Please tell me it gets easier with teenagers...

[HipChick]

This is a lot of work..

*/Disclaimer - I have no kids of my own, but helping my brother out with teenage niece...

Basically a good kid, just this teenage stuff does me in...

Sulking,pouting...if she doesn't get her way...

Always has an answer for everything...

And apparently, I don't know anything, despite the fact that I have been on the planet far longer than her...

[Major Nikon]

1. Hell it doesn't get easier even after they are grown

It's perfectly natural for teenagers to get the way you describe. If nature didn't give them an independent streak when they get to be teenagers, they would never move out. As a parent, it's a fine line you have to tread because you don't want to be so strict that they can't think for themselves, yet you have to tell them no from time to time if for no other reason except that they need to hear it.

[pipi_k]

4. Truer words

were never spoken.

Although the problems do change as they get older.

I always get a chuckle when I hear some new mom going on and on about how she never gets a good night's sleep anymore.

Uhhh...yeah.

Once you become a mom (I don't know how it is for dads), you NEVER get another really good night's sleep again.

My kids are 40 and 42.

The "fun" never ends.

Anyway, it's also true about trying to walk that fine line between encouraging independence while still needing to protect them from themselves. My own mom didn't understand that, and over protected us girls. It did not work out well.

In contrast, she had my brother and youngest sister when she was older, and they got a different mom from the one my two closest sisters and I had.

Being a parent is the world's hardest job.

[Unite2DefeatGOP]

2. ...

In my humble opinion, it starts when they're young.
I tell my wife often.

Youngest, 8, told her to 'be quiet'...and you can imagine the sit down talk about that.

[HopeHoops]

3. My youngest is 17 and just left to live with my dad. Yes, it gets easier, but sometimes, sometimes,.

... you have to admit you're at fault. She wasn't happy here. The older two are fine with the house, but the youngest was not. We initially gave her a firm "no", but after thinking about it we decided the right thing to do was follow what we believe - "if you love something, set it free." She just started school in her new home. We signed off on joint custody. We're both sad, but she would have resented us forever if we had stuck by our selfish original decision.

I wasn't an easy kid to deal with. My brother died when I was in 11th grade and my girlfriend of 2 1/2 years died in a car crash while she was chasing me when I was 19. Yeah, I was basically fucked up in every way possible and still am. You never get over shit like that. Fortunately, the worst tragedy most teens go through is dropping their iPhone in the toilet. I can't claim to have had a normal teen experience, well, because I didn't, but I've got three wonderful daughters who are all beautiful young women now. You have to let them stretch their wings before they can fly. If you don't, they'll rot in the nest.

I'm sorry to get so emotional about it, but there comes a time when you have to let go.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. I never felt that I had a chance to raise my children on my own terms because

of so many unfortunate things that kept interfering. But I will say that they turned out better than I hoped for and distance has made the heart grow founder. My daughter actually calls and we talk. My son, well, we're working on it. The talking part. It's obvious that we want to keep in touch, but we're so much alike. Small talk has never been our forte.

[KurtNYC]

6. Isn't there a saying like "At 15 I knew everything and at 24 I knew how much I didn't know."

They are gonna make mistakes -- it is the only way the over-confident can learn.

[lastlib]

14. Mark Twain has been quoted as saying...

..."When I was seven years old, my dad knew everything. When I was fourteen, he didn't know anything. When I was twenty-one, I was amazed at how much the ol' boy learned in seven years."

[Ptah]

7. Sometimes it gets easier, sometimes it doesn't.

[Iggo]

8. Eventually they turn 30 and it's all better.

[Odin2005]

9. All teens are like that. I have a 13yo niece...

I and know exactly what you are talking about!

[rurallib]

10. We were so lucky we never went through that with our kids

maybe partially because Mrs. Lib is disabled, but they were always nice and open etc.
We have had so many friends that have had troubles, and i just thank my lucky stars every day.
Both are in their 30s and still quite nice.

[hunter]

11. My mom says 25.

My kids aren't there yet.

When they or their friends get cars they'll be out of the house but you'll worry more. Especially when the police call after midnight, that moment before they tell you your kid's unharmed.

You can reduce the worry by making your house the cool place to hang out for your kids and all their friends, feeding them all and allowing kids to sleep over, especially kids who are having problems in their own homes, but this brings its own troubles...

Good Luck!

[RiffRandell]

12. I doubt it.

My son is a tween--11. I already see the signs. I just hope he's better than me when I was a teenager.

[DebJ]

18. When my daughter reached that age, I began telling her

that when she reached 14, she would reject everything I said as wrong,
and that would mean most likely that I was right.

She found that hilarious at 11. When it happened as I predicted
at 14, we had a lot of laughs over it, breaking up the tensions
from the natural disputes. It worked well.

See, I was going to be right no matter what:
either she would agree with me on things at 14,
or she would disagree with me at 14, so I was right about her disagreeing.

[Scuba]

13. By the time they're 30, you get used to it.

[murielm99]

15. It does get better.

Mine were in their twenties before it happened.

Most of the time, I enjoyed my teenagers and we had fun. We had our difficult moments, but I did not have as hard a time as some parents.

[Aristus]

16. No. It gets worse.

And then it gets better...

[bluedigger]

17. I could tell you that, but I'd be Ryaning.

[Nevernose]

19. When their own kids are teenagers

Youd be amazed at how often I call my mom to apologize for shit I did 20 years ago.

[dembotoz]

20. when the united states gained independence it required a war

sometimes families are not that different.

you hope for something peaceful like england and canada

but sometimes that just does not happen

[SoDesuKa]

21. Life Has a Way of Civilizing Teenagers

You can warn them about consequences until you are blue in the face, but they won't know about life until they experience some of it on their own. Son of a gun, there are consequences; you can't get out of every situation with a cute smile.

Growing up makes teenagers into people again. You can't live their lives for them; they need to make their own mistakes, experience their own heartbreaks. It's life.

[Remmah2]

22. Ever seen Aliens?

Teenagers are an alien life form. A primordial mix of hormones and emotional energy. Totally volatile. Einstein feared teenagers.

[riderinthestorm]

23. I'd give my right arm if my only problem with my teen was sulking and pouting.

Truly, it can be a hell of a lot worse. REALLY worse.

My older girl was/is an angel in comparison to my youngest....

Sounds like things are proceeding normally with your niece - sulking, pouting, backtalking, and the smug superiority - yup, all's well in HipChickBro's household as far as I can tell. Keep up the good work!!