moan about my son and some perspective please...

Gillyx

I think boys are just stinky creatures. My OH thinks nothing of leaving his snotty hankies on the bedside cabinet, and I then have to pick them up in the morning. I asked him the other night to consider putting them in the bin in the morning, his solution? Bring in an empty Sainsburys carrier and put them in that. I despair at times.

rachbc

LondonDiva wrote: »

I'm actually more concerned that a boy in the year before his GCSEs is only doing 30 mins of homework a night.

He's at the end of ear 8 - 3 more years til his gcses and no they don;t get more homework than that...They get my maths and french to do each week plus a half termly cross cirriculum ILP. His maths takes him 10 mins as he's already working at level 8.

I am kinda relieved this is normal teenage boy behaviour - as confirmed by MIL this pm! Having examined my feelings a little I think is partly anxiety that I haven't done enough to keep on top of stuff that is making me over react/ over compensate - ya know the whole working mum guilt trip we do on ourselves. I guess giving them freedom to grow also means giving them freedom to make mistakes and better now over something silly than later over something bigger. And I guess the same can be said for me as parent!

Bennifred

As the mother of three boys (one still a stinky teenager) I would say: "Don't sweat the small stuff" - hahaha, sorry, couldn't resist!:D

erdd2

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Wait until he discovers girls.......

I was given this advise from parents who had 5 boys all older than my then 13 year old son....low and behold girlfriend on the scene and he was reporting me to environmental health!!!

3v3

rachbc wrote: »

.... I guess giving them freedom to grow also means giving them freedom to make mistakes ... And I guess the same can be said for me as parent!

Precisely!!!!!! On both counts! :T:T:T:T

Hang in there; you'll come through it all

Psst! Your posts in another 10 years time will read sooooo differently

harrys_nan

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Wait until he discovers girls........mine was exactly like yours - had to cattle prod him into the shower - and then all of a sudden bathroom / bedroom smells of a tart's boudoir.

I've just had the house cleaned for me including the dog being washed and kitchen floor cleaned as apparently there's a girl coming around later on today.

i remember that well :rotfl:

Memory_Girl

mountainofdebt wrote: »

Ah well he's had a 'thing' for this particular girl for at least 2 years - am now hoping that his dad and I will be given a £20 to make ourselves scarce!

£20 :eek:

More likely a Cadbury Cream Egg ................... or does that date me:rotfl:

MG

balletshoes

LondonDiva wrote: »

I'm actually more concerned that a boy in the year before his GCSEs is only doing 30 mins of homework a night.

really? this really surprises me, as I didn't do homework every night at high school - even in exam years.
My nephew is 14 and doesn't do homework every night - he does midweek homework as he gets it (so if his homework has to be handed in on a Thursday for example and he gets it on Monday, he'll do it on Monday). But if he has a week to hand in his homework, or its to be handed in after a weekend, he'll do his homework at the weekend.

Its also one week until the end of term right now, and the schools have been in wind-down mode around here for at least a week already (ie day trips to Alton Towers and the likes).

3v3

LondonDiva wrote: »

I'm actually more concerned that a boy in the year before his GCSEs is only doing 30 mins of homework a night.

There was a point where I would have wondered the same.

Both of my lads are at grammar schools. At their inductions we (the parents) were told that there would be an incremental amount of homework, commensorate with their years.

Now, despite checking with my sons - analysing school reports and noting any "patterns", the homework issue is a) hit and miss; b) dependant on how much the student achieves in class c) how much the teacher does/does not accomplish during lessons and d) the ability of the child to knock up a 30 minute homework in a 10 minute time frame!

One of my sons "appears" to do little "home" work - that is because he utilises his travel time to knock it out in a comparatively little time. His best friend, on the other hand, can take up to an hour and a half to attain the same standard.

As for some of their teachers ... they don't "remember" to set homework The cynic in me wonders if they simply do not have the "time" for marking it (that is not suggesting they are lazy or don't care; that factors in the amount of pressure on teachers who may relish the thought of a night at home unwinding, not marking!).

It's not as straight forward as it may seem, is what I'm saying.

Tracey2609

I think a lot of teenagers push boundaries, it's all perfectly normal and part of them growing up. My son will not have a shower unless I nag him to - his room's a tip and he sleeps in his socks - he also knows that I don't respond well to him grunting at me when I ask him questions