Posts by wiredcanyon25

Alex Walker8 said:Does anyone know where I can find some kind of vaccine against teenage rage?
Mine doesn't bite, per se...🙂🙂But then again, neither do I when he's around...

If you find anything, please let me know
otherwise, I might have to start biting back 🙂 🙂 🙂

silentscout20 said:Personally, I think it's actually really sweet, which is why I'm so shocked... because I figured in a year or two, he wouldn't want to do this anymore. He's already starting to want his own space and just saying "goodnight" without the mandatory kisses and tucking in like he used to... so I'm not shocked because it's "wrong," I'm just shocked because I thought all this stuff disappeared once they hit puberty... I really hope at least this part sticks around for me...

My kid still loves to hug and kiss me, even though we have our fair share of battles. Sometimes he's so affectionate I actually have to push him off, which is wild to experience. He’ll sneak up behind me for a big hug while I'm busy in the kitchen, too—sometimes it's almost a little dangerous when I'm mid-task, like slicing something...
I truly hope he never outgrows this phase...

Why would that surprise you?
I don't treat him like a baby anymore; we just head to his room together, he lies down, and I give him a goodnight kiss. It's our little ritual, and I really hope it stays this way for a long time...
There isn't anything strange or wrong about a mother kissing her child before bed, no matter how old they get.
Even when my own mom comes to stay with us for a few days, she still gives me a kiss before sleep and in the morning.

By the way, we were just having a discussion about food earlier.
The kid trained for seven years, hitting the pool three or four times a week.
But starting this year, he’s decided he’s done. He says it’s too much work, it’s boring, and he wants more time to focus on his schoolwork.🙄.................................. ...
Naturally, he’s started to put on a little weight because he’s mostly just lounging around and eating more than usual.
He’s quite tall for a thirteen-year-old, standing about 5'9", but he's definitely carrying some extra weight now.
Tonight, he wanted eggs with bacon and cheese for dinner. I told him that felt like a bit much for a late meal—especially since he already polished off a decent bar of chocolate and half a box of cookies after lunch. He gave me this whole speech about how he’s still growing and accused me of trying to starve him or make him feel deprived.
I find myself constantly bringing up portion sizes, but I worry that if I don't, his health and mental well-being might suffer...
Then again, maybe I am overthinking things a bit... 🤷

Alex Walker8 said:What else can you do besides step away and cool off when he just won't quit?🤷
It’s a total disaster. Honestly, what else is coming our way?
That bit about the hateful glares? He does that every single day. It’s like he’s constantly looking down his nose at us... chills.
We are fighting over absolutely everything—schoolwork, clothes, screen time, when he comes home, when he leaves... everything. The kid is just primed for a fight; he’s practically waiting for me to say anything just so he can snap. Every single time.
He can go on for hours, arguing, trying to find some twisted version of justice or "rights." In his mind, he always has to have the final word.
Do you know how many times I beat myself up over this "fake democracy" we have going on at home? The reason I don't let things slide immediately is because I’m the one in charge.
It’s not like, "Oh, let's give the child a voice and an opinion," because then it just turns into a free-for-all with zero boundaries.
Ugh.

And then we’re just screwed...

His teacher told me that she doesn't subscribe to any of those liberal parenting theories; apparently, a few firm corrections at the right moment make everything much easier... though, of course, that isn't her official position.

I’m sure the resident moral police will come for me any second now, though I’d gladly hand over my kid to a good foster family for five or ten years just to get some peace...

It seems like we're just getting started here... looking forward to seeing what others have to say. wiredcanyon25 says:
It looks like we’re all here...
wiredcanyon25 finds it funny, but I’m just not in the mood to laugh...😍
One day, there was this hysterical screaming... I truly despise both of you from the bottom of my heart...😲So his husband just told him, "Fine, then pack your bags and find yourself an old man you won't end up hating," after he spent all that time acting like such a sweet little thing and claiming he didn't actually mean what he said...☕
He isn't even banging on the door yet. He’s just rolling his eyes harder than anyone else on this forum, muttering under his breath... probably some colorful choice words for whoever's responsible...
And so it goes...
Please don't mind me, I'm just venting a little...

Oh, dear... I can't help but laugh at my own misfortune, since I find myself in the exact same boat as you, wiredcanyon25...
My kid spends almost all his time scowling at us, giving us these looks that just seem to radiate pure resentment...
His sheer laziness and lack of accountability are driving me to the brink... I feel like I'm about to lose it just to get through to him...
Schoolwork and grades have become a constant source of friction in our house. Instead of pushing himself to finish 7th grade with top marks to secure his spot for high school, he’d much rather spend his afternoons arguing with us over extra screen time. If he could just channel that stubbornness toward something productive, it would make life a whole lot easier...
A few nights ago, he started picking at me with all this nonsense. I didn't take the bait; I stayed patient and asked him several times to just drop it, but he wouldn't listen. Eventually, I just reached my limit. I grabbed my keys, headed straight for the car, and left without even telling him I was going... I turned my phone off and went to stay with my sister for a bit to clear my head. By the time I checked my phone, I saw he had called me a million times. I didn't get back until really late, and he was still awake—though his mom still has to tuck him in and kiss him goodnight—but we didn't say a word to each other. I know walking out like that seems impulsive, but in that moment, I felt like if I didn't walk away, a massive blowout was inevitable, and I just couldn't deal with that...
If I kept listing all the nonsense we have to deal with, I’d be up until the crack of dawn...

Alex Walker8 said:So, here we are, part of this wonderful group too.
The kid works himself into a frenzy every single day... literally. It’s exhausting, especially for me.😁
He finally realized that losing it once—after hours and hours of me staying calm, explaining things, and pleading—doesn't change a thing. It just doesn't work.
In his mind, he knows everything. He’s the expert. Everything else is stupid, pathetic, or boring. And why does it *have* to happen right now? It’s the same loop from sunrise to sunset. Every day, the same cycle. No breathing room, no breaks, just constant combat. It feels like a marathon to see who can hold out the longest.🤷It is incredibly draining and heavy. I don't think it's easy on him either, but it’s definitely harder on me.😁
Anyone else out there in the same boat?

🤣🤣🤣
I can't help but laugh... it honestly feels like I wrote this myself...
From one word to the next...

Kate Garcia2 said:Read it. I’m already dreading it. She is so incredibly stubborn and refuses to listen to a word anyone says—especially now that she's trying to pull a fast one on us with those 4... once she hits puberty, I'm fleeing straight to South America. ☕

As for me, I'm getting ready too; I just haven't decided between South America, New Zealand, or Antarctica yet
if you want, I can save a spot for you😉

Domina Cubes
...

We’re heading to a First Communion tomorrow, and I’ve already picked up some gold earrings, a pretty shirt, a cute jewelry box, and since the little girl has a sweet tooth, a big basket of treats along with some flowers. Honestly, looking at it all now, it feels excessive. It seems like the whole point of First Communion and Confirmation nowadays has just turned into a race to see who can give the most gifts. The girl we’re visiting is my goddaughter, and she’s been talking about nothing but the presents for months... which is pretty sad, even if I'm not exactly a religious person myself.
And those gifts Hannah Wood45 listed? That’s bordering on overkill, if you ask me.

mmmmmmm cantuccini 🙂🙂 I could finish this whole bag in a heartbeat
(but I really shouldn't 😢 )
...

Gregory Wells6 said:Nia got in through her connections. She was a straight-A student back in elementary school—honestly, a 4.0 GPA kind of kid—so getting into her current school was a breeze. But that’s actually where the trouble starts: she just doesn't care about anything anymore. It used to be so different! She was always sketching, attending art workshops, playing tennis, and taking language classes—her English is basically perfect, by the way. Then puberty hit, and suddenly, everything that once sparked her interest just vanished. Now? Her entire world revolves around hanging out at local coffee shops, a cigarette dangling from her lip, a beer in one hand, and some guy in the other. She won't read, she won't engage in hobbies, she's even stopped watching TV. She just retreats to her room to stare at the wall listening to loud, mindless pop music or stays glued to her phone—and even then, I usually have to practically force her to stay indoors. She’d much rather be out on the streets 24/7.
On top of all that, she’s latched onto this "golden boy" who is six years older than her. He’s unemployed, has zero education, a criminal record for theft, and honestly, he has even less common sense than she does right now. Every single second she isn't in class, she’s with him. And if I dare ask her to help out with something around the house? She loses it—starts acting crazy and accuses me of being jealous.
I feel like I've tried everything. I've driven her everywhere, opened every door possible, and offered endless opportunities just to see if something might finally click and reignite her passion. But she refuses to talk to me about her future, and heaven forbid I even mention school—she just shuts down and tunes me out completely.
What would you do if you were dealing with a child like this?

I’d love to give you an honest answer, but I really shouldn't... 😉
Reading this actually gives me chills.
My 11-year-old is officially wading into the messy waters of puberty, though honestly, it feels like he's been there since birth.
He used to be such a good kid, but lately, everything is "pointless" or "stupid" or "I don't need that." He’s also incredibly lazy—he even claims he inherited the "lazy gene" from me or his dad... 😠
It’s heartbreaking because talking doesn't seem to work anymore. We sit down, we make an agreement, and then when it comes time to follow through, he just shrugs it off.
He gets angry at absolutely everything. Lately, I find myself scrolling through old photos of him as a baby, just remembering how he used to be constantly smiling from ear to ear.
The only things he cares about are his computer and hanging out with his friends every now and then.
Yesterday, he asked if he could stay out until 9:00 PM. I told him no, explaining that it would be pitch black by then and I wouldn't feel comfortable... and he just snapped at me, saying I was "holding him back" from growing up. 🙄

At this point, I guess all I can do is vent a little bit...

James Flores28 said:Same story over here. Right now, the ones filled with apple are absolutely dominating my rotation—though I can't recall if they're Pannin or whatever else they go by. They have similar versions with chocolate bits or cocoa, but I've already cycled through all those. Currently, apples are officially "in"!

I’ve also become totally obsessed with those apple-filled ones, yum...

rapidmaker10 said:I feel compelled to jump in here even though my kids haven't hit puberty yet—my boy is 11 and my girl is 8.5—but honestly, I’m already at my wit's end...

They perform fine at school, at least academically, but at home 👎 it’s an absolute disaster. It’s just the basics, really: they walk through the door, rip off their backpacks and clothes, and literally toss everything into a crumpled heap in the hallway. They are constantly bickering or wrestling, and if they aren't doing that, they're playing in these chaotic ways, screaming and jumping all over the house, or just tackling each other on the couch or floor while yelling... they simply won't listen to a word. My son is quiet when he's alone, but instead of studying, he just glues himself to his PC or the TV; he won't touch any sports, he just eats and gains weight. My daughter is slightly better in that regard since she actually enjoys her extracurricular activities, but neither of them listens to anything... not nicely, not harshly. We've tried it all—rewards, punishments, you name it—nothing sticks. When you force them to clean up after school, they do the bare minimum just to get you off their backs, and by tomorrow, it's the exact same mess again...
On top of that, their room looks like a pigsty. They leave toys scattered everywhere they play, they're constantly raiding the fridge, eating or drinking whatever they find—I can't even keep a snack stash for myself... it goes on and on...

If this is how it is now, what on earth is puberty going to be like? I'd love to hear from other parents dealing with this age group...

Reading this nightmare makes me wonder if I was the one who wrote it...
It feels like my own story, just with one difference—I have an 11-year-old boy...
He's basically in a constant state of mood swings and chaos...
Puberty has already started hitting him, and his attitude... which was always a bit much... has gone through the roof...
One minute there's warmth and conversation, and the next, everything falls apart if things don't go his way. He'll sulk, pout, and complain even more than when he was a baby...
And he was such a sweet, smiling little thing back then. I find myself wondering where this grumpy kid came from...
I read a ton of books, and even with a background in education, nothing seems to work—not being gentle and not being strict either...

It makes me feel a little less alone. I'll probably be back here to vent again soon...

I’ve been thinking lately about heading down to Santa Monica for some specialized treatments. My back has been giving me quite a bit of trouble recently, and honestly, I haven't done much about it yet besides one visit to a chiropractor. I really should probably get some imaging done and ask my doctor for a referral for physical therapy and a seaside retreat...
Since my kid will be heading out to follow the high school ski trip, my husband and I could take the opportunity to go on a recovery trip together.
I was wondering if any of you have been there before? Does it actually help, and is it possible to use a standard medical referral for those therapies?
Please let me know what your experiences have been like!

Carl Cooper74 said:Me too, it looks like some kind of little white spheres!

It’s pretty much the same here, though I usually call them "white mice" instead...😁
and occasionally a stray hair decides to tag along for the ride...

Douglas Ramos2 said:Man, if you only saw the burn I got from the iron... honestly, I don't even touch it anymore.😁 ...It was awful, I think I'm actually starting to feel a fever coming on.🙂

Does it run from your ear down across your cheek? 🤣 🤣

My little one had his First Communion about two weeks ago. We kept the guest list pretty small—just immediate family and godparents. He got an MP4 player from his godparents, while everyone else mostly gave him books, which he immediately grabbed up to start reading.

It’s true that it helps with period cramps. My doctor actually suggested a small glass of bourbon over an over-the-counter painkiller. It’s thought to help dilate the blood vessels, which improves circulation and eases those spasms.
Besides, a good whiskey can fix just about anything—if not physically, then certainly mentally.
Personally, I’m not much of a bourbon drinker, but other spirits aren't bad either...

[...and besides... Stroopwafel... something that nice is actually quite hard to find 😍
Yum, that sounds absolutely delicious, though I have a weakness (when I let myself) for Hershey's chocolate
wafer sandwiches and Housewife cookies with cold milk.
Off to the pantry now!