Many of the blogs I have found out there are written my moms. Usually they are moms of babies, toddlers or elementary age children. I remember those days/years fondly and enjoy reading about their trials, tribulations and joys. I thought today I would share with you what you have to look forward to eventually......a house full of teenagers!
5. You do get to use the bathroom alone- most of the time. Occasionally I still have them shout through the door because they just cannot wait 2 more minutes for me to get finish up. But for the most part, my trips to the bathroom are nice and quiet.
4. You can sleep in on the weekends because the kids can be up on their own. But we are talking teenagers here so probably you will be up long before they are....because teens LOVE to sleep in!
3. You can actually have very in depth conversations with them about a variety of subjects, some you might actually be interested in.
2. You can get rid of all the plastic cups out of the cupboard and use real glasses with minimal loss of drinking vessels. This also applies to plastic plates, bowls, silverware, etc.
1. No more babysitters are needed- well most of the time, sometimes I wonder. But you are once again able to go to the store alone....you can go and eat lunch or dinner out without the added expense of a babysitter!
Of course with the good also comes the bad......
5. They believe that they need a whole lot of sleep and can sleep to all hours of the day. They dislike being awakened by parental figures who are disapproving of their long sleep hours.
4. They can eat you out of house and home....seriously! Food never lasts long in our household, especially snacks! There is a good side to this....when I make baked goods I usually only get one or two cookies total out of the batch...no way to over indulge!
3. They never want to stay home once they get the opportunity to drive without parents in the car. While I love that my son can drive himself and his siblings to school, I also would love to have a vehicle occasionally. This can be difficult when said teenager is involved in a lot of sports, etc.
2. They will love to argue with you....regarding just about everything. Because no matter how much you try to understand them, you will not, according to them. They will argue about the color of the sky if they are in a bad enough mood. I suggest choosing your battles carefully, some things just aren't worth arguing about!
1. You will realize that very soon they will be graduating high school and leaving you to go on their own adventures. You will realize that the years went by way too quickly and that you miss those baby cuddles, toddler adventures and all those things you wished would speed by.
So do you think you are prepared for the good, the bad, the teenager? I thought I was and I am finding this to be by far the most difficult time to be a mother! But I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Top 5 Good Things about a house of teens:
5. You do get to use the bathroom alone- most of the time. Occasionally I still have them shout through the door because they just cannot wait 2 more minutes for me to get finish up. But for the most part, my trips to the bathroom are nice and quiet.
4. You can sleep in on the weekends because the kids can be up on their own. But we are talking teenagers here so probably you will be up long before they are....because teens LOVE to sleep in!
3. You can actually have very in depth conversations with them about a variety of subjects, some you might actually be interested in.
2. You can get rid of all the plastic cups out of the cupboard and use real glasses with minimal loss of drinking vessels. This also applies to plastic plates, bowls, silverware, etc.
1. No more babysitters are needed- well most of the time, sometimes I wonder. But you are once again able to go to the store alone....you can go and eat lunch or dinner out without the added expense of a babysitter!
Of course with the good also comes the bad......
Top 5 UGH--I have a Teenager in the house
5. They believe that they need a whole lot of sleep and can sleep to all hours of the day. They dislike being awakened by parental figures who are disapproving of their long sleep hours.
4. They can eat you out of house and home....seriously! Food never lasts long in our household, especially snacks! There is a good side to this....when I make baked goods I usually only get one or two cookies total out of the batch...no way to over indulge!
3. They never want to stay home once they get the opportunity to drive without parents in the car. While I love that my son can drive himself and his siblings to school, I also would love to have a vehicle occasionally. This can be difficult when said teenager is involved in a lot of sports, etc.
2. They will love to argue with you....regarding just about everything. Because no matter how much you try to understand them, you will not, according to them. They will argue about the color of the sky if they are in a bad enough mood. I suggest choosing your battles carefully, some things just aren't worth arguing about!
1. You will realize that very soon they will be graduating high school and leaving you to go on their own adventures. You will realize that the years went by way too quickly and that you miss those baby cuddles, toddler adventures and all those things you wished would speed by.
So do you think you are prepared for the good, the bad, the teenager? I thought I was and I am finding this to be by far the most difficult time to be a mother! But I wouldn't trade it for the world.
ugh being a mom is so bittersweet... kids better hit it rich and take me on tons of vacations so I can forget how awful an empty nest is lol!!
ReplyDeleteThis entire post came to me as I was sitting around one evening and the kids were in rare form! They were great and being entertaining but it reminded me of when they were young. I love reading blogs of those who have little kids but sometimes I also have to chuckle....because I thought being a mom of teenagers would be easy-- HA!! Those baby, toddler days were far easier--- trust me!
DeleteROFL!!! oh man you make me so excited for the future lol!!! babies easy... oi.... lol!!
DeleteYou're right about there not being many bloggers talking about teenagers (vs babies or toddlers). I think this would be a cool post for you to do on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteI like how you have good conversations with your teens and that you "pick your battles carefully." I'm sure your teens appreciate having a mom who will listen!
I am not sure how much they appreciate me now-- I am just hoping that down the road they realize how good they had it!! I have thought about doing more about what it is like to live with teenagers because so many blogs are moms with little ones. I will have to start working some posts in....
Delete:-)
Mine are still 3 and 4. I'm looking forward to seeing some of those pro's. I would be a very uncool mom when my son can drive, cause I picture wanting to go with him, lol.
ReplyDeleteJust wait-- it will be here before you know it! I seriously sometimes sit and try to remember where all the time went. I know it seems like you will never be beyond the toddler/preschool years yet all of a sudden you are and they are off doing things on their own!
DeleteWell here in Michigan the kids have to get so many hours in driving with a parent so we spent a lot of time riding with H. He even wanted to drive when it was icy, snowy out with us- which was good because then we got to see what kind of driver he was. The first few times were hard letting him leave without us but now 8 months later, it is far easier!
Thanks for dropping in!
Mine are young as well. I definitely try to remind myself that this will pass and they will not be young for long. :) Great post. Thanks for sharing what it's like to be on the other side. :)
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is different! I always thought I would be a great parent to teens. Now I am not so sure!!! I guess when you start having to think about one leaving home in the very near future, one starts looking back at how quickly the time really did go!
DeleteLOVE this post!! I'm going to follow your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteI have six children and they range in age from 5 - 17. You're right in that so many blogs are about the young years. Older children are very different. I totally agree with your lists here.
Ahhh-- so glad that there are others out there too who are going through similar things. I do love reading about the trials that moms of young ones go through as it is almost bittersweet. But I just knew I had to write this....because while there are positives, there are also challenges one never even stops to realize until you are right in the middle of it!
DeleteThanks for stopping in and I am so excited to have another follower-- glad that you enjoyed.
Love your thoughts. My kids are still pretty little and I still DREAD the day they grow up and move away - I wish I could hold on to these early years forever!
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew how fast it would go too....and then one day I woke up and my oldest was a junior in high school! I really do miss the cuddling and unconditional love that you get from little ones but then again-- I love being able to run to the store on my own. Just cannot win, I guess. :-D
DeleteVery cute post! I don't have kids of my own yet, but my brother is 16 so I can relate!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words! It definitely is a different experience. I am just hoping I live through all these teenage years.
DeleteLooking forward to some of that..but boy do I love to just hug my baby sometimes and hear him running in his diaper. Some days its priceless other days I could pull my hair out! But its def worth it! I am looking forward to my daughter becoming a teenager but very scared as well!
ReplyDeleteI agree that I struggled as well when mine were little. Some days went so well and I loved it all and other days I ran to hide once hubby got home! I miss parts of those days now.....and don't miss other parts at all! I did get a hug from my oldest today (16 year old boys aren't real keen on cuddling) ...that was a big highlight!
DeleteOh my! We have 4 kids (yours, mine & ours... ) My step-son is 18 & in the Army, my eldest daughter is 12 (going on 16 seems like), I have an 8 y.o son, and my youngest daughter turns 6 next week. I am dreading have being officially in the teen years! It already feels like we're being eaten out of house and home, and I know it's only going to get worse!
ReplyDeleteI know that I thought I was making a ton of food a few years ago and it only seems to increase each month! Hubby used to complain when I would bake goodies because he hated having them in the house to tempt him.....now it doesn't matter because nothing lasts more than about a day or so and we only get one or two cookies total out of the entire batch! So that is both a bad and good.
DeleteWith a 2 yr old, 6 yr old, 11 yr old, 14 yr old and 16 yr old...I'm beginning to know what you mean. One thing I'm really learning...all the extra driving, (especially with one kid at a time) offers some awesome, almost inescapable , important conversation time that can be a real blessing! For that reason (and a couple others...) I'm not looking forward to the first solo driver's license...even though a little fewer driving trips would be nice.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best times for conversations that I have found is when I go and pick my kids up and we are driving home. Even with them all in the car, they are very chatty and interact with each other as well. Since the oldest usually drives everyone these times are few and far between anymore, I do miss that time too!
DeleteWhile my children are nowhere close to being teenagers, I've realized that, as you pointed out, the years do go by quickly. They do grow up fast! I'm striving to enjoy the newborn stage with my newest addition knowing that all too soon she will grow and be in the next stage.
ReplyDeleteIt will be here so much sooner than you ever expect! I look at my daughter and cannot believe that she will start high school next year. I am pretty sure she was just 2 or 3 years old!
DeleteThere is so much I look forward to for when my kids are teens - deep discussions that don't involve me being some type of animal or wicked witch - the extra sleep, or quiet mornings because they prefer sleeping.
ReplyDeleteBut I know there is going to be so much I miss from these early years too. I'm trying every day to have fun, and make memories so we'll look back with fondness instead of regret when they are older.
I absolutely love having conversations with the kids that actually are stimulating....however sometimes they are beyond me too! I guess I have some very deep thinkers on my hands but it definitely is fun. I have to say I don't miss getting up in the night or having to get up early in the mornings but I do miss the snuggling and rocking the little ones to sleep! I guess someday I will get the chance.....when we get grandkids!
DeleteThat is funny, I have 2 teenagers and a 10 year old. They still follow me into the bathroom, and my 10 year old is always in the bed with me when we wake up. They could baby sit my 10 year old but they harass her and she doesn't want to be with the boys. Oh, I am longing for the time, that I don't get 10 calls on my way out doing errands. I know I will miss them but now I would like more peace.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness!! I guess I am lucky then. While they do all fight and argue, we can definitely leave them home all together and they actually get along much better than when we are home. Actually they all love when we leave them home alone --- sometimes they ask us to leave!
DeleteIt'a funny, we were all teenagers once, yet reading this I feel like I'm learning a lot, or being reminded. I am a worrier, therefore I don't know if I'll ever be prepare to the thought of my boys driving, being out with friends at strange hours and places. I don't know how you (we) do it! Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember being a teenager and remember how I felt that my mom never understood. I didn't want to be like that but.....well my son is sure I don't understand. I guess that is just what a teenager feels.....parents just don't understand!
DeleteThankfully here in Michigan we have graduated driver's licenses....which means that 16 year olds are not allowed to be out driving from 10pm- 6am unless it is for work. So we have had a handy curfew....I don't think it goes up much with the next level....maybe midnight!
I am a mommy to one little 2 year old redhead. I, of course, want more kiddos (in time!) To think about him (and future babies) being all grown up, makes me soooo sad! But it is also exciting to see who our little people will become. I mourn when my baby completes one stage of his life (he's no longer a baby, hes a toddler!) but I also get excited for the new stage he's entering. What an emotional roller coaster us mommies must face!!
ReplyDeleteAwwww!! He sounds adorable! I do miss those cute little chubby cheeks and snuggling up with them. My youngest will occasionally snuggle but it is a rare anymore. It is hard watching them grow up. Somedays I find myself choking up because time has gone by so quickly.
DeleteI have to say that I was the good teenager 99% of the time and my brother took the cake for the bad teenager. He was famous for never telling anyone where he went he still does it till this day - Where are you going? Out. When will you be back? Later. Now I feel like my husband is the teenager in our house, you need to ask him to do one thing multiple times but isn't that all husbands? ;)
ReplyDeleteSee I was the good teenager most of the time too. I did a few things that probably were bad but honestly not that bad. I struggle on a daily basis wondering sometimes if I am always being told the truth, etc.
DeleteAs for your hubby-- there are days when I am pretty sure I have four kids not three. Especially when our daughter decides to torment her dad like she does her brothers. Then they run through the house like crazy people....
Oh man...I just hope my babies will be better than my hubby and I were LOL
ReplyDeleteThat's the problem, right?? You remember what you did and don't want your kids to make the same mistakes or be as stupid!! But I figure, they can only learn by making their own mistakes.....
DeleteIsn't this true!!! I'm on my second round of motherhood and it's harder now I think...but wouldn't change a think. We raise our grandson and love every minute of it, but I often say "I can't wait until he is just a little older", then I stop myself!!!
ReplyDeleteI know I often said that I couldn't wait until they were a bit older....and now that they are older- I do miss the younger years! They go by so incredibly fast.
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