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Teenagers

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

I've messed up and need help to make it right

114 replies

mehtivation · 07/07/2024 19:31

Lost my shit with DD 14 about an hour ago. Been worried ages about her health, specifically weight - junk food and inactivity are the problem. I have not commented on her weight, appearance or size, but more about getting good nutrition and enough exercise. I tell her she's beautiful (she is!) every day. She is about a size 18 at 5 foot 7 and nearly 15 (year 10). I cook decent meals most days and have tried to avoid a feast/famine approach to "treat food". However she has a job in a shop and babysits so earns a fair amount and I can't stop her buying crap at the shop on the way to/from school. I am struggling with hormones and have gained weight recently too - am a biggish size 12/14, for context. My older son is a gym buff. I exercise and always ask her to come for a walk. She refuses. Short of going in her room and beginning an actual fist fight with her (obv not going to) I don't know how I can get her to move.

Anyway. Today she got up after 11 (when I went out with DS2 so not sure when exactly she surfaced) and made a bacon sandwich. Was lying on sofa when I got in about 12.45. Went upstairs shortly after. At 4.20 it stopped raining and I suggested she went out on the errand she said she was going to do at her dad's about 20 minute walk away. Ignored me. Went up at 5.20 and she was in bed. Said she was getting up then. Was annoyed and I said she'd have to go to Dad's after dinner. At 6.15 sent the brother to get her for dinner. Turned up in kitchen in pjs at 6.25.

Lost my fucking shit. I know I have been an absolute bitch so please don't tell me that. I know. I said she was going to end up like the fat people you see on mobility scooters because she's going to make herself too ill to get about. She's a tendency to EBSA and I said to her that if she thought I'd support her into her 20s because she couldn't work because she's too lazy and made herself ill through inactivity then she'd another think coming. Said no meals beyond breakfast would be given to her if she wasn't washed or dressed. I know this was awful, ableist and wrong. But I am at the end of my tether watching my beautiful clever funny girl get fatter and unhealthier by the day. Her big brother had a school leavers' dance the other week and I know she's looking forward to her prom next year but she's already so self conscious about weight I'm dreading the idea of trying to find her a dress that will fit and she won't hate the sight of herself in. Clothes shopping for normal clothes is a fucking nightmare and she basically wears ugly polyester jumpers over school leggings every day.

How the fuck can I help her?

OP posts:
mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:01

Edingril · 08/07/2024 08:57

Stop using anxiety and stop putting your issues onto her, and no saying someone is beautiful is not the answer.

Step back and stop helping it is not actually helping anything

Leave her alone

Again. Not about food or size. Sorry for giving a fuck about her physical and mental health

OP posts:
tomketchup · 08/07/2024 09:02

she needs help

but i do t think you’re the person to do it op

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:04

@tomketchup she doesn't know. I did all I could to protect my child from my fucked up attitude to food and health. A young man of 20 I know at a remove/a distance fucking DIED BECAUSE HE DIDNT MOVE. My daughter took likely fewer than 200 steps yesterday. But yeah, keep fucking on at me

OP posts:
tomketchup · 08/07/2024 09:07

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:04

@tomketchup she doesn't know. I did all I could to protect my child from my fucked up attitude to food and health. A young man of 20 I know at a remove/a distance fucking DIED BECAUSE HE DIDNT MOVE. My daughter took likely fewer than 200 steps yesterday. But yeah, keep fucking on at me

you have m misunderstood

i think you’re daughter is very much in need of help and this sounds like a terrible slippery slope

i don’t think you are the right person to be able to do this as you have too much of your own issues around weight and eating disorders

AgathaMystery · 08/07/2024 09:09

Honestly, you sound like a mum who loves her daughter very much.

She is old enough for a frank discussion and we all know its easier to loose weight at 15 than 35. Sounds like you reached the end of a very long tether yesterday. I don’t blame you.

Edingril · 08/07/2024 09:11

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:01

Again. Not about food or size. Sorry for giving a fuck about her physical and mental health

So how have you helped her mental health with what is in the op?

rwalker · 08/07/2024 09:18

Apologise

sit down let her take the lead ask her for ideas how you can help her

it’s such a fine line because she can head straight into an eating disorder

use the prom as a goal

lay off the food angle and go for exercise

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:19

@Edingril I'm well aware my actions yesterday were not ok. It's the title of the post ffs

OP posts:
mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:20

rwalker · 08/07/2024 09:18

Apologise

sit down let her take the lead ask her for ideas how you can help her

it’s such a fine line because she can head straight into an eating disorder

use the prom as a goal

lay off the food angle and go for exercise

Asked her the other week after a gentle comment that I thought she had some unhealthy habits, how can I help her get some Healthy ones: "I don't want your help"

OP posts:
mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:21

Therapy or counselling might be good but she'd have to engage and I'm not sure she would

OP posts:
Rainbowsponge · 08/07/2024 09:23

rwalker · 08/07/2024 09:18

Apologise

sit down let her take the lead ask her for ideas how you can help her

it’s such a fine line because she can head straight into an eating disorder

use the prom as a goal

lay off the food angle and go for exercise

It’s highly unlikely she will head ‘straight into an eating disorder’, not anorexia anyway.

It’s far more likely she will continue to be obese and develop type 2 diabetes, strokes and heart conditions.

OP - sometimes ‘softly softly’ simply doesn’t work. It’s clear you did what you did out of concern, you’re not a nasty mum.

DoIWantTo · 08/07/2024 09:30

I’ve honestly no idea how you could fix your DDs weight though, I don’t think it can come from you it would need to come from her. Tricky situation to be in and you’re clearly beating yourself up as it is Flowers

I will say, my mum called me fat when I was 10. It led to disordered eating for the next 12 years so maybe try and avoid weight shaming while trying to tackle this.

3WildOnes · 08/07/2024 09:36

I actually think you have left it far too late to say something. As a size 18 at 14, she must have been overweight for quite a long time? Was she overweight as a child? She will have a considerable amount to lose to get down to a healthy weight. I think it is OK to say in a completely matter of fact way to our children that they are overweight and they need to start making healthier food choices. It is about their health.
Go on a health kick together. Cook healthy meals together. She doesn't like exercise classes so find an activity which she enjoys. Cycling? Rollerskating? Trampoline parks? Couch to 5k together?

Schoolchoicesucks · 08/07/2024 09:42

So. You've apologised for your comments yesterday. And you should keep doing so until she has heard you. That was your anxiety and it was wrong.

That it comes from a place of concern. But it was wrong.

She has a job and she goes to school (usually). She did D of E. So she didn't move yesterday. But that sounds unusual. How does she normally get to school and her job?
She's not immobile and she's not heading to a mobility scooter or DVT. She had a lazy day.

Yes she could lose some weight. Yes she could get fitter. Yes she could eat better. Yes she could have some more healthy habits.

But don't panic and don't push her away.

Model what you want with meals and exercise and activity. Keep inviting her to join you. If the gym's no good then walks, dance classes, apps at home.

She's doing OK. Encouragement rather than punishment.

Lovelyview · 08/07/2024 09:45

Sympathies op. My 15 year old son is getting on the heavy side and is pretty inactive and it's really hard to motivate him to move. Fortunately he is into earning money through doing the mowing which is some activity at least. You have apologised. Have you told her about your weight struggles and your fear after your friend's son died of dvt? I think being honest and vulnerable is a good first step. I agree with getting her a private ADHD diagnosis - in the meantime could you look at ADHD strategies? You can't force a 15-year- teenager to do anything. Can you find out if there are goals which would motivate her - not necessarily weight/fitness related? Helping her develop strategies to achieve things she wants to do will have long-term benefits.

Homeonthegrange543 · 08/07/2024 09:45

You sound like a very good mum to me op. Many of us have been driven to exasperation by our teens!

The only thing I would say, from having been through the teen years with two dds, is that we adults sometimes forget or underestimate the whole shed load of worry, insecurity and self-hatred going on in their heads, and she will know that she is heavy and unfit and hate herself for it. She probably gets comments at school too and having to face that sort of bullying every day is hard.

My advice would be to re-engage with the mh aspect of this. Try again to get her to engage with the school counsellor . But many teens hate the idea of their classmates knowing that they are seeing someone.

It’s really costly but we found that a private psychologist did the world of good for one of our dds, but you have to be patient finding the right fit. She went to a single trial session with two others and hated them on sight! Thankfully she clicked with the third one and she saw her for a year.

For the rest I think many teen girls go through a very painful (for parents and teens alike) phase where they withdraw in to themselves, don’t communicate as much, become a bit morose and low energy.

It’s part of the normal process of becoming a separate individual; and it’s a phase of “statis” while they process what went on before and work out who they are and who they want to be in future. My aunt used to call it “pupating” 😀 before the butterfly emerges. And they sometimes need to try on a few different sets of wings before they hit on the right one.

And let’s face it. Being fifteen is so hard. They are at the peak age for knowing more about life and society and wanting to get to grips with it all, and not yet having the skills, power, or autonomy, in order to do that.

It’s agony for them, agony for us, but just by being there alongside er, and loving her , you are doing more than you think. So don’t panic, this is a five year process!

And you are doing so many of the right things op. You’ve taught her to cook well, you’ve facilitated DofE and some of the best help we can give teens is setting an example and modelling how we manage phone use, work time, leisure time, exercise time etc. she will be watching and taking it all in.

Also, our society doesn’t help by disempowering teens I think. They are told what to do all day at school, and how to conform to so many rules, but there isn’t similar emphasis on developing independent thought and action. Add in lots of phone time to that and our young people end up living far too much in their heads and not in reality.

In your shoes op, I would give her some space now and buy her a bunch of flowers and put them in her bedroom with a card saying, “I’m really sorry I got cross, it was wrong of me, I love you and sometimes my fears gets the better of me. You are intelligent and strong and I know you can work out what is best for you and put it in to action” and leave it at that for now. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but step back a bit and give her the space work out what she needs to do. Things like tracking her on her phone erode trust and disempower her imho.

And later, when things have cooled down, suggest private counselling perhaps?

Good luck op. Try not to let your worry for her get in the way of your relationship 💐

Billyandharry · 08/07/2024 09:46

Don't beat yourself up any more than you have OP! It's bloody difficult watching your baby get ill/sad/fat. Sounds like ur an ace mum and you'll help her turn stuff around!
Tbh I'm suprised there's not more over weight teens - crap /junk/fast food is literally everywhere and most adults are addicted to phones so god help the kids. I've had to do some massive apologies/patching up - hard but things do work out and move on. Good luck.xx

NamingConundrum · 08/07/2024 09:47

I'm hearing a lot of what sounds like PCOS here.

GalacticalFarce · 08/07/2024 09:49

We all snap and I get it. You want her to have a good life and being healthy is part of it. Tell her that and how much you love her.

Sometimes the best way is through educating yourself rather than listening to a nagging mum. Would she listen to a podcast?

There's one on bbciplayer called upf wtf. It might be a bit dull talking a bit about legislation but there's lots of interesting info too.
There are others on bbciplayer and YouTube too.

MargotEmin · 08/07/2024 09:56

When she went to the doctor's over her periods did they rule out PCOS? That can have an impact on weight gain. She's about the right age (if a tiny bit young) for onset.

Starlight1979 · 08/07/2024 10:10

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:04

@tomketchup she doesn't know. I did all I could to protect my child from my fucked up attitude to food and health. A young man of 20 I know at a remove/a distance fucking DIED BECAUSE HE DIDNT MOVE. My daughter took likely fewer than 200 steps yesterday. But yeah, keep fucking on at me

I agree your DD needs help. Size 18 at age 15 is extremely unhealthy and scary. I'm not suprised you are stressed and snapped. But you need to stop focusing on someone who died (allegedly) of DVT. This is very, very, VERY rare. Most teens are lazy and would rather lounge in bed / on the sofa than do anything else. They're not all going to die of DVT!

I think a gym membership (I don't know why you say she can't go until 16 - all the gyms near us take high school kids?) or maybe sign her up to some classes like spin or Les Mills? Can you get out walking on weekends? But proper walking, as in, everyone get in the car and drive to the middle of nowhere with walking boots and waterproofs on? Not just walking round the block...

Also I would remove as much "junk" food from the house as possible. Literally leave stuff in for meals and fruit, healthy snacks but nothing else. Yes she might still be able to buy herself some stuff when she's out but at least you're preventing some of the binge eating at home.

robotgun · 08/07/2024 10:20

mehtivation · 07/07/2024 20:21

Thanks for kinder responses. School is a bit shit for her. Attendance is 88%. She struggles with periods and mental health. I have been proactive: she has meds for periods (tranexamic and anti-nausea). School have been supportive and organised counselling for the EBSA which she did engage with. She has some nice friends (bestie also quite heavy). Sometimes I wonder if she might have ADHD - she's untidy and disorganised and will not shower regularly unless forcibly reminded. She's a phone addict and had limits when she was younger but not now. I'd love to get the fucking thing off her but it's just another unhealthy habit she refuses to stop.

Given this response I would have a look at PCOS and insulin resistance, as this could be exactly what's happening here. If that is the case then there are medications she could try, and a few diet tweaks, but the weight could be piling on for a very valid medical reason, and with these conditions your body doesn't like letting go of any weight at all.

I didn't lose any weight at all until my PCOS was under control, then it was like a switch flipped.

robotgun · 08/07/2024 10:24

mehtivation · 08/07/2024 09:04

@tomketchup she doesn't know. I did all I could to protect my child from my fucked up attitude to food and health. A young man of 20 I know at a remove/a distance fucking DIED BECAUSE HE DIDNT MOVE. My daughter took likely fewer than 200 steps yesterday. But yeah, keep fucking on at me

Your perspective on this is all wonky. She isn't going to die. Even if she carries on like this for the next twenty years she isn't at risk of imminent death.

You need to work on your fears over this because you're projecting.

SavetheNHS · 08/07/2024 10:30

I think you need to tackle the root cause of all of this, her mental health.

She sounds like she has tried so hard with DofE, getting a job etc, but her self confidence is likely very low.

It's hard to have any motivation for change when your confidence is that low. I don't know how you would change that but talking to school seems a good start. She only had a year left until GCSEs, what does she plan to do after that?

I think she might do well to go to a sixth form college or an apprenticeship. She would be away from any school bullies and could have a fresh start. If she had a career goal that could potentially motivate her.

Work on her mental health, self esteem and long term goals. You can't make her change, she has to want to. Good luck.

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