Teenagers..... give me strength

When you're taking her to college, can you swing by my house and pick up my daughter? She's only 8 but they'll take her - I'M SURE OF IT!!!

As a former teenager with parents who knew everything (Strangely, as you get older they start to make more sense lol) we don't want to be told how to be healthy. It's COLLEGE!!!! we know we're going to eat ice cream at 4 am... and chicken tenders for breakfast. And if we want to play Wii for 6 hours.. it'll probably happen. But we're on our own so there's not much mom and dad can do about it....

Fast forward 5 years and I'm working off my Freshman 15.... Sophmore 10...Junior 13... and Senior 10... give or take a few pounds. It's not easy!!! I wish I had listened and had the dedication to at least work out. I mean come on, how often to you get a free gym membership with all the perks, on college campus, minutes from your dorm!?!? But now I have to pay for it and work at my big girl job... So yeah, Dad was right. And you're right too.... but she doesn't want to hear that... if she is curious she'll ask.. trust me :-)
but that's just my 2 cents

All teenagers know EVERYTHING, What's the matter Dad? Shockingly enough, my teenage boy for maybe the first time ever today ACTUALLY asked me stuff re: fitness and protein. He felt really sore after football workout, he actually rolled on a foam roller and asked me how to add more protein to his diet. I nearly fell over DEAD!:noway: Some day she will come around and once again you will be the Dad she looks up to and asks for advice. Until then, gently guide!

If this is the first year you DIDN"T know anything, then you are doing good! :happy: Teenagers are enough to drive you crazy. I love how my daughter asks my opinion and purposely choosed the opposite of what I tell her. (She is 16.) Her brother (18, in college and still living at home) insists he should not have to clean his bathroom because if he lived in a dorm he wouldn't have to do it. Well, DUH! If he lived in the dorm the bathroom would be CLEAN! Kids. Gotta love them, because no one else will take them!

Just so you know, I'm 18 and a freshman in college, and I ate terribly for most of my life without gaining (too much) weight. The last couple years I've been a little bit chubbyish, but I am in a healthy BMI range, and I look fairly normal. I haven't gained any weight in college. Actually, I've lost some! But, this was due to the fact that I have had to become much more responsible for myself, and one of those things that has seemed to come along with it is struggling to be as healthy as I can force myself to be. A lot of my friends have started to try to be healthy once they got to college, too. Now that I've been using MFP it's felt much easier for me to be healthy and lose a bit of weight, whereas before I would go between being pretty healthy for a bit and completely letting myself go for a bit.

I'm just saying this so that you won't worry too much about your daughter when she goes to college (although I'm sure a part of you wants to say "I told you so!" :P ). Before college, we still are partially kids, and most kids can eat a ton of crap without worrying about how healthy a choice it was. Once we get to college, it's a complete change of mindset. Of course, we aren't fully adults, but we become much more of one than in high school. I think the mentality is likely to reach your daughter, too

Until then, stay strong! :P

I love it when people put all teenagers in the same category. Not all teenagers are the same. My dad is right most of the time. I'm 19 and I figured that out a long time ago. My sister who is 15 knows that and knows what's good for her. (the 14 year old though fits into the category you all speak of) Not all teenagers are mindless good for nothing idiots. I hate when people think just because someone is young that they have no sense of reality. I know some wisdom only comes with age but there are PLENTY of people who are older than me who have no idea what goes on in an intelligent world. Some teenagers are actually mature and intelligent people and deserve to be treated as such. I'm still technically a teenager and I hope when I have my own kids that I'll be able to have discussions with them and raise them in a way that they can still talk to me and if it's not me than someone who is a positive adult influence. That's the way my parents raised me. Automatically assuming that a teenager is going to be a dramatic idiot is completely offensive to those of us that are good. I'm not saying that any of you think that way but when there's a whole thread bashing teenagers it does come off that way.

To the OP- Your daughter will figure it out that you can't eat that way eventually. I've noticed that in college people do start to eat healthier than they did in high school. I do and many of my friends are the same way. And I understand that you wanted to vent about your daughter and you were totally right in doing so but next time pick a different title that doesn't pertain to everyone in the that age group.

I love it when people put all teenagers in the same category. Not all teenagers are the same. My dad is right most of the time. I'm 19 and I figured that out a long time ago. My sister who is 15 knows that and knows what's good for her. (the 14 year old though fits into the category you all speak of) Not all teenagers are mindless good for nothing idiots. I hate when people think just because someone is young that they have no sense of reality. I know some wisdom only comes with age but there are PLENTY of people who are older than me who have no idea what goes on in an intelligent world. Some teenagers are actually mature and intelligent people and deserve to be treated as such. I'm still technically a teenager and I hope when I have my own kids that I'll be able to have discussions with them and raise them in a way that they can still talk to me and if it's not me than someone who is a positive adult influence. That's the way my parents raised me. Automatically assuming that a teenager is going to be a dramatic idiot is completely offensive to those of us that are good. I'm not saying that any of you think that way but when there's a whole thread bashing teenagers it does come off that way.

To the OP- Your daughter will figure it out that you can't eat that way eventually. I've noticed that in college people do start to eat healthier than they did in high school. I do and many of my friends are the same way. And I understand that you wanted to vent about your daughter and you were totally right in doing so but next time pick a different title that doesn't pertain to everyone in the that age group.

Hun, I think you took this the wrong way. I don't think my daughter is a mindless idiot (and I doubt any of the other parents think that of their kids either), but she is JUST like I was at her age. I thought I knew what was best for me, and I didn't. Man...I so didn't. The apple (sometimes) doesn't fall far from the tree, so hopefully you'll end up with a teenager who's as intelligent, thoughtful and mature as yourself, however...that may not be the case.

Parents need to vent too or we'd go insane.

I love it when people put all teenagers in the same category. Not all teenagers are the same. My dad is right most of the time. I'm 19 and I figured that out a long time ago. My sister who is 15 knows that and knows what's good for her. (the 14 year old though fits into the category you all speak of) Not all teenagers are mindless good for nothing idiots. I hate when people think just because someone is young that they have no sense of reality. I know some wisdom only comes with age but there are PLENTY of people who are older than me who have no idea what goes on in an intelligent world. Some teenagers are actually mature and intelligent people and deserve to be treated as such. I'm still technically a teenager and I hope when I have my own kids that I'll be able to have discussions with them and raise them in a way that they can still talk to me and if it's not me than someone who is a positive adult influence. That's the way my parents raised me. Automatically assuming that a teenager is going to be a dramatic idiot is completely offensive to those of us that are good. I'm not saying that any of you think that way but when there's a whole thread bashing teenagers it does come off that way.

To the OP- Your daughter will figure it out that you can't eat that way eventually. I've noticed that in college people do start to eat healthier than they did in high school. I do and many of my friends are the same way. And I understand that you wanted to vent about your daughter and you were totally right in doing so but next time pick a different title that doesn't pertain to everyone in the that age group.

Hun, I think you took this the wrong way. I don't think my daughter is a mindless idiot (and I doubt any of the other parents think that of their kids either), but she is JUST like I was at her age. I thought I knew what was best for me, and I didn't. Man...I so didn't. The apple (sometimes) doesn't fall far from the tree, so hopefully you'll end up with a teenager who's as intelligent, thoughtful and mature as yourself, however...that may not be the case.

Parents need to vent too or we'd go insane.

First of all, I do not appreciate being called "Hun." It is not a term of endearment. I did not take anything the wrong way. The OP probably did not mean for this to turn into a topic bashing teenagers but that is what is turned into. He was just trying to get advice on how to make his daughter healthier. I believe your initial post started with "Teenagers...ahhh." That would be a generalization. The word "teenager" has somehow turned into a negative thing yet there are so many teenagers out there who are nothing but good kids. Yet for some reason when one hears the word teenager they automatically think of some kid yelling at his or her parents or some kid out getting drunk at a party or out getting pregnant. Almost everyone who posted made a comment about how kids never listen or how teenagers think they know everything. You have every right to vent about your kids but vent about your own kids. There's no need to make comments on the age group as a whole.

I teach high school and I have for the past 5 years and I have seen a WIDE variety of all kinds of teenagers and I can say without a doubt that 98% think they know everything. There's MANY that I love dearly.....but they still have A LOT TO LEARN.

There's NOTHING wrong with calling someone hun. It is an enderaing term.....but then again....teenagers know everything.

I can see it is time for a little levity here to lighten the mood. I am not a teenager, nor do I have any. I don't think a 13 year old Yorkshire terrier qualifies:laugh: :laugh: despite the fact that he often makes me crazier than I already am.

I was just thinking about that old joke about the young man who went away to college and when he came back two years later, he was amazed at how much smarter his DAD had become!!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously,

I have been following BrendaLee's posts on here for months and have found her to be a sensitive thoughtful person. If something was said that ruffled a feather along the way, I can vouch for the fact that it was not done purposefully.

People make generalizations every day. If I wanted to, I could start a thread expressing frustrations about dealing with my parents, whom I love dearly, but at ages 83 and 94, they are sometimes frustrating to deal with because we are not always on the same wavelength. There are many other members of the "sandwich generation" (people taking care of their kids and their parents) who would see such a post and identify with it and make some generalizations along the way, but that would not mean that they didn't love their kids any less.

It also would not mean they were painting everyone with the same brush.

Let's take a deep breath and move on....The last sentence on my ticker kind of puts it all in perspective....

I teach high school and I have for the past 5 years and I have seen a WIDE variety of all kinds of teenagers and I can say without a doubt that 98% think they know everything. There's MANY that I love dearly.....but they still have A LOT TO LEARN.

There's NOTHING wrong with calling someone hun. It is an enderaing term.....but then again....teenagers know everything.

Actually there's been MANY times I've heard "Hun" used sarcastically as a way to insult someone and belittle them. There are plenty of things wrong with calling someone "Hun"

Not once did I say I knew everything. I actually made a point to say that my dad is usually right. That 2% of kids you teach that don't think they know everything deserve to be separated from that other 98%.That was my point. I hate when people make stereotypical comments about ANY group of people. It's like saying old people are mean and bitter (just an example). I actually have grandparents that prove the opposite.

I've worked with A LOT of old people too in physical therapy clinics and they are mean and bitter.

I teach high school and I have for the past 5 years and I have seen a WIDE variety of all kinds of teenagers and I can say without a doubt that 98% think they know everything. There's MANY that I love dearly.....but they still have A LOT TO LEARN.

There's NOTHING wrong with calling someone hun. It is an enderaing term.....but then again....teenagers know everything.

Actually there's been MANY times I've heard "Hun" used sarcastically as a way to insult someone and belittle them. There are plenty of things wrong with calling someone "Hun"

Not once did I say I knew everything. I actually made a point to say that my dad is usually right. That 2% of kids you teach that don't think they know everything deserve to be separated from that other 98%.That was my point. I hate when people make stereotypical comments about ANY group of people. It's like saying old people are mean and bitter (just an example). I actually have grandparents that prove the opposite.

I've worked with A LOT of old people too in physical therapy clinics and they are mean and bitter.

I know I will be. "Who's that?" "Oh, that's that old mean and bitter Brenda."

Hmm. I was polite in my response to you, but you're set on overreacting. Perhaps you're not as mature as I thought. I take back my "Hun".

Teenagers are not the wisest creatures on the planet, in general. If you think of yourself as an exception to that, that's great, but the teenage years are not known for being the most well thought out years. You're barely a teenager anymore, don't stress too much about a thread on a message board with a bunch of parents venting about their kids.

I was not overreacting. Just because I choose to stand up for a cause does not mean that I am overreacting or that I'm not mature. Maybe you don't get it because you aren't a teenager but there are many who feel the same way I do. I don't deserve to be treated as if I'm a moron just because I'm young. I don't deserve to walk into a store and have an older person look at me as if I'm some sort of hoodlum just because I'm young. Yes, that has happened to me. I know some teenagers are dramatic, think they know everything and won't listen to reason, my youngest sister is one of those people, but not everyone fits into that category. It bothers me when people make a generalization about any group of people.

This isn't a cause- it's a post on a message board by a frustrated parent...and not even a very serious post at that. I don't understand because I'm not a teenager? Been there, done that.

I love teenagers. I really do. I also love cats, I love my mother and I love ice cream- all of which are great sources of frustration for me.

It's a physiological fact that a teenagers frontal lobe is not fully developed until they are in their early 20's. So it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to base any ideas from critical thinking and logic.....all they have is the limbic system...which is PURE emotion.....which is EXACTLY what teenagers base their entire life on. It's not the teenagers fault......it's just the way us humans were built.

Not fully developed does not mean it isn't there. If teenagers have no logic then please tell me how they are able to do any type of academic work or make any decisions at all. It is completely false to say all a teenager has is their limbic system. How on earth would one function with ONLY their emotions as you just stated. It is a LOGICAL decision not to set yourself on fire. It is a LOGICAL decision not to run out in front of a train. It takes LOGIC to be able to do trigonometry, write an analysis about a russian novel, write a complex lab report, apply for college or any of the other things most teenagers are required to do. Are you saying that all of us who made it to adulthood are just lucky to have made it this far because how could we have survived all those years with just pure emotion and no logical thought?

I'm curious as to what you teach. I really hope you aren't teaching your students that all they have to rely on is emotion. I would think as a teacher you would expect high school students, especially juniors and seniors, to be able to use critical thinking skills and logic, at the very least in their school work.

It's a physiological fact that a teenagers frontal lobe is not fully developed until they are in their early 20's. So it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to base any ideas from critical thinking and logic.....all they have is the limbic system...which is PURE emotion.....which is EXACTLY what teenagers base their entire life on. It's not the teenagers fault......it's just the way us humans were built.

Not fully developed does not mean it isn't there. If teenagers have no logic then please tell me how they are able to do any type of academic work or make any decisions at all. It is completely false to say all a teenager has is their limbic system. How on earth would one function with ONLY their emotions as you just stated. It is a LOGICAL decision not to set yourself on fire. It is a LOGICAL decision not to run out in front of a train. It takes LOGIC to be able to do trigonometry, write an analysis about a russian novel, write a complex lab report, apply for college or any of the other things most teenagers are required to do. Are you saying that all of us who made it to adulthood are just lucky to have made it this far because how could we have survived all those years with just pure emotion and no logical thought?

I'm curious as to what you teach. I really hope you aren't teaching your students that all they have to rely on is emotion. I would think as a teacher you would expect high school students, especially juniors and seniors, to be able to use critical thinking skills and logic, at the very least in their school work.

I have no words for this because it's pointless. Teenagers will never see eye to eye with an adult because they don't have the tools to do that yet.

You don't have kids or deal with them so you don't understand what the OP was saying. He was venting......which is okay and allowed.

I was a teenager once...SO I DO UNDERSTAND......but I also understand what it means to be an adult. I know how I was at that age and if I knew then what I know now...BLAH BLAH BLAH.