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Teenagers

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

Who is my daughter and how can I help without admitting I snooped!

150 replies

Midliffey · 19/04/2023 09:18

I know it is wrong, so no need to berate me for that. I was tidying her room (16) which she is happy I do and I found a box. I opened it. It was full of notes. I should have closed the box. I didnt.
First bj (16 on a bench) she does not have a boyfriend. First time trying weed, etc etc. She has also self harmed as she was in a toxic friendship group...
She struggles in school, is always angry, typical teen behaviour. I do talk to her, I thought we had an open relationship. She is opinionated and has told me pointedly that she would not do any of the above... I have said she can come to me if she needs to. etc but it looks like she has this other life. I am devastated. I thought she has esteem and it looks like she hasn't.
I do buy her alcohol when she is going to parties and pick her up etc and know and meet all her friends but now I do not know what to do. Have I been too easy? In the notes she does say "my mum will kill me if she knew about the weed" so she knows I am not relaxed.

I have not told her I breached her trust as that would be the end. How do I help her and talk to her about this.
I keep looking at her, thinking I do not know her and worry for her safety and self esteem etc.. What can I do?

OP posts:
Sainte · 20/04/2023 19:05

Don’t tell her you sneaky looked in her private documents. I agree with others here, you’ll never regain that trust.

SirVixofVixHall · 20/04/2023 19:12

Itwasnaeme · 19/04/2023 11:42

To read this thread you'd think that every single teenager smokes weed, and also suffers no adverse consequences from it. This isn't true.

Agree. As someone with a family member who has schizophrenia triggered by teenage weed smoking, I am always shocked by the attitude to it on here.
Also blow jobs on a bench. Blimey. I would be very unhappy if one of my dds was behaving like this. I didn’t do any of this as a teenager (or as an adult ! ) and nor did any of my close friends. My eldest dd is at uni and hasn’t even kissed a boy yet, several of her uni friends have just gone on their first ever dates . So I read this “all teenagers do this” with a raised eyebrow. Some do, but many do not.
OP part of me wonders if she wanted you to read these things ? I mean, leaving the notes in full sight in a room she knows you clean seems a bit odd otherwise. Is she going along with behaviour that she isn’t really comfortable with ? What is her friendship group like ? I ask as dd had a friend who was behaving in a similar way, but who wanted her Mum to find out as she was really struggling and unhappy. Maybe try to give her opportunities to talk to you in neutral settings, when in the car etc.
Buying her drink to take to parties at 16 seems crazy to me, hell would freeze over before I did this !

cracklefick · 20/04/2023 19:13

My mum read my diary when I was 16 and found out about my self harming and confronted me. I have never forgiven her for that or trusted her again. I convinced her I had stopped and haven't opened up about anything since, with her or anyone else. I'm 33 and still self harming. I can't even write down my feelings, etc. because it makes me paranoid someone will read it and find out.

Greenfairydust · 20/04/2023 19:38

''@ginlovingqueen
She sounds like a normal 16 year old. Apart from the harming but if that was a one off.''

Some of the comments on this thread to me are utterly bizarre.

It is not standard behaviour for a teen to smoke weed, openly perform sex acts on park benches and self-harm.

To me those are signs of a kid who might be struggling right now.

The self-harming certainly should not be ignored. Smoking weed if you are having potentially having mental health issues (depression, self-harming) can also make things worse.

To me it is really irresponsible to see so many responses saying the OP should just ignore it.

''She has also self harmed as she was in a toxic friendship group...
She struggles in school, is always angry, typical teen behaviour. ''

I am sorry OP but this is again not typical behaviour and she sounds to me deeply unhappy and it is affecting her school work too which should be a major concern for you.

There are a lot of red flags here and you should not ignore them and just pass this as usual teen behaviour because to me there are safeguarding issues here and it has gone way past basic teen angst, so do something about it.

Speak to your daughter and get her support so she can build her self-esteem and confidence and make better choices than hanging with questionable mates, smoking weeds, run the risk of being caught having sex in parks and fail at school...

escapingthecity · 20/04/2023 19:39

I would be horrified if my kid was 16 and had given a BJ to someone who wasn't a boyfriend, so I don't think you're overreacting OP. But I do agree that you need to tread carefully and support her as best you can without giving away that you've read these notes.

Shesellsseashellsunluckyshespoor · 20/04/2023 19:44

quietnightmare · 19/04/2023 11:16

Do not tell her you snooped

Gently over the next few weeks drop into conversation about the weed and safe sex.

You could make a scenario up like ' I walked past some teens the other day I'm sure they were smoking weed, would you try it?' Just open the conversation up. Obviously do some research first give the danger of drugs talk casually and just say things like 'I'm nervous for teens smoking weed incase they got really sick from it if they smoke too much, how do they know their limits?' And things like 'I'm surprised they aren't worried meeting drug dealers to get it, they could have knives or be undercover police'.

Same goes for the safe sex talk assuming you've done the proper sit down and listen talk you could say things like 'have you heard about super gonorrhea apparently it's not just from sex but you can get it from oral too, that's blown my mind'

and ' teens these days have so much pressure on them to be sexually active cause of tv and social media in my day we didn't have that so much so we didn't feel much pressure and was easy to say no if we didn't feel any pressure'

and things like 'you know the gum clinic on 'X' road they give out free condoms, so glad people these days are taking safe sex seriously'

16 is such a hard age and too be fair although not ideal that she's done what she done on a bench and smoked some weed it's not that all unexpected

100% don’t do this 👆🏻

ILikeTrueCrime · 20/04/2023 19:44

My mum did this to me and told her best friend and my sister what she had read.
I was 16 at the time.
She called me disgusting names and broke my trust. I was heartbroken.
I still remember it and often resent her for it.
I was being a normal teenager and experimenting and having fun.

Don't read any more. Don't mention it.

DadBodAlready · 20/04/2023 20:18

Seriously !!!!! Teens aren't stupid she'd know you snooped especially bringing it up now after she has already passed age of consent.

No you just make sure you are there ready to offer support when she needs.

IvyM · 20/04/2023 20:21

I don’t think your daughter needs any help with the weed and the bj, smoking weed and giving a boy a bj at 16 is perfectly normal. Having another life at 16 is perfectly normal too.
A parent who snoops around and tries to curtail their daughter’s social development however - can be quite difficult to live with.
It leads to guilt which in turn leads to low self esteem which in turn leads to self harm.
One way in which you could possibly help your daughter would be by learning to respect her privacy and accept the 3 dimensional person she’s become.
How can she learn about sex and recreational drugs if she doesn’t try them out now? 70% of millennials have done the same at 16, for the younger generations it’s even more normalised than it was for ours, why would you judge her for it? Stop judging her, build up her self esteem by treating her with respect and trust and she’ll treat you the same.

Sunnysunbun · 20/04/2023 20:27

When my daughter went away for a month when she was 17 I had her phone and her pass code. I didn't look at anything. Just checked to see if any emails had come - she had wanted me to check for a specific email.
I think betraying her trust would have been appalling.

Luredbyapomegranate · 20/04/2023 20:50

Having given a BJ and smoked weed at 16 is not unusual or necessarily negative. Self harm is obviously very concerning, but it’s certainly not unusual. weed is stronger these days of course so it’s natural to worry.

All teens have up and down moods, so I don’t think you should jump to the conclusion she has no self esteem.

Neither should you think you don’t know her - it’s simply that she’s becoming an adult, which means you don’t know everything about her, and neither should you. Pulling away from parents is part of the natural path by which adolescents become adults. She is entitled to privacy as you are.

Don’t say a word, carry on being a good parent as it sounds like you are.

ANEC · 20/04/2023 21:27

I found out my mum had read my diary when I was about 14. Next entry read she was a nosey mare for reading it.

It’s great you’d like your daughter to talk to you but she won’t. That’s what her friends are for.

Sainte · 20/04/2023 22:48

Gateway drug. Not every teen smokes weed. (Think it’s still illegal, but it certainly does no good)
I’m shocked.
ok some on here did and sadly seem proud. Hopefully their children will come to no harm.
Surely parents are still expected to cause no harm by their influence.

Itwasnaeme · 20/04/2023 23:16

How can she learn about sex and recreational drugs if she doesn’t try them out now?
This is one of the dumbest things I've read on here.

RobinaHood · 20/04/2023 23:20

There's lots of bullshit on here. Once a thread is in active or trending, there's no point hoping for sensible answers.

toxic44 · 21/04/2023 00:22

Don't ever let her know you're untrustworthy. My mother gave me a lockable diary when I was 15 so I could 'write down all (my) private thoughts.'
She didn't tell me she had the second key. She made up all kinds of second sight and mother's intuition guff so she could lecture me about what I thought. Once I found out the truth it killed my respect and trust. I mean, killed it dead. She passed years ago but I haven't forgotten that betrayal.

pollymere · 21/04/2023 00:55

Writing isn't the same as doing... However, the self-harm is a worry. Advice is to buy a lockable medicine cabinet and possibly put knives somewhere less obvious is sadly actually quite good advice. I would also keep an eye on pencil sharpeners, compasses and razor blades in the house. Maybe go swimming so you can see if there's any evidence on her arms or legs? It's a slow process of trust to get your kid to talk to you. The realisation your parents are human and were also teenagers is really helpful if you can get it across without being seen as boring. Did you go to the park and drink cider as a teenager? It's actually a great memory to talk about or the mistakes you made so your DD can realise that maybe you wouldn't kill her if she smoked weed.

pollymere · 21/04/2023 00:57

Oh... Never try to be your kid's best friend. You are still a parent and the relationship balance will be upset. There are also some things you don't tell your Mum.

Messyhair321 · 21/04/2023 08:28

My mum did this to me & I still remember the sense of betrayal. I have a very poor relationship with her now, not just because of that but because she's plain toxic.

However, I often think how would she have felt if I'd read her diary? If I was privvy to personal information about her that she didn't want me to know about? I think it's a good question.

Mamafromthebeach · 21/04/2023 08:41

Hi OP - so hard to be a parent of teenagers - we worry about them so much!

First off - don’t tell her you read the notes - ever. Don’t beat yourself up but think through how she may react (I suspect not well if she is a “normal” teen) and no more peeking.

The self-harm is of concern. I would try to work on that - see if you can get her to open up a bit about what is going on with her friends ( even boys!). Take her out for coffee/ice cream/lunch whatever she likes. Implement family meal time at least a couple of times a week and try to get her to talk to you - about anything at first (I had great chats with with my teenage girls watching Love Island 😂).

In time she may open up to you - but obviously if you do see anything of concern - seek professional help.

Finally - dh reflects very fondly at the many hours spent supervising our teens with driving lessons. Yes it is stressful but hours on the road does lead to conversation…

Elly46 · 21/04/2023 11:40

I think it can be shocking to read things like this in cold hard print and hits differently when it is your child/teen. I was doing similar at 16, I know my mum read my diary as she was cruel about something in it and called me a name one time (this is how I knew she’d read it and what she’d read) I still periodically think about that one time she called me that name and I’m now aged 46. My feeling is to let it go but keep an eye on her as far as possible with regards to her self esteem. A friend of mine with 2 teen girls had one of them SH for a period but then stopped and my friend said that it was a ‘trend’ at school at the time. Horrid I know - but that it what she said she thought it was after looking in to it. I think you can only do so much and be as vigilant as you can and there for her which it seems like you are anyway.

quietnightmare · 21/04/2023 14:00

@memoire
If you say so hun 😉 hope you manage to sort through your issues

IDontWantToBeAPie · 21/04/2023 17:52

While it's not great didn't we all have a life secret from our parents? I wouldn't have told my mum about my sexual experiences (especially if it was at 16 on a park bench).

Resilience · 21/04/2023 18:51

I'm going to go against the grain a little bit here, although I'm doing it with the caveat that this is about MY experience and ISN'T advice on how the OP should handle things.

I am a middle-aged woman now. I have a very responsible job, grown-up DC, a wonderful DH and a lovely life. In other words, my life has turned out fine.

This was not always the case. At 14 I went right off the rails. I got kicked out of school, fell in with the wrong crowd and did what I wanted. My poor DPs, who had no such issues with my siblings, had no idea what to do with me. I too had a diary. Some of it was true. Some of it was an embellishment - a sort of 'this is what I think would have happened if I was an exciting and edgy person' version of events. My mother found and read this diary and shared it with my father before they both confronted me.

Yes, I railed against them for invading my privacy. However, deep down I was glad (although it took time to realise this). I had lost control of my life and my parents stepping in and reasserting the boundaries helped press the pause button long enough for me to take stock and reinvent myself.

Throughout this whole process my parents weren't angry with me, just disappointed and concerned but very much still loving. They made no apologies for reading my diary saying that they hadn't gone looking for it but on finding it were obviously going to read it. I was a child, they were my parents, their job was to protect me and as such children don't have the same rights to privacy as adults (although I was 14 and your DD is 16 so that's a little different).

It didn't ruin my relationship with my parents. It didn't ruin my trust in them. In fact it reinforced it as I knew they still loved me in spite of it all. It did teach me to hide things better though...

There's been some good advice from both ends of the spectrum on this thread. So much depends on context.

Most 16 year olds do not smoke weed regularly. Many may have a go in group if a joint is being handed round but they don't keep their own supply and this is still a minority, albeit a sizeable one. Regular cannabis use at 16 is something to be concerned about, but even allowing for the significant increase in strength since 20 years ago, the odd toke at a party is unlikely to turn a 16-year-old into a drug-addled psychopath so perspective here is important.

Similarly, I undoubtedly went along with sexual activity I didn't really want when I was a teen. I was not raped. I would not describe myself as sexually assaulted either. I probably gave the impression I was enjoying it because I was desperate to portray myself as a cool sophisticated woman of the world. You can blame the patriarchy for that (and I do Wink) but not the equally inexperienced teen boys who had about as much of a clue as I did. None of them hurt me or coerced me. I'm not scarred and have a very healthy sex life and attitude towards sex. Sex at 16 is common. However, it can be a wildly different experience depending on circumstances. A BJ on a park bench would concern me. It's not private and suggests quick gratification for the recipient. It's hard to imagine what an inexperienced 16 year old girl gets from that. She could like the thrill, she could have been manipulated into a situation she didn't know how to get out of, she could have been forced.

The self harm is what I'd want to know more about. Do you see your DD in underwear? Have you noticed any marks? Again, it's surprisingly common and doesn't mean the child is doomed to a lifetime of mental health issues. A lot of teens grow out of it. They use it as a form of emotional regulation until they find another, better way. Some of them do it because they think it's a bit dark and edgy and get bored eventually. Sadly, for others it can become a problem and is a real cry for help. None of us can know what's going on here.

You know your daughter Bert than any of us OP. You're going to have to decide how to handle it. Whatever you do, it will be the reassurance that you love her and support her no matter what that's remembered and will make the difference in my view.

Hope it all works out. 💐

Mollymoostoo · 22/04/2023 07:33

I will go against the grain here but I would be open and tell my DD in this situation.
Ifbshe hadn't written the notes you would not know what she is doing, but she wrote them knowing there is a possibility that they could be found. We have a policy that the children (now 21 and 25) can talk and I will listen . I'm not perfect and I lose my cool out of fear but I own my emotions and admit my mistakes to them.
Whilst teens need privacy, she is still a minor and if she is sharing a spliff, it can be classed as dealing, she needs to know the risks and stay safe. Also, sex in public is against the law so she needs to be aware of the consequences.

I would apologise for having snooped, tell her you are not angry but are there to listen/talk if she needs you. Also say if she wants info on safe sex/drug info etc, you are happy to help.

Alternative option, write a note with a list of online resources for teens with something like 'now you are experimenting, here are some websites that I wish I had when I was younger, love you so much'.

Talk to frank (drugs and alcohol)
https://www.kooth.com/ (mental health)
https://www.letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk/other-services/support-for-young-people/new-young-persons-advice-guide/
https://www.healthforteens.co.uk/sexual-health/

NEW Young Persons Advice Guide | Lets Talk About It

https://www.letstalkaboutit.nhs.uk/other-services/support-for-young-people/new-young-persons-advice-guide

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