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Teenagers

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

Those times when you've just utterly, utterly sick of teenagers and their apathy

220 replies

DoinItForTheKids · 04/06/2018 18:12

Mine are driving me NUTS.

We've got a chores list - it's literally like pulling teeth. Have just had to repeat the instruction for the third time in 2 days for DS to empty the kitchen bin. So, he finally empties it. He puts a clean bin bag in. All going good so far. He then leaves the full bag tied up in the kitchen. I then have to ask him to come downstairs, take the bag out through the piece of architecture known as the 'front door', and place it into the wheelie bin. Done, but with much huffing and throwing of the front door keys on the hallway floor afterwards. DS never washes, he stinks, his room reeks (frankly, can't wait until he goes to Uni in September but have no idea how I'll fumigate the room and return it to a normal aroma because Febreeze ain't gonna cut it, how effective would napalm be...?).

DD 'feeling sick' so 'can't come down for dinner' and will 'eat later' and 'oh do you mind if I have the living room from 9pm as |I want to watch Love Island' - not too sick for that then... I've told her I'm sick of her 'eating later' and how can anyone feel that sick that often that they can't manage a bit of tea?!? You then can't clear up the kitchen and she goes down later, makes a massive mess whilst heating it up and then I have to sort that out the following morning. SICK of going into DDs room and not being able to open the effing door fully to get in there!!!!! Floordrobe in full swing, crap everywhere, glasses of festering milk from three days ago, rubbish bin full to overflowing - and this is at the same time as she's requesting a substantial makeover of her room including a new bed, new wardrobes and new flooring - who in their right mind would install the white laminate floor she wants when she spills things, grinds in eyeshadow and mascara, lets candle wax pool on the floor, periods all over her sheets and duvet, and just generally leaves a trail of utter devastation in her wake?

The problem is whilst I'm doing what I'm supposed to which is making them do this stuff because they damn well should do it, I'm bloody exhausted from having to drive them forward to do it all the time. The first week I did keep turning the WiFi router off until they appeared and did the chores but that affects me negatively as well as I can't then come on MN!! Angry

It's the sheer levels of energy it's taking and I'm starting to feel highly, highly aggrieved at their bloody attitude.

Oh and today, DS (18) was in all day, it's a non college day. We have a Ring doorbell. Both him and his DS have been told to get the app that goes with it, she has, I don't know if he has. So I'm at work, doorbell rings. I can't do anything about it as I know he needs a signature. So I Hangouts DS. No answer. Doorbell rings again - that'll be the other parcel due today me thinks. I message him again please answer the door. He doesn't. Both parcels taken back. When he finally responds to my Hangouts message about 30 minutes later he says "Oh I only just turned my wifi back on" - BULLSHIT!!! What teen turns their WiFi off, ever?! I said to him tonight this is just normal stuff that families do for each other you know, to help each other out, you are expected to take part in these kinds of helpful acts.

I mean, can't you just be helpful already??

Any brainwaves on ways to achieve submission cos I'm literally at the point where I'm so tired but also so fed up, that I could end up throwing the Sky hub out in the trash until they actively comply without me even having to say anything (and then I'm really stuffed!).

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DraughtyWindow · 25/06/2018 22:09

DoinIt and Ledkr yes, it was quite funny, but when the little boy next to me asked his mother what did ‘Bastard’ mean, I nearly died. No, DD wasn’t embarrassed, ponio had ploughed through the first fence, cat-leaped the second from a stand-still and ran out at the third, and so it went on. She’s a mare (as is DD) and had obviously got out the wrong side of the bed (as had DD). Both ‘in season’ too, so not a great combination in hindsight! 😂

DoinItForTheKids · 26/06/2018 05:13

Mare, say no more. How do they have this uncanny sense of what would be the exact worst moment to piss about?!

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whattheactualbleep · 26/06/2018 11:47

Sorry but wetting myself at calling the pony a bastard GrinConfused

That's the sort of thing I would have and did do when I was that age and I've turned out alright Smile
Although I do have a distinct lack of patience for rudeness and I let my mouth run away with me sometimes.
Dad always said I was unpredictable and that when I was an adult my fiesty attitude mixed with good morals and firmness would get me far but not as a teen Wink

Ledkr · 26/06/2018 22:23

Ponys are bastards to be fair as well!

DraughtyWindow · 26/06/2018 23:58

Evening all... had the saddler out this afternoon.... you can guess the rest. A new saddle will cost more than the flaming pony’s worth! 🙈
Stupid bloody hobby.
There was another incident I recall - 2 years ago now. DD attempting a dressage test. For those not horsey, you’re not allowed to click your tongue let alone speak, so when said pony started demonstrating unwanted manoeuvres, (and some of them were quite spectacular I must say), DD yells at the top of her voice from the other side of the arena, ‘Just give me my f*ing whip will you?!’ to me (whilst I was reading the test to her). I hissed the rest of the test through gritted teeth. She got 2 penalties for that. She was 13 then.

If I’d ever used offensive language I’d have got walloped! So I never did. My Mum only had to raise one finger and I’d comply. As I said, no respect whatsoever.

I’m making DD out to be a spoilt brat, but she doesn’t hassle me for the newest this or that. She has a second hand iPhone 5, doesn’t have an iPad, doesn’t have new clothes very often etc. We spend most of our spare time outside and she swims twice weekly, so plenty of fresh air and exercise.

She just says exactly what’s on her mind and doesn’t seem to have a filter. When we were under CAMHS, they said she did score quite highly for Aspergers but not enough to be labelled. I guess that’s part of it. But I’m no child psychologist and I don’t understand her a lot of the time.Confused

Ledkr · 27/06/2018 09:53

My hideous Dd went into her 7 year old sisters room at 1am and stole her fan. Waking her up in the process. She does have a slightly better fan but this is because her window opens onto a flat roof so I don't leave it open and also because the plus is a distance away from her bed. Teen has a slightly smaller fan which she has two inches from her twatty face 😡 Little Dd woke up boiling hot and distressed so we all had a disturbed night.
Needless to say teens room needed hoovering at 7.30 this morning 😜

MiniTheMinx · 27/06/2018 10:33

When my two (13 and 17) are being seemingly maladjusted, antisocial, selfish and arrogant I remind myself that I was far worse. And whilst I still don't do adulting very well I can make a reasonable go at it. Mine are apathetic I was apoplectic about life, it's injustices, inequalities and relentless boredom. It makes me sad that mine are not railling at everything, are not breaking into labs, giving out leaflets, arguing with authority, playing punk, arguing with teachers, and setting up sit ins in the school reception. They just seem apathetic and resolved to accepting this shit we call modern life.

I think teens are quite boring these days. I work with teens and whilst they are behaving badly (due to early childhood trauma) they seem mostly apathetic and depressed.

And it is depression. It boils down to the fact that we see the totalising effects of a culture that has subsumed all human drives and affects, monopolies all emotion and affect to make us consume, work, consume, work.......they are both apathetic because they sense this but also because this totalising idealogy strips people of individual will to think or do otherwise.

Lua · 27/06/2018 12:56

Thanks for this thread. Is incredibly reassuring to know I am not alone in this boat.

Had to hear from my 13y this morning, while driving him to school because he was late, that I never do anything kind..... Hmm

DraughtyWindow · 28/06/2018 16:18

Mini interesting post - I think I was more like the description of your two kiddiwinks. Which is possibly why I can’t understand my daughter’s, dare I say, ferocity. She argues about EVERYTHING. She’s always had a strong sense of right and wrong, or should I say when she feels she’s been wronged, and will not back down. There have been times when she still recounts arguments with school friends/incidents - that happened months previous. She finds it hard to let go of wrong-doings. Sometimes these are perceived, as she can’t see the others’ perspectives.

Is that a teenage thing? Or just her? I know she’s her emotional intelligence is about 2 years behind where it should be for her age - it always has been. She’s getting better, as school have agreed so, but it’s such a struggle to have any conversation without her getting ‘sweaty’ or annoyed. It’s just exhausting.

Anyone else find this?

DraughtyWindow · 28/06/2018 16:19

Mini interesting post - I think I was more like the description of your two kiddiwinks. Which is possibly why I can’t understand my daughter’s, dare I say, ferocity. She argues about EVERYTHING. She’s always had a strong sense of right and wrong, or should I say when she feels she’s been wronged, and will not back down. There have been times when she still recounts arguments with school friends/incidents - that happened months previous. She finds it hard to let go of wrong-doings. Sometimes these are perceived, as she can’t see the others’ perspectives.

Is that a teenage thing? Or just her? I know she’s her emotional intelligence is about 2 years behind where it should be for her age - it always has been. She’s getting better, as school have agreed so, but it’s such a struggle to have any conversation without her getting ‘sweaty’ or annoyed. It’s just exhausting.

Anyone else find this?

argumentativefeminist · 28/06/2018 16:28

Draughty I'm still like this at 20 Blush but I do think I have a "younger" emotional intelligence in areas of conflict and being wronged than I do in say, empathy and being caring. I dont think its unusual, especially as a teenager, but if it's really getting her down and affecting her it's never a bad idea to have a proper sit down chat with her about whether her emotions are like this because she's actually stressed/worried about something else. I find I still need a sharp "stop being such a grumpy mare" from my mum or friends sometimes because I don't realise I'm doing it, but I'm you'll have tried that and know whether it works for her or not 😂 Hope you both feel better soon.

argumentativefeminist · 28/06/2018 16:29

I've only read bits and pieces of the thread, sorry if I've missed anything important but wanted to reply since I know how she feels 😂

DoinItForTheKids · 28/06/2018 17:40

I'm 51 and I have a HUGE injustice chip in my brain! Not so much towards me though, but towards others who are victims of bullshit or inequity. I cannot STAND people being shafted for whatever reason - whether it's a lack of justice for victims, whatever, these sorts of topics absolutely incense me (I can't describe HOW much)!

It's a skill to learn the 'give no fucks' (about the things that don't mean shit at the end of the day) to be able to let things go, but then let's be honest, there are causes that you SHOULD be up in arms about. Going out on a limb here but these are a few of mine (in no particular order): Vile trans activists, the way women are treated in the world overall eg Sky Atlantic I am Evidence, UK women who are told 'No you can't have your IUD remove (WTF!!!!!!), a recent Sky Atlantic documentary about an event in 2009 about how 'educational integration' had happened in the deep south, but in that year, they had a BLACK prom and a WHITE prom - can you even BELIEVE that), rrrr literally makes me want to rage.

I think we need to be so pleased they have this strong sense of injustice, but teach them how to learn how to let go of certain things. You can't change everything at once, none of us can.

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shadypines · 28/06/2018 22:13

rainbow when my DS also 18 goes to Uni in Sept I'm literally going to have to fumigate his room. Or napalm it, one of the two. How can they bear to be smelly??

Doinit same Sad

New levels of laziness/entitlement this morning, had to walk away and go for a long walk. . . Glad I'm not alone!

Captain same Sad

shadypines · 28/06/2018 22:19

Pleased to report though that yesterday I completely lost my rag at DS 19 sassiness and stupidity (long story) and the outcome is that he's been much nicer since. How long that will last I don't know...……..!

captainoftheshipwreck · 28/06/2018 22:34

Just long enough to lull you into a false sense of security

DoinItForTheKids · 29/06/2018 07:03

Yes captain, that'll be how it goes! Still, he stopped, he listened, he changed his behaviour. At least it gives hope for his future relationships that if his other half pulls him up short on something, there's a chance he'll prick his ears up and do something positive about it. Glad you're experiencing relief Shady, even if it is only temporary.

My DD sidled up to me in the kitchen last night and rested her head on me and hugged me and said "I really love you Mum". #tearineye. Prom tonight.

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DraughtyWindow · 29/06/2018 08:14

DoinIt I hope she has a fabulous time. Smile

captainoftheshipwreck · 29/06/2018 12:25

So lovely when that happens! Smile

DoinItForTheKids · 02/07/2018 21:28

She did have a good time thanks people. Only one girl was nasty (there's always one isn't there - she's a horrid little shit by the sounds of things). She looked absolutely beautiful (DD, not this horrible girl Grin).

At the weekend I raised myself out of my housekeeping anxiety induced stupor and cleared all surfaces, tidied, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the fridge, cleaned my bathroom, cleaned the cloakroom. DS vacced the house, DD washed the laminate floors. The house was nice and tidy and clean.

Today I get home, dishwasher not un-stacked, DDs room a tip, vacuuming not done, DD had used a wooden implement meant for an entirely different purpose to wrangle some microwave-softened camembert onto a plate and left it stuck all over said implement which whilst it will remain serviceable and only cost £7, will now have a disgusting greasy cheese stain on it and about which I'm quite disproportionately angry!

I just feel utterly deflated, you know? DS especially had ALL DAY to do these chores which take a total of 8 minutes to complete whilst DD was at least having an induction day - but she still had time to do her chores regardless.

It may be that my black shiny friend Sky Hub may demand to come on another day trip with me, this time to my regular workplace.... we shall see if they've rectified things in the morning or not shan't we.

Sad and fed up. Again.

And yet the day after prom DD thanked me without any prompting for everything I'd done for her for prom...!

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