Teenagers

MissAdventure

She is fluent in grunt, i can confirm.

😂😂😂😂😂

I am not surprised the teenager didn't want to engage in conversation when sitting in the dentists waiting room - what was his dad thinking in making that call??

Embarrassing for the teenager and highly inappropriate in such a public place.

My youngest DGS, now almost 17, used to be quite reserved and monosyllabic, spending most of his time in his bedroom, immersed in video games. Now he is quite the opposite: sociable, communicative, out-going and happy to converse with all and sundry, but especially with me, on the phone yesterday, giving me the rundown on his new existence as a sixth-former. His older brother (now 19) is also a changed character, but that would take several pages and might embarrass him.

"Thank you Mrs. Patterson".

MissAdventure

My boy spends a lot of time at his girlfriend's house where apparently he is loved for being such a kind and helpful person..

Amazing, isn't it.
I found other parents said how polite and helpful my DC were at their houses.
As were their children when they came here.

Going back to Kevin the Teenager and his friend Perry:
Kevin: Kevin is rude to his parents, but polite to Perry's parents. He's often complaining and refusing to do what his parents tell him.
Perry: Perry is polite to Kevin's parents, but rude to his own

Smileless2012

Does anyone remember Harry Enfield's 'Kevin'? I particularly liked the sketch when he becomes a teenager. The night before he's talking normally but when he comes down on the morning of his 13th birthday, all he does is grunt!!!

Yes!

They go into a tunnel at about 12 and come out at some time later, possibly not until about 19.

Two of ours have emerged at 16 and are lovely again, another has just gone in.

Thank you Gran32 that makes me feel better. I am seeing the boys on Sunday so fingers crossed we have some lively conversation.

My 12 year old granddaughter isn't as engaged with us anymore. She comes in says hello and that's it. She's on her phone which drives me mental! My 17 year old grandson went through that stage but has changed again and you can have a great conversation with him. Hoping DGD does the same. Teenagers are tricky! Good luck

She is fluent in grunt, i can confirm.

I took the trouble to learn grunt and then my grandson reverted back to English 🤦🏼‍♀️

When my girls were teenagers they didn’t grunt but they could be divas, flouncing around stating ‘you don’t understand’ and slamming doors.

Thanks for putting my mind at rest.

No one else in the surgery just DS and DGS. Whenever my DGS is a bit down or ill my DS FaceTimes me to cheer him up. I recognise the pattern. The DGSs have had a tough time in the last few years but generally things are on the up.

I think it’s bizarre to FT from a dentist’s surgery! For most people, dentists are a bit stressful anyway and then there are reception staff, other patients and maybe phones ringing and so on so it’s not conducive to a relaxed chat.

I have to say, though, your GS sounds like a standard issue teenager! It’s what they do. My oldest ds pretty much went into his bedroom when he was 12yo and didn’t emerge again until he was 15, apart from to go to school and to find food. Then overnight, he turned into a social butterfly and things improved out of all recognition.

My younger son was of the grunting variety. He did make appearances and our house was popular with his friends so I would often have a series of grunting lads marching through like a troop of monkeys, albeit grunting politely.

Hang on in there and keep the door open to him.

One of mine was shouty and rude, the other, if told off sulked for England, stared at the floor and became completely mono syllabic. Both, by their own admission now, say they didn't fully appreciate a lot of what we did, where we took them on holiday for example. The once shouty and rude one, has said I just wish I could go back there to those times and be a different person. When he got to a certain age, he was so horrible we stopped taking him away. Once when looking at our holiday photographs a little while after we returned and regretting he didn't come. He remarked, "there's my brother, he's got my jeans on (brother had nicked them for the holiday) oh well at least my jeans got to go to LA even if I wasn't in them"

Meanwhile granddaughter, on becoming a teenager has gone into grunty mono syllabic mode, but it's intermittent, sometimes she's very talkative, in the words of Forest Gump "it's a bit like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get" Grandson 9, is still a smiley chirpy chappy, well he always says the right thing to me which produces the result he's hoping for. I hope he doesn't go all Kevin on me in a few years, but won't be surprised if he does.

My 18 year old grandson, who stays over every Friday night, has communicated in grunts for years. Our only actual conversations were about Death in Paradise or Manchester United, difficult as I support Liverpool! Over the last few months things have begun to look up, we talk much more and about lots of different things which is great.
I have to say I don't think face-timing from the dentist would be conducive to a deep and meaningful conversation for anyone, especially as he was about to get braces. Poor lad, I wouldn't have wanted to chat either.!

Smileless2012

Does anyone remember Harry Enfield's 'Kevin'? I particularly liked the sketch when he becomes a teenager. The night before he's talking normally but when he comes down on the morning of his 13th birthday, all he does is grunt!!!

Loved this and although much exaggerated did sum up teenage boys!

Teenagers, boys in particular, are notoriously sulky, monotone, grumpy and suddenly seem to lose the power of speech, as well as becoming increasingly self conscious! Please don’t worry, he’ll grow out of most of this in time

If I had to Facetime someone from a dentist's waiting-room with strangers sitting around with no choice but to see and hear the whole conversation, I wouldn't be very chatty either, and I am 85, not 15. No wonder he wasn't keen to speak. You were lucky that he was no worse than "very bland and downbeat." Don't judge him by this exchange.

Even at age 15, they can start reappearing, if you are lucky.

I always say teenagers "disappear" until they "reappear" at about age 18.

I agree Sago.

To FT from a dental surgery is not really conducive to a proper conversation.

How awful for the other people in the waiting room, I find it absolutely cringeworthy to have to listen to these kind of conversations in public.

I am sure if you had a private conversation with him this evening from home he will be far more amenable.

I remember when my sons were that age they became more image conscious, especially when they were out and about.
Being seen around their aged mum didn't do much for their street cred.

I took one to Mcdonalds for what I thought was a treat. Suddenly he jumped up and shot outside. A little gang of his schoolmates appeared from upstairs. DS's radar had obviously been on full alert.

I was left to contemplate a heap of uneaten junk food and the fact that Mum's importance in his life had diminished a lot.

My boy spends a lot of time at his girlfriend's house where apparently he is loved for being such a kind and helpful person..

Does anyone remember Harry Enfield's 'Kevin'? I particularly liked the sketch when he becomes a teenager. The night before he's talking normally but when he comes down on the morning of his 13th birthday, all he does is grunt!!!