Teenage daughters. Arrrghhh!!!

[Chickenmaven]

My teen son is the one with the mouth on him. When he gets too negative, I just ask him to leave the room or I tell him: "I will not be spoken to like that by a CHILD in MY HOME." End of discussion. Best to avoid too much back & forth with teens, IMHO. Often, they are just trying to be hateful.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Nope. Don't allow my children to "rant" about anything.

This usually solves all the teen years problems that everyone discusses. I've never had any bad times with my teens because I don't allow any bad behaviors, as my parents before me never allowed with me, so the teen years have been heavenly and I'm sad that they are now ending.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

My 13yo just called and she's home Sick today from school, she's locked out of the house and wanted the garage code to get back in. I said what are you doing outside..............it's snowing and very cold, very windy as well.......she said I went out to play with the dog! Soo I give her the code but she can't figure out how to get the door open, 5minutes I'm talking with her trying to get it, you have to lift up the box slowly until the light comes on then enter the code with the light lit, if you go to far or too fast the light won't come on. I told her she has 2 options, she can go to the neighbors 1/4 mile away and if they are home they have a spare key or she'll have to wait for me to drive home which is about a 20minute drive. Finally though she got it! I told her to get her behind in that house and stay there!!!

 

[swoop]

just love her, be there for her, and it will pass. my 3 - 21yr old son, 2 girls 19 and 16 where all different - my son thought i was the coolest hippy mom in his teens- i let the band practice in my basement - my 19 dd found fault with most of our interactions from about 14-17yrs of age - now we are just fine. my 16yr old dd was soooo close with me until she turned about 15 then i found her getting really close with her sister which is fine because her sister reports to me being that we now relate really well. its a tough age especially for girls - most of what they transfer onto us is really about their own insecurities. the best advice i could give you is to always be approachable. hang in there.

 

[digginchicks]

I was 15 when I finally convinced my parents to get me my chickens and my dad pretty much hated them but now that its been almost a year he is starting to like them. When he doesn't think anyone knows what he is doing he goes out and feeds them bread and stuff like that. I don't exactly know why he doesn't like them its not the fact that he thinks their gross I dont think just that he was a lil town boy. Mom loves the birds though

 

[jbowyer01]

Sometimes they take it all out on mom because they know mom will always love them when nobody else will.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I am another veteran that survived raising a daughter.

I think many times it's just "allowed behavior". Take away a priviledge or posession everytime they act like that and guess what?? They quit "acting like that". Consistency is the key.

Our family is middle to upper middle income-wise and she certainly had way more "things" than I had growing up. She started working when she was 15 at my insistence. It was just bussing tables at a local restaurant, and truthfully, she hated it. But she made a little $$ that she could use anyway she wanted...didn't get everything handed to her. I praised her for all the positive things that she did...grades, sports, work...but I resolutely refused to become her servant. There were a few rough years...mostly 12-16...then she evened out. You've got to remember that girls are very, very, very hormonal during this time. Take PMS and multiply it times 10...it's like that.

Now???? She's 21, full-time honors college student, purchased her own house a year ago, works 30 hours a week at a fine dining restaurant and an Army Reserve soldier.

Well, that was all until 1 week ago when she left for Ft. Dix...she's been mobilized and is leaving for Iraq in about 2 months.

Hang in there...it will eventually get better...but I think they come around faster when you don't allow that kind of behavior.

 

[DawnSuiter]

OH my goodness... there are so many posts that I wanted to quote along the way! Reading this was such an adventure.. really.. some needed tissue, others made me laugh so much.

Ferngully's interpretation is poetic and true I believe and very good to read all summarized like that.