N1cky

I can sympathize, it all sounds too familiar. My daughter is 13, the clothes strewn around the room, the not getting up until lunch time, the demands that I run her here there and everywhere while paying for the privilege... Luckily she has been very busy over the summer, and miraculously has managed to be out of bed every day for her activities (amazing what they can do when they want to do it). Now that's done with though, I'm up and down stairs 3-4 times to drag her out of bed, then she spends her day staring at trash TV and her phone until it's time to go training. Because of the amount of exercise she does though, she eats like a 14 year old boy, so a meal is never turned down, and snacks constantly demanded in between the meals, but getting her dressed and out of the house for said meal is excruciating.

She's a very sweet kid, until someone says "no" to her, when she turns into the demon from hell.

ChocolateBabz

Our two really were separated at birth. I have a cousin who has an 11 week old and she will post on Facebook ’he slept 10 hours straight last night, such a good wee man' and I just want to punch her in the face. If I got a 4 hours straight I thought it was a miracle. She's off to baby sensory class and swimming, I could barely get dressed and lived on Mars Bars and Crisps.

petitefrancaise

The first time my son slept through the night was when I left him with my mum and went away with OH. My son woke up as usual, granny went in and instead of just lifting him up she said "you can go back to sleep here or you can sleep with me and grandpa". Apparently he just laid back down and went to sleep and from then on slept through the night. Wish I'd left him before that.....

SultanOfSwing

They really are a bunch of irritating, self-important, entitled little shits, aren't they?

I mean, I love my son dearly, don't get me wrong, but there really are times I wish he'd just, in no uncertain terms, **** off. I always laugh when he threatens to move out on his 18th. 'Go right ahead', I think to myself, then I start making plans for what to do with his room ...

N1cky

Although I dread the thought of my daughter moving out of the house, (give me another 2 years and I'll probably be beyond that) she was away at 2 different camps for 2 consecutive weeks this summer. It was rather lovely being able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, eat what I wanted, watch what I wanted, not have to constantly put things away or nag someone to put them away. Just everyday stuff can be so tiring with them, despite being in work for those 2 weeks, I actually felt rather rested and like I'd had a mini-vacation.

SultanOfSwing

The biggest thing for me when we can get the kids out of the house for even one night is just being able to keep it clean without having to minesweep the entire place for discarded crap. That in itself is pure bliss.

N1cky

Yep, bag dumped behind the door, shoes discarded half way towards the stairs, jacket/cardi/jumper (or all 3) thrown over the back of dining chair, and they are all within 20 steps of walking through the front door. She then makes her way to the kitchen to get another drink and bowl of snacks, that will collect in her room until there's not a single glass left in the cupboard.

ChocolateBabz

On cue we burst into 'So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu...' It really pi$$es him off

SultanOfSwing

The helping themselves to food bothers me immensely. I am required to provide enough food to keep my kids alive, which I do. My wife makes lovely dinners, we have enough cereal for a family of 19, and we always have a fridge stocked up with lunch meat and bread in the pantry. Never mind the fact that almost every dinner leaves enough to be eaten by two or three of us for lunch the next day.

Does he use any of this? Does he bollocks. He'll go in and take all our sweet stuff, or something one of us has set aside for our own lunch, or something earmarked for a later meal. Just ****ing walks into the kitchen, throws open the fridge and takes shit like it's got his name on it. Or, even better, he'll eat his sister's food. She's pretty picky, so we have to keep things like lunchables or nuggets, or else she'll never eat dinner. He'll scoff the lot, the entitled little bollocks.

I try telling him to use the following mantra: "Did I pay for this? Then maybe I shouldn't ****ing eat it ..."

I don't think we hit him hard enough sometimes.

SultanOfSwing

I just tell him to be my guest. Then make a crack about having to blow a lot of sailors to be able to afford his rent.

He's constantly on his bloody period, that one.

petitefrancaise

AmerLisa

Love reading all the teen stories and know my 14 year old daughter (birthday yesterday, still have a bunch of teen girls strewn out asleep in my living room) is just the same as others.

We've had camping trips, camps, soccer tournaments, volunteering, etc etc but she still runs up to her sancutary upstairs. lol I know it's pretty normal, but hard to deal with at times. Although I did get a nice kiss on the cheek in the middle of her birthday celebrations yesterday.

petitefrancaise

A few years ago I was reading an interview with Yasmin Le Bon....supermodel and wife of childhood crush Simon. In this article she said that one of the things she found hardest about being the mother of teenagers (in her case, all girls) was how hurtful they could be. She said it was all she could do to walk out of the room without responding in kind. Well, this has been one of those weeks for me. We had a few great days at the beach but somehow coming back to familiar and very hot, surroundings seemed to turn a switch. It culminated last night in me stopping my car on the roadside, telling them all to be quiet and asking for an apology for the sheer rudeness from one who shall remain nameless. Neither happened, in fact it got worse. So, I just drove home instead of taking them out to meet our friends and watch an outdoor theatre. Today, only littlest is talking to me.

Never mind, I'll take her to watch Shaun the Sheep this afternoon....

ChocolateBabz

They can be bloody horrible sometimes can't they? One of the reasons I've let him sleep all summer is at least if he's sleeping we're not arguing.

Yesterday dad got a new car. We asked if he would like to come with us to collect it, his response 'Will you take me for a lobster roll?', we had the cheek to say No so he didn't come and added 'It's the only thing I wanted to do all summer' - really???? 12 weeks vacation and all you wanted was to go and get a lobster roll???

AmerLisa

Yes the rudeness isn't fun.... One day I took her shopping (not too long ago) and she was particularly rude in the store. I took her home told her to go in and I left and went on a long relaxing drive (playing the music I like!) At least it gave us some space and time to cool off.