The deliciousness of being a parent of teenagers

[LifeIsGoodish]

13yo dd has a couple of friends sleeping over, and all three of them ended up piled into my bed with me last night. Dd brought them through in pyjamas, saying "Mum gives the best back-scratches, and she can tickle you without even touching you!" So I had to demonstrate . Then they were showing me their favourite lolcats, and I introduced them to Maru videos, and it was all so lovely.

I woke in the night about 3.30am, and I could hear quiet chatting and giggling from dd's bedroom.

Awwww

I know it will be back to normal service by tonight: grumpy, jumpy, hormonal, but it's not all doom and gloom and there are precious moments when being a parent of teens is just delicious.

just liked your title, and I get that too sometimes . With me it was a pretend fight with my 13 year old son over a fur rabbit this morning with said rabbit joining in. There are fab times along the rollercoaster, I think with the various angst sometimes we forget to enjoy!!!

That's lovely lifeisgoodish. I'm always on here moaning about poor old DD - with good reason I think - but yeah we've had some great times with three teens over the years.

Simple things like gathering round to laugh at the cats when we bought them cat nip. Or enjoying the house full of life and energy when they bring their friends round. My two DSs are away at uni now but the house fills with life again when they return for hols.

You're right to appreciate the good times.

I currently have DS asleep cuddling me on the sofa. He is 15 , several inches taller than me and we had just been talking about him having to shave a bit more.

My 15yo doesn't want to shave - he's cultivating a goatee

Well, he's trying!

DD came in for a back rub the other night. Normally I'm not allowed in her personal space, so it was a lovely contact moment where we also watched rubbish tv and chatted about unimportant stuff.

Not sure I think it is appropriate to have visiting teenagers all in a parent's bed

Feels a bit like overstepping boundaries.

If my 13 yr old ended up in friend's parent's bed having back rubs I'd be a bit

Baby I think it all depends on context. I would be perfectly fine about it in these circumstances.

It didn't even occur to me that there could be any problem. I remember doing this sort of thing as a teen myself, both in my home and in friends' homes.

Dh OTOH stayed out of the room, precisely because of the potential for discomfort or misunderstanding. As would my dad and my friends' dads. It was recognised as 'girl-time'.

BTW, back-scratches were over clothes.