drives me insane. Also throwing worn socks under the settee and leaving pants inside his trousers when he takes them off. Why????

still breathing.....I have 4 boys, 8,11, and two 13 year olds.

Now lets see, their inability to put their clothes/books/toys/papers/school bags/shoes away........but they are able to "bung" them under the bed, under the cupboard, on top of the cupboard (its actually easier to put the clothes in the drawer)

Dirty pants and socks shoved behind books on bookshelves (laundry basket is located next to their bedroom door, it would take less effort to place dirty clothes in basket)

Lying to your face..Stealing sweets from you and then denying it regardless of the fact that you have found wrappers under their pillows.

Not cleaning their teeth/hair/bodies....what is the point of standing with your foot in the bath for 10 mins then saying you have had a bath.

An "odd sock" bag fit to burst with hey matching socks in it, then they argue over the last pair of socks.

Bickering....for goodness sake have you listened to yourselves, it is frankly quite boring!

But mostly the not seeming to give a damn about stepping on and breaking things, their things, beloved Dr Who and Star Wars stuff, they just don't seem to care, When I was their age I would of been gutted if I broke one of my toys.

This term I am mostly stripping their rooms of their toys whilst they are at their nans and slimming down on their clothes, so when they run out of clean clothes if they haven't put it in the wash, then they will just have to wear the dirty ones.

Oh I forgot the bickering daiseyfleur. Don't know how-it's constant. Over who sits where on the sofa or who sits in the front of the car and other trivial nonsense. They are basically big toddlers!

Spends forever in the shower - goes through shampoo and body wash like there's no tomorrow!
Spends ages doing his hair - he's 'borrowed' my hairdryer and straighteners for the past year.
Has 'borrowed' my weights, and uses them in the living room, but only in his boxers as he doesn't want to stretch his clothes!
Eats loads - is 6 foot and weighs 10 stone after weight training for the past 6 months. Weight trains every day, 1/2 hr per day.
Wears stupid canvas cheap trainers in summer which stink so bad I have to put them in a carrier bag and he has to go and wash his feet as I won't let him walk on the carpet and make it smell.
Never answers his mobile when I ring - always appears to be somewhere where there isn't a signal!!!
Walks round the house with his MP3 and headphones on.
Leaves empty cans of deodorant and body spray in the bedroom, and other rubbish which just piles up till you can hardly walk across the floor!
Spends all his allowance within a couple of days on t-shirts and aftershave despite needing a winter coat.
Only ever phoning me when he needs something ie money or a lift.
Acting surprised when I tell him the school has phoned 'cos he's not handed in his (physics/English/French) homework, being late 5 times in a week (out of am and pm registration), despite telling me he'd got to school on time.
Leaving his PE kit in the carrier bag all week then complaining he hasn't got clean kit.

I could go on ad infinitum, however he does have some good points.

He gets on really well with his little brother (9) - never argues with him, looks after him in the school holidays.
Cooks tea once a week.
Feeds the rabbits and guinea pigs every day.
Still gives me hugs.

Do the good points outweigh the bad or vice versa? Depends on what day of the week it is!

Brilliant! Haven't stopped laughing.