Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Teenagers

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

DS in bed all day

39 replies

Oxfordplus · 11/06/2023 09:12

My DS uses his bed as his command centre and is spending 16 hours a day in it. He's not depressed or anything, he just really likes bed - warm, cosy etc. It's driving me completely mad as it's so unhealthy but he just won't budge. The average day is that he wakes up, goes to school, walks in the door after school, strips off to his underwear and goes straight into bed not emerging until he has to go to school the next day apart from to eat. All of his exam revision as been done from bed, even though right next to his bed he has a massive desk and an ergonomic chair. He tells me the chair is uncomfortable which I don't believe for a minute. When he's not in his bed, he's in mine - and I've also got a massive desk in my room and an even better desk chair. I've told him that what' he's doing is completely unacceptable and very unhealthy but he doesn't take a blind bit of notice. He also has a preference for totally crap food which drives me mad even more. If chocolate/biscuits are bought he hoovers them up - I now lock them in a filing cabinet which seems ridiculous. As I said above, he's not depressed. He's happy as larry, has a great bunch of friends and does get out of bed to go out with them. Does absolutely no exercise though. He's about 6' 2'' and before zooming up in height, he was a bit overweight which he acquired during lockdown (we don't have a garden and we both became a bit sloth like at that point). Getting tall has stretched him out so he's now back in the normal range weight-wise but I'm watching him like a hawk to see if the weight is going to start creeping back on (he doesn't know I'm doing that). I've tried a) telling him that staying in bed is completely unacceptable and b) getting really angry which gets him out of bed on that day but he's back in the next day. I've contemplated locking all of the bedding in the car and when his exams end (which seems ridiculous), I'm thinking of breaking down is pocket money (£10 a week) into daily amounts that he loses if he a) spends too long in bed and b) doesn't do any exercise - we have a swimming pool 2 minutes away and I want him to do 20 lengths a day to start getting back into fitness (he's a great swimmer). On the food side of things, I was also thinking of starting Hello Fresh (or one of those things) so that we could cook meals together to draw him away from the crap he buys when he has money. Please wise people out there - what would you do in this situation.

OP posts:
Tempone · 12/06/2023 13:25

She said he spends 16 hours a day in bed.

EarthlyNightshade · 12/06/2023 13:28

FatGirlSwim · 12/06/2023 11:31

I’m 45 and work from my bed. In what way is that unacceptable?!

If you are spending 16 hours a day in bed, I am not sure whether to be horrified or totally in awe!

shmiz · 12/06/2023 13:33

He goes to school, and goes out with friends !!
he’s in his bed when he’s home -
I don’t see the problem !!!

cocksstrideintheevening · 12/06/2023 13:48

He's 16, leave him be!

JamSandle · 12/06/2023 13:55

The same women complaining about you wanting to pull your son up on some of his behaviour are likely the same ones who complain about lazy cocklodgers and how all men are useless.

Youre doing nothing wrong OP.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 12/06/2023 14:08

JamSandle · 12/06/2023 13:55

The same women complaining about you wanting to pull your son up on some of his behaviour are likely the same ones who complain about lazy cocklodgers and how all men are useless.

Youre doing nothing wrong OP.

Hmm

I don’t live with a cocklodger
None of our 3 adult boys are cock lodgers

Numberfish · 28/01/2024 22:07

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 11/06/2023 09:27

Leave him alone. He’s 16! This is what they are like 16. Mine was like this. He’s a normal working person now.

Maybe he doesn’t want to swim 20 lengths? Why are you managing his life? He’s nearly an adult. He’s got all his life to swim 20 lengths and get up at a normal time.

All teens hoover biscuits. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Locking them up will cause food issues. Leave him alone. You sound horribly controlling.

Says you being terribly controlling over a decent mother caring that her kid lies in bed 16 hours a day. She’s right.

Fishlegs · 28/01/2024 22:23

We got Hello Fresh for a few months to encourage my teens to cook. It’s expensive so we don’t get it anymore, but it was worth it as my 17 year old now has a small repertoire of family meals and cooks dinner once a week. Maybe something to tackle after the exams though?

DiscoBeat · 19/02/2024 01:56

Stop buying the biscuits. If he wants them he has to come down and make them or walk to the shop to buy them.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 19/02/2024 02:10

Numberfish · 28/01/2024 22:07

Says you being terribly controlling over a decent mother caring that her kid lies in bed 16 hours a day. She’s right.

Bollocks she is.

We had 3. They are all fine normal functioning working people now. My ds would have just laughed if l told him to swim. Teens need to separate. Theres a difference between caring and controlling.

Locking the bedding in the car. Come on,

Numberfish · 19/02/2024 07:26

Bollocks to you too. Plus you’re wrong, her kid shouldn’t be in bed 16 hours a day. Haven’t don’t the thesis level research to find out where you got ‘locking the bedding in the car’ from but she's right about the 16 hours. I’m sure you can throw your weight around based on some tangential argument, in your ‘functional’ way, but you’re wrong. There’s a gap big enough to land Concorde in between ‘teens must separate’ and ‘my teen has bedsores’.

RampantIvy · 19/02/2024 07:31

DiscoBeat · 19/02/2024 01:56

Stop buying the biscuits. If he wants them he has to come down and make them or walk to the shop to buy them.

This ^^
Just don't buy biscuits and chocolate.

SallyWD · 19/02/2024 08:23

I used to be like that. Loved my bed! However, I grew up and became a normal functioning adult who loves healthy food and exercise.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 19/02/2024 08:50

Numberfish · 19/02/2024 07:26

Bollocks to you too. Plus you’re wrong, her kid shouldn’t be in bed 16 hours a day. Haven’t don’t the thesis level research to find out where you got ‘locking the bedding in the car’ from but she's right about the 16 hours. I’m sure you can throw your weight around based on some tangential argument, in your ‘functional’ way, but you’re wrong. There’s a gap big enough to land Concorde in between ‘teens must separate’ and ‘my teen has bedsores’.

Try reading op’s first post……

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread