Tuesday 23 June 2009

Straddling the fence

Fat, Frumpy and Fifty was bemoaning the fact that although she'd just joined British Mummy Bloggers, she felt a bit out of it because her kids are older. (Read her post, it's great.) When you're a mother to teenagers, the concerns of younger kids' mothers seem like a different world. Eg.:

-Don't leave them in the bath on their own (for too long)
-Cook on the back rings of your over top so they can't reach the pans
-Listen for the front door as they (mine) have a habit of running off to the neighbour's who then has to phone to check you know where they are.
-Don't forget to leave a note for and from the tooth fairy when the teeth fall out. Oh, and make sure you remove the tooth too.

You know how it goes. It's all rather sweet. Except for when they give up their naps and start doing really naughty things like covering themselves with the nappy/diaper cream, or emptying the polysterene balls from the bean bag into their underwear and pyjama drawer, in an effort to make you realise that they are no longer tired in the middle of the day.

Me - I'm straddling both worlds at the moment. With two teens and a 6 year old I often feel schizophrenic. One minute I'm warning someone that they'd better not go further than the park and have to be in by 10.30pm, and the next I'm trying to come up with the answer to "Why does the Tooth Fairy need all those teeth?" (She's building a white castle out of them BTW. He doesn't seem to think this at all gross!)

The older two have been warned on pain of death and other nasty consequnces that they are not to "out" the Tooth Fairy, and must not make quotation marks in the air when referring to "Santa". Actually, for the most part they have gone along with things quite nicely although they can be heard from time to time telling him to get out of their rooms, or stop annoying them, otherwise they might have to have a word with Santa. Since he's usually the one making the trouble, I think that's all well and good.

The funniest thing however, is that it takes me about two minutes tops to put Little Guy to bed. When he's tired, he's tired. The other two - oh please. First of all I now have to wait up for them to go to bed. (I would leave them to it, but the fridge door would probably be left open, or even the front door.) Once they're up in their rooms the music goes on, which prompts much hissing from me that their little brother is asleep and I would like him to remain that way. Then there's the thumping around for half an hour before they actually climb into their beds. (What on earth do teenagers do that requires them to walk the length of the Amazon back and forth across their rooms?) Then, just when I think it's safe to try to get some sleep, one of them decides they need something from the kitchen (a long way down) and starts sneaking around the house, making me think we're all about to be murdered in our beds.

Yes, all you mothers of little ones - it's all to come. Mwah-ha-ha!

16 comments:

  1. You mean I have to carry on doing this for a while longer? What about early retirement packages? Any of those on offer?

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  2. It isn't easy to cope with teens and smaller ones or any children of widely differing ages. The age gaps will close eventually.
    It all a matter of waiting and letting different phases pass.
    When all my grandchildren get together, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find things that they all want to do or are capable of doing.

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  3. I am so with you here - same problem - 16 - 8 - at least it gives us lots of good blogging fodder - never a dull moment Lx

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  4. Yes, people keep saying he'll keep me young so why do I feel 102?

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  5. Somehow I suspect your youngest probably gets spoilt by his older siblings. t was certainly the way with my youngest brother. Would you say your youngest is certainly the most challenging of the three? Mine was.

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  6. With an almost 16 year-old son who has 20 year-old twin sisters I reckon life must be hell for him. But then he gives them such a hard time that the swearing that goes on in this house is really quite impressive.

    My daughters have turned out a success whereas my son has been struggeling for several years now. It's a long story which I hope will turn out just fine in the end.

    Babies? Pah!

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  7. No No you weren't meant to say that. I've only got 7 years to go before I get my first teeenager and already the tiem seems too short...

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  8. Between my husband and I we have five in our house, from 11 up to almost 20 (well, the 18 year old and the 20 year old are out of the house now) and we have been trying for another one (as we have no children together)... but have decided teenagers make great contraception. (Do we REALLY want to go through all of THIS again??)

    Ive also decided 9-12 must be the perfect age: old enough to have good conversations with, and young enough to not be overly hormonal.

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  9. Yes, but are they sleeping through the night?

    Please tell me I'll get to sleep again some day....

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  10. Hahahahaha I laugh so much with the things you write expatmum!
    And I loved the part about the tooth fairy building a white castle!
    Big Hug! XX

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  11. Oh - great. Just... great. Thanks a bundle, EPM...

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  12. First, there's a teenage group on BMB -- check it our for more "teenage" conversation...

    Second, I always love coming here because I really haven no clue what is in store. My seven-year-old just started rolling her eyes at me, I think that is just a start (?!)

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  13. I thought that once the labour was out of the way, that was the hard part done.

    How wrong can you get?

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  14. WE ARE SO on the same page!!! thank YOU I AM SANE!!!

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  15. Two words: boarding school
    ;-)
    PS: The idea with the castle is so gross!

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  16. How true all of that was, and how I remember it all! Straddling those ages must be tricky for you though. Actually, you've just reminded me how much I appreciate the peace and quiet I (mostly) enjoy now! M xx

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