Teen Talk

[wellfleet]

A place to chat about teen trauma, teen triumph, and everything in between.

[Tenured_Feminist]

I have a few of these critters and have launched one successfully. Current drama and trauma is shepherding youngest through delayed puberty. He's sporty, so it really stinks. I don't think about it a lot, but seeing him last night at his concert really brought it home again. He'll almost certainly muscle up and hit 5'10" eventually, but it's not easy when all your friends are enjoying their man strength and you are not.

[backatit]

Define "teen?" Can arrested development count? We have the 19 year old who has decided that he is not going to go "away" to college anymore (he's about 70 miles from campus so was renting a room last semester but this year he wants to commute) and an early 20 something who finished her MA and now can't decide what to do all converging on us this summer. I was USED to an empty house, and I am really going to miss it. I may have to build a little quonset hut out back and stick in a room AC and an extension cord...

[Tenured_Feminist]

My 20 year old is away for college but home for breaks. The first few days I love having him around. Then I get awakened in the wee hours by his endless League of Legends games.

Backatit, how the heck is a 70 mile commute going to work, especially if you're somewhere where there's weather?

When everyone converges for the summer, I am reinstituting the weekly game where we all sit around Sunday night and take turns picking the crap chores and tasks we are willing to do during the week. Hoping that the 20 year old is willing to do a lot of yardwork and cooking. My daughter hates cooking so she may sign up for dinner cleanup for many weeknights. The great beauty of this system is that when one slacks, the sibs get outraged and enforce, so I have far less nagging to do.

[wellfleet]

Wellkid is 15, finishing the school year this week, and eager for more sleep before spending half of his break in the wilderness.

[Tenured_Feminist]

Youngest has his confirmation tomorrow. It's currently 10:36 and he is writing the speech he plans to deliver. About all I can say is that the rabbi knows what to expect and is probably not at defcon 1 just yet.

[mouseman]

The Mouselet has graduated high school, so sometimes I forget that she's still only 17.

[backatit]

My 20 year old is away for college but home for breaks. The first few days I love having him around. Then I get awakened in the wee hours by his endless League of Legends games.

Backatit, how the heck is a 70 mile commute going to work, especially if you're somewhere where there's weather?

When everyone converges for the summer, I am reinstituting the weekly game where we all sit around Sunday night and take turns picking the crap chores and tasks we are willing to do during the week. Hoping that the 20 year old is willing to do a lot of yardwork and cooking. My daughter hates cooking so she may sign up for dinner cleanup for many weeknights. The great beauty of this system is that when one slacks, the sibs get outraged and enforce, so I have far less nagging to do.

Well, he's at my school, so apparently the idea (according to his mother; he is my stepkid) is that I'm going to schlep him back and forth with me. Except I don't go in every day. We don't have weather like up North (we are in the South) so it's mostly driving - highway at that. I have done the commute for about 17 years, off and on (I teach a lot of online classes - this semester I'll be in more than usual which is why they've decided this will work, without consulting me). I feel like writing to an advice columnist.

I have said that I will not take him if my schedule doesn't mesh closely (ie. I'm not getting up at 6 am if I don't have to be there till noon, which is often). So mostly we'll BOTH have to drive over, which is going to be a real waste.

I'm trying not to be aggravated because I DO have lots of agency and choices - it's up to all of them to figure it out, not me, truthfully, and just because they assume I'll do something doesn't mean I will, but I am a bit...

[wellfleet]

Sorry, backatit--that does sound kinda icky.

Wellkid is away, trekking, and will be for another 2 1/2 weeks. I hope he's having fun!

[irhack]

If his final grade is any indication, IRson never submitted his final English assignment. The one where I checked Canvas and saw it wasn't submitted, and asked "did you submit it" and he said yes, to which I replied"are you sure?" He checked again and said "oh" which I interpreted to mean he realized his mistake and submitted it, but I guess not. At least he passed. Next year is high school. The powers that be have already set up some homework assistance for him there so I'm going to bite my tongue and let the kid enjoy his summer. But sheesh. He had something written, it might have been incomplete but anything would have been better than nothing.

[wellfleet]

Wellkid surprised himself by earning a spot his school's International Baccalaureate diploma program for the last two years of high school. I'm really pleased for him--I think he'll get a lot more out of this experience than the regular classes, and he'll be able to follow his interests more deeply.

He's also happy doing this even though it means another two years of (a new) foreign language, which amazes me.

[backatit]

I am really happy for him, Wellfleet! Hopefully this will engage him and that will be good.

20 year old is still schlepping himself 70 miles a day back and forth to campus, although he does seem to be settling somewhat closer to a major, which is good. He was in underwater basketweaving which he really actually seemed to hate, but didn't LIKE anything else, but he took a class in tapestry weaving which kept him engrossed till the wee hours so he has agreed that he might (just might) like to do that a bit more. He is still schlepping the 70 miles a day to campus, but I'm not involved in it (most days I just sit at home and work anyway). He'll either get tired of it or his car will break down, one or the other...

[mouseman]

The Mouselet has finished Fall term and J-term, and is in the middle of Spring term. She loves it there, but still occasionally get stressed out and calls to speak to me or the Catwoman, for venting and being calmed down. She's doing really well - she got a job in the first few weeks. She contacted a professor who did some work which was connected to the research project the  Mouselet did in high school. When the professor heard that the Mouselet had been dealing with fruit flies, she offered the Mouselet a job.

The Mouselet also has an internship for the Summer. The Catwoman had introduced the Mouselet to a professor as a possible mentor for the Mouselet's research project. It didn't work out, but the Mouselet contacted that professor in December, and asked whether the professor was looking for a summer intern. The Professor invited the Mouselet to interview, and the Mouselet nailed the interview and was offered an internship. We didn't even know about the interview until afterwards - we weren't even in town (we were dealing with our move). We knew that the Mouselet was contacting taht professor, but that's it - we got back to Chicagoland, and the Mouselet told us that she had an interview and that she was hired, and now we need to help her figure out a place for her to stay over the summer.

So mostly good news on the teen front (she's 18 now).

[wellfleet]

After cooling his heels for four months on the camp waitlist, wellteen finally got a spot on his long-desired month-long backpacking trip for this coming summer. He's completely stoked and is now making all sorts of training plans, etc.. I'm so glad he has something to look forward to!

[apl68]

After cooling his heels for four months on the camp waitlist, wellteen finally got a spot on his long-desired month-long backpacking trip for this coming summer. He's completely stoked and is now making all sorts of training plans, etc.. I'm so glad he has something to look forward to!

Sounds like the adventure of a lifetime!