Unbelievably I am quite enjoying having teenagers

[highlighta]

I have two dc 13 and 16. At the present moment there are 6 teenagers in my living room. I am in my office which is a room in the house and I can hear every word they are saying. The other 4 kids live in the next streets to us.

There has been some fantastic negotiations regarding swopping/loaning x-box games

There has been an in depth discussion on the best popcorn flavour

There has been discussions on why their birthday is memorable, ie one is on Valentines day and one is on St Patricks day. The other 4 have boring birthdays apparently

There has not been one swear word, but every second word is that something or other sucks

And the most shocking one of all - they have all been here a couple of hours now and I offered them something to eat. Not one of them was hungry The only conclusion I can come to for that is that I must be a really awful cook

[WhoreGasm]

Must say I am much more enjoying the early teen stage than I did the toddler, pre school age.

Love the fact that when DD's friends come over they offer to make me a cup of tea (lazy) and compliment me on the new sofas. As opposed to shrieking that they want juice and then spilling it on the new sofa. They soon disappear upstairs in a thump of Ugg boots and a swish of long hair, but they're all lovely girls.

Took DD shopping at the weekend and we did some female bonding over glittery sandals and had a girly moment in Costa chatting about friends/family and shared a brownie. She's a proper person now, intelligent, insightful, with her own opinions on stuff.

Love the fact that she is now reading the same books I enjoyed at her age, and is happy to chat about them with me. She does a fine line in sarcasm and irony and she's genuinely witty and makes me laugh.

There's plenty I have got wrong in my life, but I think I got something very, very right with DD

[burnishedsilver]

I'm loving it too. They're good kids and their friends are lovely.

The eldest, who is a 6ft softie, had the worst terrible twos imaginable. There's hope yet wenglish.

[DramaAlpaca]

I loved having teens, much preferred it to the toddler stage. They are 21, 20 & 17 now, all boys. They are great fun to have around & I really enjoy their company. I like their friends too, they are a lovely bunch of young people.

[Yourfrenchiscrap]

Shame on you lovely ladies, I'm incredibly hormonal and teary and you've made me come over all wet eyed!
You must be v proud, I'm currently very much enjoying 6 and 9 year old but feeling excited about teens now. Thanks.

[Laladeepsouth]

I miss those years -- the enthusiasm, wit, and fresh take on absolutely everything.

[KatieScarlettreregged]

Oh yes, DS age 2 - 3 was tantrum central. He especially loved to do it in public, the melodrama was something to see
And the less said about DD between 13-15 the better. She is quite simply fantastic now the difference is miraculous.

[MilkThistle187]

I love nothing more than a houseful of teenagers. They eat us out of house and home but they are always so grateful for bowls of pasta and chocolate digestives. They are lovely, polite and great company. I think I prefer them to my own friends!

[TheHormonalHooker]

I loved having both my boys at home, DS1(20) is only home on random weekends now and DS2(18) is enjoying his last Summer at home before he sets off for uni. It's going to be so quiet and empty here without them.

They are both such good company, not just to us, but to each other. They've got a weekend away together planned next weekend. When they are both home they are usually found in DS2's room, playing on the PS4 until the early hours.

I've not been very well following major surgery and DS2 has been spending time just sitting on the bed chatting to me, getting me painkillers, putting the world to rights! He's even painted my toenails. Since I've been up to it, he's been taking me out for an hour or so just so I get out of the house. I think he likes driving my car!

Yesterday DS2 was outside tinkering with his car and the lady a few doors up came home with her toddler. As she got him out of the car he burst his balloon and cried saying "it banged, it banged!" . DS2 came running in saying "mum, have we got a balloon? We must have a balloon!" We didn't have a balloon, but it melted me that he just wanted to make it better for that little boy.

[BackforGood]

Definitely Wenglish - ds was a nightmare as a toddler and baby, and infant age, and junior age but he's now 19 and lovely.

I am concerned about the lack of eating though OP....

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

Oh and they are so BRIGHT. Full of ideas and enthusiasm and they haven't got world weary or cynical yet.. although they seem to be quite realistic too.

I spent a weekend at DD1's student house recently and enjoyed the conversation so much.. a bunch of medical students.. and they were so interesting and funny and it was refreshing to be amongst them.. not like most of my work colleagues who seem to moan and play top 'my minor ailment is worse than yours' trumps!

Made me wish I was 20 again, mind...!

[Sallystyle]

My 16 and 14 year old are wonderful too.

Yes, they sometimes annoy me, but no more than they did when they were younger.

The problems get bigger, but they are lovely and I see my parenting paying off every day, not that I take credit for all of it, but it is lovely to see their morals coming out and knowing that I didn't mess them up too badly

[WhoreGasm]

Medusa yes, I love the fact they are all so fresh and bubbling over with enthusiasm. It's like a breath of fresh air when you have been with jaded, dusty adults all day moaning endlessly about their aches and pains, or the price of petrol.

With DD and her friends everything is a potential adventure. They don't just stop to smell the roses. They gather up armfuls of roses to bring home and fill every room them [metaphorically speaking]

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Sooooo, has anyone got a lovely teenage daughter who used to be a difficult preteen?
I am telling myself dd is just getting it out of her system early!

[PetiteBateau]

Love this thread My little girl is only 4

[ISingSoprano]

Yup - my 17 year old dd was really hard work as a pre teen. She was 5 going on 15 - stroppy, argumentative, clingy and full of self doubt. We were dreading the teenage years but they have been a walk in the park compared with the junior school years.

[HelloNewman]

Me too - we have 2 and I think I love this bit the most of all.

We can go out and leave them! When I think back to all those interminable years of sick, shit and fevers. Nothing could persuade me to go back if I compare.

They are hilarious and brilliant company. They cook, clean, load/unload the dishwasher and strip and remake their own beds! Hallelujah. They love to spend time with us, and it's quality time - not just spent corralling them or breaking up squabbles.

Sometimes, the older one drives us nuts, but in reality I know it's because he's clever and argumentative and he is just learning not to be an arrogant twat..

I get a thrill when I unexpectedly see my eldest (he's 17) in town, for example. I think I see him though fresh eyes - he is so flipping handsome!

[dotdotdotmustdash]

My Ds was a tricky toddler, but not deliberately badly-behaved, just unfocused and later was diagnosed with ASD. My Dd was always Mummy's little helper and did everything that was ever asked of her. Neither ever had a tantrum.

Now they're both lovely people, my Ds likes staying home but my Dd is heavily involved in music and sports and I'm her taxi so she and I spend a lot of time travelling to events. I get hugs from both of them every day.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

ISing.

[stargazer2030]

Mine are lovely when there friends are here. Just when they are on their own......( well sometimes anyway).

[WhoreGasm]

DD was an easy going toddler and little girl. Little Miss Sunshine

She went through a moody, sullen few months last Autumn but I think that was just her hormones kicking in. We had a couple of slammed doors and random tears.

She still gets a bit moody for a couple of days per month but other than that she's always very bright and breezy.

[MurielWoods]

What a lovely thread. We have 4 teens and they and all of their friends are without exception, lovely, interesting and great kids.

[TopazRocks]

I like them too. I have 3 in their 20s now, and only one teen - all boys - and they are great fun to have around. Most of the time anyway!! The friends aren't bad either. And I'll let you into a secret, the eldest has just texted me to say he's coming tomorrow for a visit. I've to keep mum. The others are here already. A full house tomorrow. Yay!!

[iwantgin]

Just the one DS (17) here. He is lovely. A bit sarcastic, has v interesting topics to discuss over dinner, and keeps his room fairly tidy. He and his friends are quite nerdy - but funny.


Agree with other posters that teens are so much better than toddlers and young children.

I've got DS for another year, then he wants to be gone - and living away at uni somewhere.

I shall certainly miss him.

[highlighta]

Whoregasm There's plenty I have got wrong in my life, but I think I got something very, very right with DD

Love that!

I cannot say that either of mine were particularly difficult toddlers, although there were the tantrums and refusing to eat - I shed a few tears back then about those.....

I do also much prefer this age to the younger years if I am honest.

[SecretSquirrels]

I love my teenagers.They are gentle, kind, tolerant people who are witty and fun to be with. They are still as keen to please as when they were little and just as messy. They were very much harder work in the first 5 years than the subsequent 12/14 years.
I have loved every age and always dreaded the teenage years but I wish I had known when they were little that the teenage years would be such a pleasure. I still dread the day they fly the nest for good.