Teenagers are a strange breed. Creatures of habit, room dwellers, cupboard scavengers, door slamming mumblers. They like to sleep for copious amounts of time but also possess the ability to become nocturnal socialisers. They fridge forage and either avoid the bathroom at all costs or consume it for seemingly every waking minute... there is no in-between.
They are hoarders of cups, bowls and spoons and are inseparable from their mobile devices.
They can make a meal from a single food item and are masters of ensuring a chocolate spread jar is scraped free of every last smear with the most admirable precision.
I remember teenage-hood well. Years filled with angst and thoughts of boys, music and aspirations of what I would be. I remember living for the moment.
And now many years later, with my own teenagers, I see the traits which I once had and it makes me giggle in a 'Been there done that' sense. I had the t-shirt, wore it solidly for weeks and threw it on the floor too.
The teenagers would insist that I haven't but boy, I have.
It's only now, many moon later that I see the signs. Right in front of me, playing out in my own teenagers as I have become one of 'The Olds'.
So how do you know you have a teenager? I asked our followers that very question and together as an accumulation of 'Olds' living with teenagers here are the tell tale signs that you may also have one or two of your own: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (yes there are a lot of signs!)
You know you have a teenager when...
- Using any electronic device or uploading to their own YouTube channel is easy but replacing a toilet roll is too complicated.
- The kitchen cupboards look like they've been looted.
- You play I Spy in the car with the six year old and the teenager picks 'A'. You guess for 20 minutes till you give up and he says "Annoying family".
- Grunting for 'yes' and eye rolling for 'no' is their language. Apart from when they 'must have' something new, then they are very vocally and coherently persuasive.
- You realise that building them a wardrobe is completely pointless as they hang their clothes on the floor.
- You feel like you should be scrumming across the landing floor because your teenage son has Call of Duty blaring so loud it feels like you are in a war zone.
- You spend a fortune on shopping but they always say there's nothing to eat and they are starving.
- You get a text from upstairs asking if tea is ready.
- You can't find a single clean towel and then you look in their room.
- Their bedroom resembles a recycling plant because of all the plastic pop/water bottles and cartons strewn around the floor.
- They are instantaneously messaging friends they saw at school earlier the second they leave their company.
- A simple 'Good morning darling, it's time to get up' is met with a "GET OUT OF MY ROOM, WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH ME ALL THE TIME?" yet they have no problem asking for money through the toilet door.
Deborah is better know as Mrs FD on her Family Days Tried and Tested Facebook Page where she chats and shares daily about the reality of family life and how to make every day more enjoyable. You can read more by Deborah at familydaystriedandtested.com.