Anonymous wrote:On TV shows the parents of teenagers look so relaxed in the mornings. Drinking coffee, eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. Their teen comes in, they chat for a few minutes, the teen grabs backpack and a bagel and off they go to school.

Compare that with my mornings trying to get a 4yo ready for preschool dropoff while not completely ignoring the baby. It’s a whirlwind!

Yeah I know, teens come with a host of other issues, but I’m looking forward to having independent kids!

Yes, most people with toddlers definitely know that parents of teens are terrible parents who don't listen to their kids!
The irony of op posting this, when she admitted that she can't wait for her sweet babies to grow up and she is trying not to completely ignore her baby!! Totally ok for you to judge teen parents op, since you are such an awesome parent that can't handle preschool drop off!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Except when they are out late with friends or when they miss curfew, or when the car monitor rings because they are driving recklessly . . . And they have to leave for the school bus by 6:30 am so after you finally fall asleep at 2 am, you’ve got maybe 4 hours. At least babies and little kids are happy to see you in the morning.

+100

Yes! This morning was OH MY GODDDDD I AM AWAKEEEEEEE this was after she was absolutely not awake the first several times I checked. Then there was much stomping and huffing and puffing while changing clothes and going to the bathroom.

But then she comes to the kitchen like a *completely* different person “omg mom! Look at this TikTok! It’s so funny!”

I have whiplash

Anonymous wrote:Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

Parent of teens. I am still getting up at 6 on weekdays. otherwise my teens would sleep through at least 1st period daily. Need to be out the door at 6:55 for for the HS bus. Plus I am up at midnight and turning out lights and confiscating phones if kids arent already asleep.

My kids are currently 9 and 7- I think this is really what you want. They sleep through the night, they can get up on their own on weekends and make themselves some breakfast on their own. No high pressure school stuff, no crazy friend drama. No cell phones or social media. No driving and no real going out on their own. Lots of fun activities, and old enough to car pool with others. They like hanging out with us but can play independently. It's been delightful. I'm looking forward to a few more good years before things get real.

PS way less sleep when they're teens and WAY more worrying - as in panic attack worrying!

Anonymous wrote:Hahaha. You may have seriously just set some karma in motion…. bc toddlers are a cakewalk to teens.

This! Enjoy these days because they won't last and the truck that slams into you during the teen years - UGH! You just really can't prepare yourself for it but know that it's coming.

My teens are (so far) pretty easy, but I think the parents who have challenging teens are some of the best parents I know. And much, much better than idiotic smug toddler parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved having teens. I think a lot of parents go in expecting teens to be terrible and at the first indication of typical teen stuff they go “Ah here it is this is gonna be awful” and they overreact and constantly expect the worst and manifest a negative circle. I’m not saying it is easy but parents of teens make a lot of their own trouble by picking battles that don’t matter, lacking empathy and only seeing what is wrong. It is great to have people in the house with real legit opinions and ideas even if they are black and white and overconfident. It is fun to discuss things with them. It is fun to watch actually good tv shows and movies together instead of animated stuff. It is fun to hear how the younger generation thinks. My teenagers absolutely helped me to be a better person by expanding my mind about so many issues. And yes I did get up at 6 for the bus but it is sweet to have people who sleep until noon on Saturday and Sunday! It doesn’t have to be miserable!

OP here. I agree. Most people on here sound like terrible parents who never have time and energy to listen to their kids and engage in preventive care, so to speak, so I’m not surprised they’re having a lot of trouble with their teens. And they act like life is terrible because they have to stay up late to enforce curfew 1-2 nights a week!

Oh, OP. You and that PP sound so nasty and lacking in empathy here. Maybe having teens will be easy for you, but it will be because you lack empathy. You say "terrible parents"? My God, just listen to yourself.

I have older teens. I LOVE having teens, and I found the toddler years exhausting and very hard (mostly because my now college-bound athlete never, ever stopped moving and didn't sleep well). I am fortunate that my teens are mentally healthy, sweet, and kind kids, and we have strong relationships. But I spend a LOT of time around families and teens, and I know that while I can control some of this, there is also a lot of luck involved. And so far, knock on wood, I have had good luck. My God, you both come across as so lacking in empathy, smug, and so judgmental in this post.

I will say that it's often the smug and judgmental ones who have no real idea what is going on in their kids lives. Like I said, I am around a lot of teens, and I've seen that pattern multiple times.

Anonymous wrote:Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

You won't sleep because you will wake up at night worrying about teen issues (even for "good" kids), at the same time you are getting the massive sleep disruption that comes with menopause. Sorry.

It really depends on the kid in question.

Some teens are happy, healthy, and well adjusted. So far mine have been this way (knock on wood!)

Some are not. I developed a severe eating disorder at 14. My brother totaled a car at 17 and almost got kicked out of school for drinking on a school trip. He also got arrested once for breaking and entering (fortunately, the owner decided not to press charges against a white, middle class kid with no previous record).

So, you know, it can go both ways. You never know what you’re going to get.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved having teens. I think a lot of parents go in expecting teens to be terrible and at the first indication of typical teen stuff they go “Ah here it is this is gonna be awful” and they overreact and constantly expect the worst and manifest a negative circle. I’m not saying it is easy but parents of teens make a lot of their own trouble by picking battles that don’t matter, lacking empathy and only seeing what is wrong. It is great to have people in the house with real legit opinions and ideas even if they are black and white and overconfident. It is fun to discuss things with them. It is fun to watch actually good tv shows and movies together instead of animated stuff. It is fun to hear how the younger generation thinks. My teenagers absolutely helped me to be a better person by expanding my mind about so many issues. And yes I did get up at 6 for the bus but it is sweet to have people who sleep until noon on Saturday and Sunday! It doesn’t have to be miserable!

OP here. I agree. Most people on here sound like terrible parents who never have time and energy to listen to their kids and engage in preventive care, so to speak, so I’m not surprised they’re having a lot of trouble with their teens. And they act like life is terrible because they have to stay up late to enforce curfew 1-2 nights a week!

OP, you have totally jinxed yourself with this post. You’ve totally done yourself in

Mine are 18 and 20 so I think I’m safe. Now they may still do stuff but not here. I miss them madly and I still stay up sometimes to make sure they get home ok.

Anonymous wrote:Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

It's replaced by:
1) waiting for them to come home way past your bedtime
and
2) you will have a new found inability to sleep past 7am.

Sorry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved having teens. I think a lot of parents go in expecting teens to be terrible and at the first indication of typical teen stuff they go “Ah here it is this is gonna be awful” and they overreact and constantly expect the worst and manifest a negative circle. I’m not saying it is easy but parents of teens make a lot of their own trouble by picking battles that don’t matter, lacking empathy and only seeing what is wrong. It is great to have people in the house with real legit opinions and ideas even if they are black and white and overconfident. It is fun to discuss things with them. It is fun to watch actually good tv shows and movies together instead of animated stuff. It is fun to hear how the younger generation thinks. My teenagers absolutely helped me to be a better person by expanding my mind about so many issues. And yes I did get up at 6 for the bus but it is sweet to have people who sleep until noon on Saturday and Sunday! It doesn’t have to be miserable!

OP here. I agree. Most people on here sound like terrible parents who never have time and energy to listen to their kids and engage in preventive care, so to speak, so I’m not surprised they’re having a lot of trouble with their teens. And they act like life is terrible because they have to stay up late to enforce curfew 1-2 nights a week!

OP, you have totally jinxed yourself with this post. You’ve totally done yourself in

Yep

Anonymous wrote:Ummm parents of teens can sleep….so I can’t can’t can’t freaking wait!!!!! To have teens!! Imagine going to bed and waking up not at 6 am! And wow, no potty breaks or bad dreams or wondering if it’s a 5 wake-up night or 1 wake up night or none.

Everything else everyone wrote I am ignoring, you all forget how it is to not sleep. Nothing else matters.

The sleeping part is definitely great. Funny that my baby who almost made me lose my damn mind during her first year because she was awake all the time, now as a teen loves to sleep more than anything. Now I’m up early on a Saturday just waiting and waiting for her to get up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved having teens. I think a lot of parents go in expecting teens to be terrible and at the first indication of typical teen stuff they go “Ah here it is this is gonna be awful” and they overreact and constantly expect the worst and manifest a negative circle. I’m not saying it is easy but parents of teens make a lot of their own trouble by picking battles that don’t matter, lacking empathy and only seeing what is wrong. It is great to have people in the house with real legit opinions and ideas even if they are black and white and overconfident. It is fun to discuss things with them. It is fun to watch actually good tv shows and movies together instead of animated stuff. It is fun to hear how the younger generation thinks. My teenagers absolutely helped me to be a better person by expanding my mind about so many issues. And yes I did get up at 6 for the bus but it is sweet to have people who sleep until noon on Saturday and Sunday! It doesn’t have to be miserable!

OP here. I agree. Most people on here sound like terrible parents who never have time and energy to listen to their kids and engage in preventive care, so to speak, so I’m not surprised they’re having a lot of trouble with their teens. And they act like life is terrible because they have to stay up late to enforce curfew 1-2 nights a week!

OP, you have totally jinxed yourself with this post. You’ve totally done yourself in