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Teenagers

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

How to deal with teenage entitlement?

83 replies

LDreads · 07/12/2020 21:35

I have a 13YO daughter, she has in this last year become lazy, rude and extremely entitled. She is spoilt by other family members and I’ve attempted to have conversations with them about how this makes it very hard for me when she’s at home, mostly because she has no incentive to ‘work’ (each day she must do 1 chore, keep her room tidy and all homework to have her phone and an allowance of £25 per month that I pay directly into her bank, she stays at Dads twice a week and also receives £10 per week for chores done, although I think this is too much for a couple chores!) because she does not want for anything. We are arguing every single day she’s here (goes to Dads 2x a week). I am going to have another conversation with Dad to see if we can really get on the same page, I know teenagers are a pain in the butt but the one thing I can’t cope with is the sense of entitlement! I’ve always said she should get a Saturday job when she’s 13 to earn her own money and she’s always thought it was a great idea. I found her a job in a small local cafe. She now tells me that none of her friends work and it’s so embarrassing that she would have to work in a cafe and not go out with her friends. I asked her how she is going to afford to go out all the time with the allowance she gets and she said she didn’t care about the money she has everything she wants Confused. I lost my head and said that she should be so lucky to be given an opportunity to earn something for herself, and how dare she think that she’s above working in a cafe. She also tells me her friends are never made to do any chores. My response is always the same, I’m not your friends Mum I’m your mum and this is how we do it in our house.
I’m not the calmest of people in the best of times and having a teenager is teaching me that picking your battles is always wise. But I’m at a loose end, even with chores it takes me longer to nag her to do them than if I just did the chore myself. She has 2 younger sisters and always seems to think they’ve got it easier than her (hard done by attitude) I often remind her she didn’t even tidy her own bedroom until her first sister was born. Since her sisters came along, she’s always done chores, always had an amazing work ethic and been happy to get stuck in and get stuff done. In our house the general rule is, if something needs doing and your not doing anything - then get it done as we’re a large family and we work long hours.

The sense of entitlement has only been around since being in secondary school and her comparing herself to friends who apparently are extremely spoilt always have money given to them and never do chores.

So please mums of the net, tell me how you dealt with your entitled teenager and what did and didn’t work!?
(in other words PLEASE HELP ME!!!) Blush

OP posts:
AuntyCandthefishfingersandwich · 07/12/2020 21:45

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LDreads · 07/12/2020 21:49

Thank you for your helpful comment. I’ll be sure to take your kind words into account. Wink

But for those who want to help, I’m open to everyone’s insights / criticisms / opinions - as you may be able to tell, she is my first teenager!

And she’s not a bad egg at all, I just don’t want her to end up like a dreaded entitled millennial that we’re always hearing about Grin

OP posts:
Santaisironingwrappingpaper · 07/12/2020 21:56

Our teens have their Wi-Fi removable via an app on our phones... Cash only payable after chores in hand not bank. Bedroom a tip? No friends round (pre Covid). Want a sleepover? Room spotless, earn pizza money. Chores? Do them or no lifts.
Ime I would not assume ex will back you up. Also ime he will enjoy deliberately not doing so.

Diddlysquatty · 07/12/2020 21:57

Gosh maybe I’m out of touch but 13 seems you’ve got a saturday job!

Diddlysquatty · 07/12/2020 21:57

*seems young

halcyondays · 07/12/2020 22:00

Surprised that a cafe would employ a 13 year old. I don’t think many have a part time job at this age.

LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:01

WiFi removable via an app!? Fantastic idea! Where do I find this please? Although she has an unlimited contract as it was a cheap deal so it may not solve.
Her Dad is pretty good usually tbf however him and his partner are very ‘flashy’ if that makes sense (amazing house / cars etc) and although we do okay we prefer to invest long term etc and not spend on material things. She has said before she is embarrassed to bring her friends home in comparison to Dads because their house is a lot more luxury - now I’m not knocking them for that how they choose to spend their money is none of my business. However I don’t think she realises how hard they have and do work to get all those lovely things

OP posts:
LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:03

Perhaps my and my friends were different, but at 13 we all had Saturday jobs or a paper round. In the local shop / cafe and sweeping up hair etc... we wanted the money cause our parents didn’t give us it Grin

OP posts:
Tenyearsgone · 07/12/2020 22:06

I don't think she's entitled. I think you are too hard on her expecting a 13 year old to work on a Saturday.

Santaisironingwrappingpaper · 07/12/2020 22:10

Virgin Media provide this sly positive behaviour boot up the arse tool...
Alternative one is to remove phone charger. Nowt as devastating as a teen face with diminishing phone battery life...

LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:10

Yes, a part of me wonders if I’m being too hard. It’s really difficult trying to get the balance of attempting to raise them into hardworking responsible adults and loading them up too much that they eventually rebel and go the other way.

I don’t want to push her away I just want her to be a good human being that leaves the world a better place than when she came

OP posts:
LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:11

We’ve just switched to virgin for our new house I will definitely look into this, thank you! No mobile network can beat those speeds for multi use internet like a teenager needs!

OP posts:
OneRingToRuleThemAll · 07/12/2020 22:12

My DD is 12 and gets £10 a week. She doesn't have to do anything for it, and I'm very aware that it doesn't go far. This is the age where they like to meet up with friends. A smoothie in the coffee shop or a McDonalds will be half of it and a little treat. I think £25/mth (unless it's all you can afford) is stingy.

LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:14

Ahhh yes but this was taking into account the £10 a week she also receives from Dad, so it’s more like £17.50 a week all in

OP posts:
LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:15

WAIT my maths is totally wrong!! Ffs £16.25 a week or £65 a month is the total she gets

OP posts:
Seeline · 07/12/2020 22:17

Mine are past that age and not a single one of their friends had a Saturday job. Few even had one at 16. School work is so demanding and if they are going to have any extracurricular activities, it's hard to fit in a job as well.

What chores is she having?

KarenMarlow3 · 07/12/2020 22:22

I think 13 is too young to expect her to earn her own money. She should be concentrating on her schoolwork, in order to pass her exams so that she can have a good career and earn money in the future.
Yes, she should do some chores such as loading the dishwasher, keeping her room reasonably tidy, but she should have a decent amount of money from you. It will be hard for her if she is being treated differently from her friends.
I had a Saturday job but I was about 16.

littleblackno · 07/12/2020 22:23

All us oldies (im 44!) Had jobs at 13 but nowadays it really is unusual for 13year olds to have jobs. Employment laws have changed so much that its really difficult to employ them.

That aside i have two teens so feel your pain. Im not sure i have an answer but stick to your guns and be clear on the boundaries and expectations you have for your house.
I agree with PP who said you may not get far with her dad - but still worth a conversation.

BeSureToDrinkYourOvaltine · 07/12/2020 22:23

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the request of the OP.

LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:24

Maybe I’m really old fashioned? I don’t hear of it much these days. But I do think the current generation is lazy is comparison to last.(I’m sure every generation thinks this though) But I’m also only in my late 20’s myself so it’s wasn’t that long ago that I was that age and I remember it well.
She use to do Dance and stage school 3 times a week, but that stopped when secondary school started.

Chores are generally like load the dishwasher after dinner and wipe the sides. Or give the front room a quick wipe down / put a wash on. nothing that ever takes more than 10-15 mins. (When she eventually does it haha)

OP posts:
SendHelp30 · 07/12/2020 22:26

Sorry OP but I think you’re being extremely harsh on her. How many chores does she have and what are they? It’s likely she feels resentful if, as you stated yourself, she only started being made to do chores once you had more children.
I also think she is far, far too young to be working! Is it even legal to employ a 13 year old?

Savoretti · 07/12/2020 22:28

£65 a month at 13!!! I think that’s loads. They can’t go anywhere or do much at the moment so unless she has to buy her own clothes she must have plenty of money

Tomorrowistomorrow · 07/12/2020 22:29

Mine is the same age. No money per month. None and chores. No spending money. I asked if they wanted to do jobs and have an allowance or have their phone paid for and do jobs in exchange. They chose to do jobs.

I must be really harsh. I consider the 2 hours a day that they do homework -their work. They do 3/4 large jobs a week -eg laundry, bed changing, bins emptied in exchange for phone which is iphone £25 a month & netflix. They don't get any cash. But I do pay if they want to go to the cinema with a friend etc. That's not earnt -just gifted. But if they were rude -it would be a no.

LDreads · 07/12/2020 22:30

We use to have go Henry but I didn’t want to pay the monthly fee so she has a debit card account. Which also means Dad can pay in etc and doesn’t have to send me the money first.
I tried exactly what you said with only paying for chores done etc but then she’d go to her dads do a quick couple chores and get £10 so rightly so in her mind, why would she do 5 chores for less than 2 (work smarter not harder right you’ve got to commend her for that thought process at 12!)

Maybe I should see if between me and dad we could maybe set an agreed rate per chore. So no matter where she does them or how much the incentive is the same.

Tbh with her school work in year 8 atm it’s not too bad, her homework has only ever been late once and she’s a high achieving student.

When I hear about all these teenagers having everything handed to them on a plate it just makes me think I can clearly see an advantage that I can get into her which is going to see her soaring ahead of her peers when she leaves school - it’s only natural I want her to do well.... but not writing this I see that what I want for her isn’t actually as important as what she wants.... again it’s about balance... but where the hell is that balance!? 😂

OP posts:
BluebellsGreenbells · 07/12/2020 22:31

I’ve you tried being in strike?

Also I don’t think it’s healthy then gaveling so much so young.

I would put the pocket money in a separate savings account and would pay her to do those chores. She can earn her phone and WiFi.

She should ask for those things - no chores no WiFi - so she works for it in advance.