Parenting teenagers is hard work but then it does have its advantages at times.
Parenting teenagers is hard work but then it does have its advantages at times. Sure, it is tough having a mini you giving cheek and they do seem to know everything but that is kids after all.
However, as much as we could say teens are hard work, they are also cool. Not that I’d want to admit that to my teenager, but I do enjoy parenting her and while it wrecks my head at times, for the most part, it is ok. Here are some of the things to love about parenting teenagers.
Sleep - As a parent to a daughter who never slept as a baby or toddler, I can’t tell you how happy I am that she is a teenager now and she loves to sleep! Most of the time I have to drag her out of bed and to get her back (for all my sleepless nights)
I sit on her and bounce on the bed to wake her. I also kiss and cuddle her to make sure she knows how hard it was for me staying awake all night with her. Payback is a b*&ch!
Freedom - The freedom thing is a hard one as you need to give it to teenagers and you, ultimately, get more as a parent. You can leave the house without having to bring all the kids and you can run to the shops for an emergency block of ice-cream without having to pack baby bags and nappies. You can literally walk out of the house in minutes. Pure bliss!
Relaxing time - Teenagers love to chill and they are happy to spend evenings watching movies or playing on their video games if you are wrecked. They won’t jump on you to play a game and you won’t feel pressured to bring them on an outing if you are hungover as they will be just as happy with a pizza and a Netflix binge.
Little helpers - Not all teenagers are great for the chores but if you can convince them you’ll find them helpful. They can cook, clean, hoover and help with younger siblings care too. Also, they are tech geniuses so anything tech related can be sorted in seconds and they can make wonderful personal assistants too!
They understand bribery - Yes, they do and don’t feel ashamed for doing it. If they want pocket money, they should help with feeding the pets or doing the dishes. They won’t let you down once you agree on an amount whereas most two-year-olds will tell you to stick your €2 if they suddenly don’t want to do something!
You can have proper discussions with them - I love this and it is so true. There may be some grunting to begin with but if you get a teenager talking about something, they are passionate about they are great conversationalists! Who knew?
You can bring them places - Yes, teenagers are holiday friendly, restaurant friendly and cinema friendly too. They can be brought anywhere and though they may not want to go they will turn up and behave. Which is exactly what every parent needs!
Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.