The other end of teenagedom

[MyNameHasBeenTaken]

I think we might have almost made it!
Ds is turning in to a human being.
He is almost out of the stroppy teenage phase.
He had a little job before xmas lockdown.
He got himself there.
He generally sorts himself out for college (when it's open...)
He is nice to the rest of the family.
I have raised a decent young man

Well done you! I have a feeling that our DD may not be coming out of "teen" for another 10 years or so...

Aww, lovely to read this and well done on your decent young man, am a bit like @JiltedJohnsJulie, we are just starting on our teen journey, and feel it’s all very ‘buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride’ with COVID adding to the turbulence! Have an only child, DD 12, and have given in and getting a lockdown puppy in the hope it might be good for her mental health (a good point to get a dog for me and DP too!) feel for our teens, pre-teens, younger kids, twenty-somethings and basically everyone at this awful time.

Has the DDog helped at all Medium? DD is desperate for a Dog.

Please op. All your top tips, share them!!!!

Congratulations!

Mine are gorgeous, too. We well past it, but both still live at home- one has an excellent job nearby, the other is a student disrupted by lockdown. It's really lovely having them here, we'll miss them when they go.

We thought dd18 had humanised but she had the contraceptive depo two weeks ago and has been snapping our heads off ever since 🙄 i have stopped speaking to her unless its about eyebrows, mascara or lip plumping lip gloss, anything else is too risky.

I have a 15 year old girl: studious, polite, and generally lovely to be around. She doesn't help much around the house but doesn't make much mess and does do her room. She is happy at home, and emotionally self sufficient. Not suffering too much at the moment though she is in Y11 and as she does iGCSEs may still have to sit them!
My 17 year old son is: willful, not academic (so failed half his gcses), has a quick fire temper, dabbles in drugs, and can be destructive (countless broken xbox controllers, TV, holes in walls). He needs to be the loudest voice in the room. He is also very helpful around the house, walks the dogs daily, is very kind and supportive to his friends and has had a job from the moment he turned 16. He is ambitious and is pursuing a career in fitness and is very disciplined with exercise and food. He is very outgoing and needs to be busy and us finding it harder currently as he has been furloughed and college is online but minimal work.
I am more like my daughter's character and can find my son difficult to deal with, but he is a generally charming young man.
I'm not sure it's anything I have done - most of my friend's children of similar age are the same. I do think society demonised teenagers unfairly leading parents to expect the worse.

It is good to read of success stories with teenagers. Thanks OP for sharing this.

@JiltedJohnsJulie doggie is coming in a couple of weeks! Will let you know! Yes, any tips on surviving the teen years and coming out with a rounded young adult who doesn’t hate you at the end of it are gratefully received!

Youngest is 19 this week! We have survived 3 of them. Woo hoo!

Thanks Medium

And demented I think that deserves a big to celebrate

Good to hear op, always heartening to see the light at the end of the tunnel!