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Teenagers

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

How to manage high conflict 13 year old refusing school over AirPods

26 replies

Springflowersandblueskies · 25/03/2026 04:05

I’m really struggling with my 13 year old. She is extremely high conflict and I don’t know how to handle it. Shes violent and goes out of her way to disrupt the rest of the household. She’s refusing school for any reason and uses it as a way to get what she wants. We’ve sat down and discussed boundaries and made good progress as they have become unclear recently. However we’re at a sticking point as she is saying she’s not going to school unless she’s allowed to listen to music in her lessons (she hides AirPods under her hair) Iv said absolutely not as she’s not even supposed to have her phone on in school.

I told her either go back to school or I will let the school know that her friends are going this. She then threatened to smash my window if I do that. This isn’t unusual behavior if she doesn’t get her way.
She’s had an amazing school report though and is one of the brightest in her class. The school is aware that’s she’s hard work as often still disagrees with teachers and if she is told off then she will argue more about why it is unfair. Her issues are mostly around phone use and I think is a problem with authority. She downloaded the schools mobile phone policy when she was 11 so she could learn it and have a discussion with the head about why it is unfair that the teachers are allowed their phones and not the pupils.
She has been referred for an ADHD assessment but I’m reluctant to let her. There’s alot in the family but a diagnosis will likely make her worse.

She bullies me because I’m the only one who can’t walk away and I just don’t know what to do about it anymore.

OP posts:
potenial · 27/03/2026 20:32

Springflowersandblueskies · 25/03/2026 04:05

I’m really struggling with my 13 year old. She is extremely high conflict and I don’t know how to handle it. Shes violent and goes out of her way to disrupt the rest of the household. She’s refusing school for any reason and uses it as a way to get what she wants. We’ve sat down and discussed boundaries and made good progress as they have become unclear recently. However we’re at a sticking point as she is saying she’s not going to school unless she’s allowed to listen to music in her lessons (she hides AirPods under her hair) Iv said absolutely not as she’s not even supposed to have her phone on in school.

I told her either go back to school or I will let the school know that her friends are going this. She then threatened to smash my window if I do that. This isn’t unusual behavior if she doesn’t get her way.
She’s had an amazing school report though and is one of the brightest in her class. The school is aware that’s she’s hard work as often still disagrees with teachers and if she is told off then she will argue more about why it is unfair. Her issues are mostly around phone use and I think is a problem with authority. She downloaded the schools mobile phone policy when she was 11 so she could learn it and have a discussion with the head about why it is unfair that the teachers are allowed their phones and not the pupils.
She has been referred for an ADHD assessment but I’m reluctant to let her. There’s alot in the family but a diagnosis will likely make her worse.

She bullies me because I’m the only one who can’t walk away and I just don’t know what to do about it anymore.

If you've said no, and want to stick to your guns about it, let the school know you've had that conversation with your daughter, and that you'll support them in terms of enforcing the consequences, which I imagine will be confiscating the phone. Lots of schools here have rules about parents having to collect the phone if it happens multiple times, (some if it happens just once). Let her know, in advance, that if she gets her phone confiscated at school you won't be able to collect it until Friday/ end of half term or whatever, so the natural consequence is that she'd be without it for a period of time.

I'd also let her know the consequence for her actions when she mentions them as attention getters, but don't buy into them too much. Eg for the 'I'll smash a window if you tell school' something like, "I will be telling school. If you smash a window, then you'll have no pocket money until you've paid for it to be replaced". (Try for vaguely natural consequences, but if you feel the need for a 'punishment' too, go ahead). Hold to the boundaries and consequences you set, and support other places which also have rules and consequences.

If she thinks she has ADHD, you could have a look together for ways to 'help cope' with the situations she finds stressful, whilst maintaining your boundaries. (Eg if she says she wants to listen to music because it helps her focus on a written task, you can have a look for 'ways to help ADHD kids focus in school'). Then help her implement them, in line with school and home rules. No need for a formal diagnosis. TBF, the waiting list in most areas for an ADHD diagnosis is 5+ years, so she's unlikely to get one immediately, even if she's on the list!

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