What have you done to ruin your teenager's summer so far?

[NotDarkGothicMama]

I have:

• Woken DS up "too fast" to unload the dishwasher when I got home from work at 7pm.
• Locked down DD's phone after 3 hours of asking her to put away the vast array of dirty crockery, nail art supplies and dirty socks decorating the sofa.
• Booked a holiday in accommodation without a swimming pool.
• Arranged to take DS and DD on a work trip abroad with me.
• Refused to exclude DD from said work trip at DS's request.

How have you ruined your teenager's summer?

One teen complained I took them on 22 days holiday to France so made them miss a cricket match on the Saturday. We went on a Monday and got back 22 days later on the Friday to ensure he only missed one match. He had a nice time with his gf too but he still complained. 🤷

12 days not 22.

I tried 3 supermarkets during heatwave and couldn't get any. So I found tiptops and thought they'd be better than nothing but no I got it wrong. None of them wanted to eat those so DH and I had one then we were both mean because we ate the orange ones.

I won’t give dd15 money everyday for a KFC/McDonalds/etc and make her eat vegetables. It’s ruining her social life. I don’t mind once or twice a week but it’s just pure shite she’s eating. Plus I want her to learn that the money I do give her needs to last her. I may sound really tight but she’s had £50 + what family gave her this week as she went to the seaside for a couple of nights with her friend.

Agreed to 17 yr old DD having 8 friends over for a day-into-evening bbq.

She then decided a few days before that, actually, she wanted a ‘proper party’ with about 50 randoms people, going on until at least midnight in my garden. It was a ‘no’.

I am now a complete killjoy who has ruined her summer.

No I didn't. Because I wasn't in a loving or safe enough environment at home to express my natural moods due to normal teenage hormones. It forced me to be secretive, to make dangerous mistakes and to surround myself with people who were bad for me.

I would 100% rather have an inconsequentially sassy teen, who feels safe and nurtured enough to speak their mind and actually express good and bad emotions.

It is literally how children develop to become young adults and then secure grown adults. Do some reading into psychology and educate yourself! They push against boundaries to find themselves. Having loving boundaries and space to explore all of their emotions is nothing but a good thing.

Bought them their favourite Nutella spread - don’t I know it’s full of palm oil ?? Cost a fortune too ! Typical x

I bought a packet of Mini Magnums (6) rather than a 3-pack of full-size Magnums.

DD1 is 11.5 and I have perma-ruined her life by showing her old Kevin the Teenager videos.

Now whenever she starts, DH and I simultaneously cry "unnnnh! It's SO UNFAIR!" And "you like Perry better than me!" Etc

It totally makes her corpse and she can't keep up whatever strop she's in.

1. Opened the back door to let him out rather than give him a key which he'll lose straight away
2. Reminded him that he could buy his own fancy toiletries if he didn't like the ones I provide, and he could use the money from the full time job we have provided him with over summer

Agreed to pay him to empty the dishwasher. Negotiated terms such as it needs to be done every day, it needs to be done properly, I expect it done every day and I’ll give you some pocket money. First day, 3 plates and 4 cutlery items left out of the dishwasher 🤷‍♀️ apparently the reason he didn’t do it properly was because he “knows” I won’t pay him. Well I won’t if you dont do it properly. Repeat ad nauseum…

then my younger son came back from football perfectly happy and older one proceeded to torment him til he cried

he’s so bored.

it’s day fucking 3 of the holidays and yesterday they went out all day with granny and cousins. 🤷‍♀️ oh what I would give to be bored, just for an hour.

Mine have been woken at work o'clock this week for their usual cooked breakfast. This is because the 15yo can not be trusted to feed himself for breakfast and lunch in my absence.

There is mysteriously a "shortage of chocolate Hobnobs in the supermarket" at the moment, but I'm pretty safe on the 15yo getting himself near to a supermarket to expose my subterfuge.

I'm also evil enough to insist on some personal hygiene standards such as combing and washing hair and brushing teeth.

Not a teenage but my 11 year old had to have his appendix out on the first week of holidays. This was last week and now he can't do anything for 6 weeks so all of the school holidays. Plus he is going to year 7 in September so a lovely leaving primary school gift!

Bit of an awkward one, DS came home from uni earlier than expected and walked in on the neighbour and I. He's a good boy so will keep quiet but hope next 6 weeks or so get less awkward 🙈

I did the Fate of Ophelia dance while DS was looking at t shirts in a clothes shop. I was very discreet but he was so horrified he walked out - which meant I didn't have to buy one for him, so every cloud and all that.

We clearly need more context here!

Asked him not to eat a sack of crisps in lieu of a proper dinner.

Requested actual proper dates and accommodation details of his jolly to Slovakia with a mate.

Refused to give a lift that would take me an hour when I had to be somewhere else ten minutes ago.

And that's just this week!

I spoke…🤣 ( after taking her breakfast in bed)

I’ll play scrabble with you!!! It’s my fave ever board game - my best ever score was squeezed using all my letters, and I think I had the Z on a triple word square! I think it was around 151 points!
I’ve searched everywhere for a ‘travel scrabble ‘ set…to no avail!
As you can tell I’ve invested far too much of my time to this game! 🤣🤣🤣

told him to skim the pool before going in it. He refused and went upstairs instead. Hard life.

I gave one of the teenagers a lift to see a friend … but dared to drive past someone they knew from school on the way there. Life is ruined because a) they were in a car b) the car was being driven by someone. The fact that the person they knew from school didn’t see us (and wouldn’t have recognised us going past at 50 mph) is totally beside the point.

You horror!! I feel some of these poor teens need a helpline. Especially those being made to surface before noon or eat anything other than pizza! 🍕

DD (13) shrieked and cried when I tried to pack her suitcase for her before we came on holiday. Accused me of treating her like a baby and insisted she would pack her own case.

Now we are here she has broken down and cried again because she forgot to pack specific items of clothing and it’s my fault - I should not have let her pack for herself. I’m the worst kind of uncaring mother.

I know this thread is meant to be lighthearted, but I’m shocked at these replies.

My mother wouldn’t have tolerated this from me, and my own 2 DDs never behaved like this either. They’re both in their 30s now, and we have always had a fantastic relationship.

You can get travel scrabble off Amazon, but don’t because the ‘board’ was a roll up vinyl mat which won’t lie flat - so the tiles slide off!! Very annoying. Unless losing in which case very handy.