Teenagerdom is...

I'm more than ever glad that 'teenagers' had yet to be invented when I was an adolescent lad. Fashion? Nah... we wore the same clothes as our parents - I had a suit I didn't like, and gave it to my father, and he was delighted with it. For my first dress gig (a wedding at a Free Forrester hall - Union Rate, 32/6d) I borrowed Dad's dinner jacket... so that was all a kind of pressure we didn't have to put up with.

I don't recall there being any rule about being embarrassed by one's parents, which seems to be mandatory today.

By the time I was 15 years old I had been to 19 schools all over the world - father in forces - so my teenage years were fraught with my trying my hardest to catch up. Whole aspects of education were missing from my life - science and math subjects in particular. As a bookworm and loving geography and history I was able to read up on these subjects. By 15 I hated school as my reports and subjects had been marked down to such an extent our headmaster told me to leave school and be a hairdresser [???]. My grandparents were horrified by this remark, having constantly nagged my mother to send me to a boarding school. In the end they sent me to what was known as a crammer, with almost one to one help I blossomed and was able to get 8 G.C.E.'s. I later took a history A level and got an 'A'.
I then at 18 years old joined a local hospital as a student nurse. I also did the usual teenage activities but really enjoyed my 20's more as I was more settled.

living in black, baggy clothes for two years with makeup to match!

Needing face-paint five minutes before the school bus is due, only red and white, she said, and then took the whole twelve colours I won in a GN competition. I was saving them for GS1 but DD's need was clearly greater . Trying to picture her and her friends with their war mini Olympics painted faces now. Failing. Hope someone takes some photos.

Refusing to be seen in town with Mum until holiday announced for this week and suddenly Mum and cheque book are essential!

Finding all my makeup strewn everywhere because my son is trying to conceal his acne. Wondering whether I can bleach my concealers and then getting online to buy him his own. Remembering I have had the same thing happen before with previous teens and wondering why I still haven't learnt from the experience.

Trying to get him to change his bed this morning and fighting the impulse to do it for him whilst trying not to shudder at the state of his room. Bed still not changed. Will probably still not be next month.

Leaving the house wearing "respectable" clothes and no make-up. Nipping round to friends house to change and put the slap on. Doing the entire thing in reverse on the way home!

If I'm honest Zengran so do I but don't tell her I said so

Nope Petallus, I eat Nutella straight out of the jar, and peanut butter

Nature's way of making it easier to kick them out of the nest.
And like others, it doesn't necessarily stop when they are out of their teens,

LizG So does mine!!

....... and so do I from time to time!

My 38 year old still acts like a teenager!

The only cure for adolescence ... is time.

Do you have to be a teenager to do teenagery things?

Telling your mother on the day baby daughter has stood on the dishwasher and demolished it that you have had your head shaved. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as she said because middle daughter prone to exaggeration but she got into BIG trouble anyway.

Begging your mother to interrupt her Saturday night's viewing to taxi you to your party so you can have a drink.

Oh no, wait a minute, that's my 43 year old DD!!

pranging your mothers car..... and then totalling it, the first time you are allowed to drive it again after a three month prohibition for the first prang!

vampire two of my sisters had similar problems.

Repeating the constant refrain that everyone else's mother/father/parent let's their teenager.......insert whatever it is you've just said 'no' to!

Thinking your grown up enough at 16 to get married.

Borrowing Mum's bike and leaving it outside leisure centre after which it was never seen again.

vampirequeen. I'd have held it in a different pub!

Having to celebrate your 21st birthday when it's really your 18th because you've been going in that pub so long you can't let them realise that you were underage all that time.

In my case, being married and having a mortgage. ( No children though, not until I was nearly 23.)

Nervously parking on a hill shortly after passing driving test and pulling the handbrake on so tightly the AA has to be called out to release it.