Miserable shopping trip

[Sparklingbrook]

14 year old DS. The trip was essential for school shirts and trousers because he has grown a stupid amount lately. Then on for some smart clothes for work experience.

So the shopping trip was all about him!

I have never witnessed so much eye rolling, tutting and moaning in my life. Asking 'when can we go home?' every 5 minutes,

Apparently I WBU to make him go in the changing rooms to try stuff on too.

Never ever again.

I hope he hasn't got any homework and I really don't want to ask.

You have my sympathy. Apparently asking him to try things on in the changing room is NOT on

I resorted to ordering a pile of stuff from Next and then forcing him to try these on before returning stuff that are the wrong size or whatever.

Don't take it too hard. My DS stopped going anywhere with me well before he was 14 and the other day I was shopping and saw a mother and teen son having coffee together and I felt quite sad as there's no way my DS would do that with me. My DS (15) saw me on the bus a few months back and although we were the only passengers he ignored me.
It's a difficult age and shopping can be annoying too. Shop online !

Thanks, It has made me quite sad. He needed the clothes so why couldn't he just make the best of it and just do it?

Miss he had to try them on as he's gone all gangly. Why can't they just accept that sometimes you have to do stuff you don't want to?

Clay didn't he even come and sit with you?

It drives me mad re the not trying things on. I often end up taking things back to exchange for a more suitable size.

One thing I found that helps with shopping trips is to go to a town that isn't your local one. I think its the embarrassment factor of being caught shopping with middle aged Mum by people from school

We were in the town where it would be most likely to see someone he knew. But that was where the uniform shop was.

There is a window of time in a teenager's life when it is Not Cool to be interested in doing or being anything. Even being cool is uncool.

On the 0-100 scale of uncoolness, showing any animation or interest in anything parents say or do is around the 98 mark - about the same rating as settling down to watch Countryfile with a nice cup of tea, or a Geography teacher's Farah polyester slacks .

You cannot win during this thankfully brief era. Don't even try. Just prod them repeatedly with the handle of a Vileda Supermop until they do the pathetically simple household task that you have requested and keep all attempts at meaningful conversation at an absolute minimum - just enough to avoid starvation or total duvet hibernation.

I have to say I think you may be right Talc. He is so uninterested in anything.

Poor people at the office where he is doing work experience. Although he will have full personality change for that and be all sweetness and light.

Talc thank you for making me despite my frustration at my 13 year old DS who has mastered the art of Not Cool whatevs

I went to link arms with him. he was not having any of it.

Sparklingbrook it's the sweetness and light for everyone else except me and DH that I find the most maddening

Measure them and order online. Just don't do it.
(Voice of bitter experience)

Yes Techno-round at other people's houses. It really is like Kevin and Perry and Mrs Patterson.

I find ordering from M&S online is easiest - then you can return whatever doesn't fit.

However, DS doesn't mind shopping with me, especially when there are clothes for him/food of his choice involved

And yes, they are horrid at home and then angelic to everyone else

We stopped for lunch. Silent it was.

You made him go into the changing room to try things on?

You must be evil!

I have a pair of school trousers which I've just sewn a name tape into, which I ordered on line, and DS has never tried on. Because he won't.

He has needed new school trainers since last august/september. He totally refused to come shopping, and in the end asked me just to bring some home. DH managed to get him to the shop yesterday, and he's gone up two sizes.

You have my sympathy Sparklingbrook. My DS is so foul to me at the moment I wouldn't dream of suggesting a shopping trip. And the last time I tried to hug him, he shrugged me off. I can't seem to do anything right.

Ah, that's OK

It is so wonderful when they emerge from the chrysalis of disinterested angst - like fresh-winged young adults that even bring you a cup of tea occasionally.

This does not extend, however, to replacing DVDs back in boxes or putting washing in the laundry basket or bringing crusty plates and cups down to the kitchen or turning off the light in the bathroom or scrubbing skiddies off the pan or not dumping your clean washing on the cellar floor so that they can tumble dry two pairs of knickers and a sock or making sure that the fridge door is closed properly or putting the tea-towel back properly instead of stuffing it down behind the bread bin.

That bit comes later. But they do talk to you and even acknowledge your existence in public.

I had this with ds1. He wouldn't even give me a peck on the cheek in the privacy of our own home for about three years. :(

Thankfully he seems to have grown out of it and has given me the odd kiss and cuddle now. He's 17 so it doesn't last forever and he did have moments of being brilliantly good company in that time. Just enough that I didn't lose hope completely.

I think I may love you, TalcandTurnips.

Silent lunch

Although I have to say that DS was mighty embarrassed by DH and I when we all went into Subway in another city and DH and I ordered subs with everything on and then made a right mess eating them
I think it was because there were loads of cool skateboarders who he will never see again DD didn't seem that bothered.

I think part of the reason DS doesn't mind going shopping with me is that he is very clothes oriented!

The irony is now DD (18) is delighted to come shopping with me. Because I have "good taste"
We used to come home empty handed in fecking tears when she was younger.

It is horrible. I love him so much, he was a little bit cuddly at Christmas but we are back to cold shoulder again now.

DS2 (my baby) is 12 this week. I will squeeze him tight on his Birthday.