Help me before I kill my Teenagers!

[Curly Q]

The oldest is ALWAYS correct. j/k Sorry oldest child here!! Just let your children know (and enforce it) what you will and will not tolerate. Then tell them to work it out. Never "take" sides. No matter what you will create resentment between them. I was a very very very selfish teen and my sister delt with it. My Mom would take her side ALWAYS (even though it was the correct thing) and I always resented my sister. I love her now though. ((((hugs)))) It will get better. My sister was 4 years younger, so no same school for us.

 

[Tiggeroo]

I have 15yo twin sons and an 18yo dd who is living at home while going to college. Boy, can I relate. They go thru spurts too. For years the boys were best friends. Then they seemed to actually hate each other. I could enforce civil behavior most of the time, but they still hated each other. Now they are sort of in a truce/friends right now. Could change at a moments notice. One thing I used to do when it got really bad. I would make them sit on the couch or step next to each other. They couldn't get up til they apologized to each other, without blaming the other, shook hands and made up. They would also have to agree not to fight for the rest of afternoon.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

i am so glad i found this thread! you mean i'm not the only one that goes thru this? i am mr. mom with 4 teenagers. 3 guys, 1 gal.
regarding all the previous posts....ditto. regarding previous emotions ....ditto. however they turn it around and then i start feeling guilty. lately i have been feeling terrible. i know eventually they will grow out of it and that things will change. i just hope i live that long. i do remind them that someday this might turn around to haunt them when they have kids! i just might enjoy seeing that.

 

[d.kurz]

WOW! Parents of teens UNITE!!

'Ya know, silly me, and I guess you guys might agree.....but I thought DS and I would never get to the point of an adversarial relationship (at times). At other times he is so sweet and goofy. Like I'll drop him and a vanful of his friends off somewhere and he will say in a loud voice "Thanks, Mommy. I love you." Once I heard one of his friends say "suck-up" and he retorted "I'm GOOD at it!" And he is. When it suits HIS purposes!

I guess that's the double-edge sword that life with teenagers is. The good and the bad....