I think I am in Parenting Purgatory

[Sandy V.]

I love the "Parenting is not for sissies" saying. So very true.

That's why it's in my tag - with an 18 year old DD and a 16 year old DS, DH and I live this every day!

Fortunately, they're pretty good most of the time, but they definitely have their "moments".

 

[winniedapooh]

OMG, that is MY DS! I got a call from one of his teacher's that he hadn't turned in 3 assignments! You know what, they were ALL completed and stuck in various (but not the right subject) notebooks. He just hadn't turned them in. Next year. I'M keeping track of all his papers, even if I have to spend an hour a day doing it. I tried the "let him learn responsibility" route and he never did. Of course, he was VERY responsible in elementary school; I guess it's just the 12 - 13 year old hormones kicking in.

At least my children are far enough apart in age that I only have/had to deal with one at a time.

It is not hormones...it is the homework fairy! I can say this with a straight face...the homework fairy usually hits boys around 12 years old and often stays with them until they are juniors or seniors! Even if you keep track of all of those papers that darn homework fairy will make him leave them in his backpack or agenda or folder or sometimes she even makes them vanish!

 

[agnes!]

Well, everybody in this thread better be thinking good thoughts and saying prayers for *me* tomorrow. I am going as a chaperone to a middle school music (choirs, band and orchestra) competition that ends up at Paramount's Kings Dominion.
We start out from home before 6:30am & get back sometime after 10pm .

agnes!

 

[gshanny]

I remember seeing a shirt once that had a saying that I had to sadly laugh at.
"Mothers of teens understand why animals in the wild eat their young"
I wish I could find one......

 

[sha_lyn]

I have 3 boys - 17, 13 and 11 - my 2 oldest are absolute joys and I give a LOT of credit to their martial arts training. They are taught respect, hard work and compassion (DS17 is 3rd degree black belt and DS13 is 2nd degree black belt).

I feel the same way about martial arts. DS was a student instructor at 13, and has been an instructor since he was 15. Aparently DS was the talk of the masters board for our organization a couple of yrs ago because of the way the 5 yr old boys in the kids class looked up to him.


Oh and I do believe that DS and his GF are back together. I'm afraid to ask if it is official, but they were on the phone for hrs last night having a heart to heart.
If/when they break up for good I know he will survive, I just don't know if I will.

"Mothers of teens understand why animals in the wild eat their young"

I love that one and
Grandchildren are our reward for not killing our teenagers.
That was my mantra a few weeks ago LOL

 

[miss missy]

Well its like, I dunno like, well like, umm like, like HELL!

 

[Froggyswife]

Well its like, I dunno like, well like, umm like, like HELL!

I really like hate it like when they like do the like thing. I do like some of the cool words that I am picking up from my youngest though. For example "OH SNAP" of course I am not ALLOWED to say these same words around her friends I do anyway and THEY think I am soooooo cooolllllll.

Oh an for the record I have RAISED 4 teens already the youngest is my 5th. Yes you do regain your intellegence about the time they go to college. All the summer months before college you are still (dumb parents) but when they come home that first time from college your (not as dumb as I always thought) by the end of freshman year YOU ARE SOOOOO INTELLEGENT!!!!!!!

 

[decaff38]

Well, my lovely youngest daughter who actually spoke civilly to me at the crack of dawn went to back out of our driveway 10 min . later and sideswiped my car!! Just some scraped paint and a broken tail light. Her explaination ,I well both cars are red and I didn't see the other one." Huh!! Can she not see a red car because she is driving a red car? It is okay . Both vehicles are 10 yrs old and no major damage but good lesson to learn. She is actually a very careful driver. Really shook her up. Gave her a big hug and told her I love her and off she went to make up an Algebra III quiz at 7:00 am. Hope the rest of her day improves.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm dancing and I'm laughing! I can because mine are well over the teen years, thank goodness. I remember going on a little vacation to Hamptom Beach with them and my Sis in law. She was drinking Mimosas at breakfast the second day! Still can't go anywhere with us without reaching for something to take the pain away.

There is justice though, my DD who exhausted me, now has a DD, who is four and already going through the teenage years....it seems to happen earlier to me......, and she is a "so the drama" kind of girl.

 

[snowwhitesmom]

Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I am so glad y'all managed to keep this thread going while I was at work - we hafta stick together! By the way, I have decided that tonight's theme song is "One Hot Mama" by Trace Adkins cuz my DH says he thinks of me every time he hears it [isn't he awesome?] Okay, enough with the mushy stuff - on with the music and dancing!

You're doin' all you can to get in them old jeans.
You want that body back, you had at seventeen.
Baby, don't get down; don't worry 'bout a thing.
'Cause the way you fill 'em out, hey, that's all right with me.
I don't want the girl you used to be.
An' if you ain't noticed, the kids are fast asleep,

An' you're one hot mama;
You turn me on, let's turn it up,
An' turn this room into a sauna.
One hot mama,
Oh, whaddya say, baby?
You wanna?

Well, I know sometimes you think that all you really are,
Is the woman with the kids an' the groceries in the car.
An' you worry about your hips an' you worry about your age.
Meanwhile I'm tryin' to catch the breath you take away.
Oh, an' believe me, you still do.
Baby, all I see, when I look at you,

Is one hot mama;
You turn me on, let's turn it up,
An' turn this room into a sauna.
One hot mama,
Oh, whaddya say, baby?
You wanna?

I can't imagine me lovin' someone else.
I'm a lucky man,
I think Daddy's got himself,

One hot mama;
You turn me on, let's turn it up,
An' turn this room into a sauna.
One hot mama,
Oh, whaddya say, babe?
Oh, now whaddya say, babe?
You wanna?

You're one hot mama,
Let's turn this room into a sauna, yeah.
Whaddya say, babe?
Whaddya say, babe?

 

[snowwhitesmom]

Where are the Froggys? I need someone to dance with!

 

[snowwhitesmom]

No one dancing?

 

[FroggyinArk]

Where are the Froggys? I need someone to dance with!

we have been out in the yard trying to get a teanage girl to help weed landscaping and do yard work.. and then she hijacked her moms comp to burn cds on. her cd burner in her laptop is better than the one in my desktop. and faster,

 

[snowwhitesmom]

Okay - back to the old song -"Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take ya to Bermuda, Bahama, c'mon pretty Mama!"

 

[snowwhitesmom]

we have been out in the yard trying to get a teanage girl to help weed landscaping and do yard work.. and then she hijacked her moms comp to burn cds on. her cd burner in her laptop is better than the one in my desktop. and faster,
__________________

Oh, my dear, dear friends...{hands two Margaritas, rocks, no salt, to Froggy and his wife} "Aruba, Jamaica..."

 

[FroggyinArk]

lol sorry, still waiting on dd to finish up withmoms comp, and i was doing mor e research on the job i applied for.

i really want this job.

 

[snowwhitesmom]

GOOD LUCK! Here's another margarita for luck on the new job!!!!!!!

 

[Marseeya]

The torturous elder one did not even TELL me he was going to prom!!!! I asked him what days he was working that week and he said," OH, I have Fri and Sat off" I asked how come and he said," I am going to the prom!!" Had his tux and all. He would not let me go to see him on the red carpet and I was not to acknowledge him in any way. I went to D'Angelos and got a lobster sandwich and cried. Of course this is the same child who FORBADe me to use his name in any conversation with friends or relatives.All because he had worked all night and when I was leaving a family party I told my relatives he was tired and needed to get some rest!!!! We call him a la Harry Potter, " he whose name shall not be spoken". Even my friends call him that now!! He is much better I am allowed to speak his name but he is almost 23..I guess that is progress.

You must all keep this in mind ....what goes around comes around and a teen is fairly close to marriage age and children...that is when you go to your memory bank and tell your grand kids ALL the stuff their parents did....you know what they say about pay back.

You're kidding me! Our sons must be brothers. I swear my DS would do something like that if he ever thinks of it.

I'm sorry you had to go through all that.

 

[Snowysmom]

The good news is that they do become human again. I always said I was running away to Bermuda once the kids turned 12 and I would be back when they were 21. I stayed and weathered the lovely teen years. Older DS is 20 and is much more human like now. He actually talks nicely to us most of the time, with occassional temper flareups. I think being away at college makes him appreciate us a little more. Younger DS is 16, driving, has a job and a girlfriend and for some reason believes he is independent. We get attitude quite a bit from him but he does have some good moments. Just get through the teens years and it gets better! Good luck to all!

 

[FroggyinArk]

off to cook supper for the teanager to complain about,,bbl