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Teenagers

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

Wanting to have your cake and eat it...

30 replies

chocoluvva · 12/02/2014 04:54

17YO DD went to her (nice) boyfriend's yesterday afternoon. She phoned home in the early evening. DH, her father answered then put her on to me at DD's request. She asked if it was ok to spend the night there. I said she had no clean clothes, make-up which she never goes out without etc, with her and things to do but she was adamant that didn't matter. (She has stayed over previously.) Recently I've told her she doesn't need to ask if she can do things as she just goes ahead and does them if I advise against it anyway, so she should take responsibility for her choices and just tell her DF and me where she is etc - she's pretty sensible.

An hour later DH remembered that a private pupil of DD had called round expecting a session with DD that DD had obviously forgotten about so I called, pupil's phone number in hand to let DD know to ring her and offered to drive DD and BF home so she'd have clean undies etc today. DD declined the offer and asked me to text her her pupil's number as that would be easier for her than her taking a note of it apparently Hmm. When I texted with the number I included a quite long message about how it's fine for her to require her BF to be as considerate with her as she is with him and stick to living the way she prefers to (ie say no to staying over if he hasn't asked her before she left home)

Just before this I'd been on DD's FB page - she added me as a friend recently for convenience when she was abroad - and looked at a photo of her BF wearing face paints (for a jokey thing). Stupidly I clicked on his name and got on to his page, on which was a very recent jokey status about him disappointing DD by telling her he was gay. Clearly a 'joke'. Even more stupidly though, when DD then texted again, to tell me she'd rearranged the tutoring session I joked about this status, thinking I was being funny.

When she got home DD said she was furious I'd been looking at BF's FB - the joke status was put up by her as a frape, 'facebook rape'and BF was offended when she showed him my texts "accusing him of not respecting her". I apologised for offending her BF and accepted her assertion that she was genuinely happy to be at BF's home without her make-up etc and attempted to explain what I'd meant in my long message (which ended 'love from mum'). DD claimed I hadn't meant my message kindly, wouldn't accept my apology and was unrepentant about showing my texts to her BF - apparently they each know the other's phone passwords.

She has previous history of stirring - reporting any uncomplimentary remarks about DH and me made by her friends/BF and once a teacher Shock back to me and enjoying me stupidly taking the bait and giving her a reaction. When DH and I told her off for letting BF see my ill-judged texts that weren't meant for him she continued to do her drama queen bit. She unfriended me and instructed her friend who yesterday made a friend request to me (!) to withdraw it! Although I'm secretly disappointed, I told DD that the unfriending was a good idea as I hadn't enjoyed seeing her drinking-game video and similar. It actually probably is a good idea - she was 'annoyed' when I failed to like their 'In a relationship' status, annoyed when I liked photos of her ....

Now DD and I are furious with each other - I want to cancel her phone contract and she apparently doesn't give two hoots for the fact I've let her Bf spend nights here (from the very first time he came over when we didn't know they were dating) been kind and welcoming, cooked nice meals, followed her instructions about not asking him any questions.... All because I looked at his FB and dared to make a joke. She also said that if I'd said it wasn't ok to stop over at the BF's she'd have been annoyed, but she'd have come home! That would have been a first and I said I'd drive them both back anyway.

Where to go from here? - I'm fed up of her stirring and expecting me to know exactly what to say/what not to say at all times.

Sorry this is so long and ridiculous but I feel so stupid, frustrated and disappointed.

OP posts:
insanityscatching · 12/02/2014 13:21

So you have impressed upon her how to keep safe and given her the confidence to make her own choices, now is the time to back off and watch the fruits of your labours become her own person.
Believe you and me I know how difficult it is not to hover but it's got to be done. My dd is 21 now and just wonderful, very independent and resourceful. She knows she can call if needed and I'll be there but she wouldn't want reminding of that.

MothratheMighty · 12/02/2014 14:02

Seconded, insanity. My DD is 23 now.
They have to live their lives without supervision in order for you to know if the advice was useful.

chocoluvva · 12/02/2014 14:09

"in order for you to know if the advice was useful" - wibble.

OP posts:
MothratheMighty · 12/02/2014 14:18

You've had wibbles about her in the past though, crossing the road without you, letting her walk home from school alone, going out with her friends, falling in love...
Next step!

chocoluvva · 12/02/2014 23:02

Thank you for providing some perspective and encouragement.

DD was tip-toing round me today - isn't sorry for showing my texts to her BF but she announced that she was "over it as soon as she woke up this morning". Bully for her then eh?

Her friend who unfriended me at DD's request has also unfriended her own mum! I think her mum and I will have to friend each other and send each other lots of stuff, which we'll laugh about in their presence, (this photo of X is so funny) exclaim about posts, take ages to do stuff, apologising because we must just finish messaging each other first, comment on how addictive FB is and claim to be sorry the dinner's not ready because we didn't notice how late it was what with spending so long on FB.

We might take to constantly texting each other too and take offence at our DD's well-meaning texts. All their jokes and comments will become offensive too. We will share our DD's texts with each other as they are so offensive they have to be seen to be believed.

Also we will snapchat each other, pulling hilarious faces while our DD's try to tell us important stuff. Then we'll say, "Soz, just snapchatting X."

But I'll probably just return to going to bed early as usual....

OP posts:
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