Do your teenagers ignore you when you call them?

[silver73]

My teenagers will not respond to pleasant calls from downstairs for things like coming down for dinner, collect stuff bought for them etc. We know they can hear from their rooms as they are relaxing... We have to go to their rooms and ask each one individually. DH has just had to bellow DS name from downstairs and still no response....

Mine are not allowed anything that goes bleep in their bedrooms, that means they're far less likely to spend the whole day vegetating in there. We're lucky enough to have a room available downstairs for computer, tv etc.

Of course not. I mean, often they will not hear because of whatever they are listening to / doing, so we do try to make sure they have acknowledged us so we know they've heard. I think if they were choosing not to come down for a meal for example, then they would soon find they weren't kept for them.

it's a power trip for them to pretend not to hear you!

I only call up the stairs once, so no response means no meal, that's a very effective tool.
As far as collecting stuff goes we had a similar rule, if no response then you wait until they are just about to do something they really want to do and get them to do it then "oh by the way, before you settle down to X/Y/Z, you have to sort your laundry and put it all away, I did call you earlier, but you did not reply" all in a very easy pleasant level tone.

we also have the no electronics in bedrooms rule so that does mean they tend to malinger downstairs, so less shouting!

Mine is very good at replying if she hears, but she often has head phones on.
Music occasionally, iPlayer or audio books mostly.

One aren't teenagers but I call them twice and then call the dog if they don't reply. Funnily they come running when I call the dog

If "Dinner's up" elicits no audible reply I bellow angrily up the stairs. Sometimes they indignantly claim they did reply but I didn't hear it.

No, mine ether call down or come downstairs when I call them.

However, if DS is sitting on the sofa playing a video game he (and one of his otherwise-very-nice mates) are less likely to reply. But they're getting better as they know it drives me mad.

Mmm, I sometimes have to shout them once or twice if it's just a question or whatever but dinner? There's a stampede!

Seriously, twice and no response- I'm not shouting again, of they want it, they can come themselves.

I have a tweenager who ignores me when I talk to her in the same room which annoys the hell out of me. My DS isnt much better but I am just getting used to it, not raising to the bait and am pretty much treating them the same way they are treating me.

I am currently turning my bedroom into a one person padded cell with my very own huggable coat

I think they will ignore you only if you don't dish out some form of punishment such as taking away phone/computer/something that they would miss.

If they are upstairs relaxing then them being asked to do something is like being asked to take a cold shower, they'd rather not unless forced.

If it was my child, they would be banned from relaxing in their room unless they were to agree to doing as I asked. Being ignored is rude, I would suggest doing it back to them when they are asking for money/lift to see how they like it when it is something for them. I would only do it once, not as a permanent thing, after all we are the adults

I get this too, they either claim they didn't hear or that I obviously didn't hear their reply. As I can't prove either, I just let it go, there are bigger battles to have.

My teenager doesn't hear me calling his name many times but can hear me opening crisps packets really well.

I'm so glad it's not just me! I've resorted to texting DD in her bedroom sometimes. If nothing else it makes her laugh.

i bought a plug in doorbell for dd1 and stuck the button on the wall in the kitchen and marked it "maid" usually its for dinner but i also ring her to hang up her washing take the dog out etc, saves you shouting. If she ignores her bell she is in BIG trouble, she has to come down within 2 minutes or bollocking ensues, it was about 7 quid off ebay worth every penny

Loving all the 'bellowing' that's going on as I thought it was only me doing it!!!

I call Ds's art of ignoring me 'selective hearing' as he hears what he wants to hear. I'm absolutely loving the idea of a bell for Ds though

this is similar for a tenner

I made a rule when dd was small that if I call she HAS to come, muttered replies & non appearance used to cause me to tear up the stairs (wooden so noisy & effectively scary) & I'd give her a talking to.

She still has the habit of coming when i call, backed up by the possibility that the call means there's grub!

Thanks omf :)

Mine is usually plugged into her Ipod so I end up tweeting her as it interrupts her music.......

I do 'bellow' up the stairs before I realise she can't hear me (when I cotton onto the fact that she's dancing in her bedroom) and sometimes think the neighbours must think that she is deaf..... I now tell her, when she is disappearing up the stairs, that dinner will be at xx time and expect her to come down for it and as I've told her 5 or 10 minutes before the true time she can do all the 'little' jobs I've saved up for her

i bang a broom on the ceiling