Is it because he is 12?

[1stluvispooh]

Ugh my DS 12 is exasperating me!!! There is his usual stuff. Oh I forgot I had homework. Never mind I ask as soon as the kids hit the door and it's fresh in their minds. I need this paper work filled out and the bus is coming in a minute. A phone call from school asking where his health forms are. (In his backpack where he put them) But this morning took the cake as far as I am consider. He has been having some bad plantar worts and the Dr said to put wort remover on them and then he will scrap them off. So I told him to make sure he does this this morning. He comes down stairs to say. There are no more band aids. As I am upstairs searching for more band aids I hear him yell up at me. Oh yeah mom there was a spill. Of what I ask. Wort remover (but him being him he uses the chemical name ) Did you clean it up I ask. No he answers. What's the deal??? I ready to clobber him!!!

Sorry for the double icons our mouse is doing a double click weather you want it to or not. New one on order.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

I hear you! My 12yo makes me want to hug him tight one minute and grit my teeth until they grind the next minute. Hang in there!

 

[SpecialK]

In a word, yes. It will get better!

On a side note - my son had plantars warts and the dr. used liquid nitrogen to freeze them. One application and they fell off within the week.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yes.

 

[Mkrop]

Sounds like mine

 

[abdmom]

Yes. It does get better. DS is now 14. He's much more responsible now.

 

[Planogirl]

Haha!!! I remember those days well. It was particularly bad for us because I'm the world's worst at remembering to take care of the forms myself. It's a wonder that the school ever got anything.

 

[1stluvispooh]

Well good to know he is "normal" And Oh that "normal" kids called me from school at about 11:00 to say he left his agenda at home and could I bring it. When I asked what do I get in return, I was leaving for a meeting. He said "my undying gratitude."

 

[Robinrs]

Yes. It does get better. DS is now 14. He's much more responsible now.

It does???? Mine will be 18 in a few months and he's STILL like that!!

 

[padams]

I have one of these 12 year old boys too. You are all making me feel better (well, except for Robin, but I've been around Dis for too long and I know she has a great kid). Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

 

[MidgeD79]

I have had 6 kids and ds 12 is #6. After my experience with the other kids
I will not bring any of his papers to school, I will not go through his bookbag, I will ask how his day went and if there is anything I need to know.

 

[1stluvispooh]

Well Midge he is not getting off scott free. He has to make dinner Sunday night because I ran his agenda to him! Looks like spaghetti on Sunday!

 

[NAB]

I would not be running anything to school either. 12 is old enough to pay the price at school and not do it again. I also gave up on fighting about winter boots, hats etc. If he gets too cold he will wear them.

Also on the school thing. The homework thing drives me crazy too. It only started in last year. Heck I don't even see the agenda anymore. I think I will ride him more this year because next year is high school and he will get really lost if he doesn't pick it up. Social life is more important to him then school so he tells us. So that will give us something to take away when things get out of hand.

 

[clh2]

My DD is now 16. I can totally relate, as I have BTDT.

I instituted a rule (sorry, I don't remember the age/grade): Your backpack must be packed the night before and by the door. EVerything that needed a signature/initials must be handled before a 9:00. And, everything she wanted us to proofread must be done be 9:00 too.

She is in HS now, and doing well. I still go by the 9:00 rule for signings/initials and proofreading. She is on her own for the backpack, though. I do not make special trips to school. (My boss/employer frowns on that sort of non-emergency.)

I also had another rule (by necessity of course) that if she forgot a book or other homework at night, she could call me at work and I would gladly pick it up on my way home. I would not, however, go back and pick it up if I was already home. Middle school was 10 miles away, and almost a good 45 minutes round trip.

Next year will bring its own new challenges - as in the past couple of years - if she didn't wear gloves/hat and mittens and froze, oh well. ( I would play the MOM CARD when the windchill was excessively cold, however.) This year, if DD wants to drive to school in the winter or anywhere else, it will be mandatory for her to have boots, coat, hat and gloves or mittens in the car with her. I'm not saying she has to wear them...just have them with her, or she can take the bus.

Good luck to all of you...but the time deadline worked for us!

 

[kristilew]

My DD is now 16. I can totally relate, as I have BTDT.

I instituted a rule (sorry, I don't remember the age/grade): Your backpack must be packed the night before and by the door. EVerything that needed a signature/initials must be handled before a 9:00. And, everything she wanted us to proofread must be done be 9:00 too.


Good luck to all of you...but the time deadline worked for us!

ITA. DD must have everything handled by 8, and may not do anything else until school stuff is handled and ready to walk out the door the next day. I just can't handle chaos in the moring.

We don't need this very often now that this kind of organization has become second nature to her, but the training mechanism we used is that for every minute of my time she wasted - by either having something for me to deal with after 8 or if she forgot something and needed it at or from school, or even just causing me a rant - she owed me 5 minutes of her time, at a time of my choosing and spent as I saw fit. Usually I claimed it about the time a friend called to invite her somewhere, and my favorite way to make her spend the time was scrubbing baseboards with a toothbrush. I wish she'd act up again soon...my baseboards are awfully dusty