Teenage boys are going to be the death of me

[PinkTulip]

I have 4 - 13, 14, 16, and 18. Today I spent 3 hours at the ER with one for a concussion (mild, thankfully!), and then came home and explained to another why it is a monumentally bad idea to set fire to a puddle of hairspray, even if it is in the corner of your shower, and the water sprayer is within arms reach (!). Yes, I know the blue flames look so cool, but no, it's still a bad idea, and yes, I promise the fumes are flammable, too, even if the can is set around the corner on the counter.

 

Remind me at what age their brains come back?!

 

Signed,

Happy my house didn't burn down or blow up while I was at the Emergency Room

[Noreen Claire]

Oh, god. I'm not looking forward to when my little noisemakers are 13, 15, and 18! This is our future!

 

Stay strong, mama!

[Spryte]

Aaack! Glad you all survived. Just think ... After a good night's sleep, there's another day for adventure tomorrow.

 

I'm going on the third teen boy - this one is only 12. As of last night, he's fascinated by some of the things Michio Kaku did at 13. Uh oh. So much for those science lectures he listens to all the time. If you hear of a kid making a superconductor a la Michio Kaku, I fear it will be mine. :P (And, no, I don't really think he'll do it, we've had discussions.). The other teen boys had their own challenges. Whew.

[AimeeM]

:laugh: Glad you've survived so far!

 

Teenage boys are going to be the death of me, too - and I only have a teenage girl so far.

[hornblower]

I only have one. As I write, he's setting fire to something using some old firestarter stuff from the camping box ...I should probably go check on him.... 

[Critterfixer]

:scared: I will have two thirteen year old boys this fall.

[mamiof5]

So glad nothing happened! Just heard of a family in the area, their house did burn down...don't know details, but their son was home alone playing with matches I believe :( Is there a way you could take all of them to a nearby fire station and have a firefighter talk to them? There's been a couple fires in the area the past week...I'm a little paranoid about the topic right now

[Eliz]

A friend's house did burn down because her young teen son (about 12) was "experimenting" with fire in his bedroom.  They lost much of their belongings and their sweet cat, but everyone got out safely.  Scary!!  I'm so happy nothing happened to your house!

 

Edited: spelling

Edited April 29, 2016 by Eliz

[G5052]

I won't share the details, but swords and teenage boys. Sigh.

[happypamama]

I'm.  Not.  Lisssstennnniiiiiinnnnnngggggggg. . . 

 

(You can see from my sig that I will have a lot of teenage boys at some point.  Unfortunately, I knew their father as a teenage boy.  The teen years worry me.)

[Katy]

Oh no!!!!!  I think their brains come back around 22-25.

[Spryte]

Oh no!!!!! I think their brains come back around 22-25.

Yes, this has been my experience. If we can just keep everyone alive, limbs intact, until then... :)

[hornblower]

I won't share the details, but swords and teenage boys. Sigh.

I put my kid in fencing for a couple years, first athletic, and then a semester course at a school for dramatic swordsmanship.  They both instilled no horsing around rules. 

Edited April 29, 2016 by hornblower

[Nan in Mass]

Emergency room visits and fires on the same day is pretty bad.  Mine at least tended to spread the excitement out.

 

I hate to tell you, but it isn't just the teens.  I have three in their twenties now.  All naturally very cautious, compared to their friends.  Late bloomers here... at   25yo their sense kicks in... sort of...

The 26 yo was surfing this winter.  In Maine.  He is taking diving this semester so he can take the underwater welding class next year.  And I thought he was the one who was the least interested in fire.

We still haven't talked the 29yo into wearing a helmet when snowboarding/skiing.  He wears one at work but that didn't keep him from being struck by lightening (recent) and almost losing an eye when a pipe fitting he was welding exploded (early 20s) and a few weeks ago, almost losing the same eye again smashing up palettes with a sledge hammer.

And the 21yo is talking about free climbing, and his friend made a medieval forge last fall.  He was the one that brought oven mitts, water bottles, and chips for their test run, at least.  I asked if the forge had worked and he said it worked great - melted anything put in it including the poker and someone's hair, but he was smart and was wearing a hat.  I have to say that his school has been absolutely awesome about making safety glasses an of-course sort of thing.  He looked at me as though I had two heads when I asked if they were wearing them.

All that happens when they get out of their teens, as far as I can tell, is that they have the means to do even crazier things.

 

What is it about boys and swords or height or fire or speed?

 

The hair spray sounds familiar. Boy - "Mum, where do you keep the potatoes?" Me - "Under the counter. Wait! Don't hang up! Why do you ask?"

 

When people ask me what my dreams for my boys are, I always say, "To live." It makes people laugh but it is actually sooo not funny...

 

Nan

[G5052]

I put my kid in fencing for a couple years, first athletic, and then a semester course at a school for dramatic swordsmanship.  They both instilled no horsing around rules. 

 

LOL. This is my very disciplined kid with nine years of martial arts who is in college and teaches martial arts including sword use locally. He's a 4.0 accounting major.

 

He knew better. But he's a teen guy. Gotta love 'um.

Edited April 29, 2016 by G5052

[Spryte]

Oh, yes! Fencing classes. Improv classes. And the coup de grace - explosives camp. Anything to instill some sense and caution.

[Miss Mousie]

...and then came home and explained to another why it is a monumentally bad idea to set fire to a puddle of hairspray, even if it is in the corner of your shower, and the water sprayer is within arms reach (!). Yes, I know the blue flames look so cool, but no, it's still a bad idea, and yes, I promise the fumes are flammable, too, even if the can is set around the corner on the counter.

 

 

Sounds like today is a great day to review how to use a fire extinguisher and other fire safety info....

 

Yikes. 

 

I hope your ER child is doing well today!

[Noreen Claire]

 

When people ask me what my dreams for my boys are, I always say, "To live." It makes people laugh but it is actually sooo not funny...

 

 

 

So much this. :-(

[PinkTulip]

I don't know if I'm heartened or terrified to hear it's not just me that lives in constant fear of the phone call that starts with "um, mom?"

 

I do know for sure that I will have earned every one of my grey hairs, yet I will miss it all fiercely when they all move out / get married / grow up.

[Seasider]

I learned to breathe deep and pray. I think if you can learn to get past the smells, the battle's half won.

Edited April 29, 2016 by Seasider

[Professormom]

And the coup de grace - explosives camp.

This. I need this. Although I am slightly apprehensive about googling that one :D

[Terabith]

Explosives Camp looks so awesome!

[Spryte]

This. I need this. Although I am slightly apprehensive about googling that one :D

Here you go: https://futurestudents.mst.edu/summercamps/explosives/

 

Great experience. Very worthwhile.

 

One warning: it's entirely possible that your child will put a camera/phone/other recording device on a rock to record an explosion. It's entirely possible that said child will return home and ask about fixing a cracked screen. :)

 

It was an excellent camp. Very safety conscious.

 

ETA: I don't recall the essay portion of the application. Our kiddo did not go into mining (!), but was interested in engineering at that stage. He uses what he learned, though, with his degree. He's in theater, and highly sought after for his pyrotechnic skills.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Spryte

[Penguin]

Emergency room visits and fires on the same day is pretty bad. Mine at least tended to spread the excitement out.

 

I hate to tell you, but it isn't just the teens.

 

(Snip)

All that happens when they get out of their teens, as far as I can tell, is that they have the means to do even crazier things

 

 

(Snip)

Nan

So true!!

Due to age gaps, our "excitement" spans decades :)

Edited April 30, 2016 by Penguin

[Nan in Mass]

I don't know if I'm heartened or terrified to hear it's not just me that lives in constant fear of the phone call that starts with "um, mom?"

 

I do know for sure that I will have earned every one of my grey hairs, yet I will miss it all fiercely when they all move out / get married / grow up.

 

The "Um, mum?" phone calls are usually ok.  It might take a few years and they tend to be expensive, but ok in the end.  It is the ones that begin "Mum, I messed up so badly" that I fear.

 

I do feel that it is sort of our fault, though.  We raised our children to DO things, not just watch other people doing them on a screen. Somehow, I didn't really appreciate how scary it was going to be if we succeeded.

 

Now that I think about this, I guess there are signs that they are growing up.  When we say we are going to do something, they say, "Nice! Just make sure you..."

 

Nan 

[BlsdMama]

Bwwwaaa hahaha.  Sorry. :/

 

God knew me so well.  He just knew I'd lose my mind so all my boys are separated by at least 6.5 years.

[Garga]

I can't remember the exact details, but last week I made an off the cuff remark about a dangerous activity like, "Why would anyone even want to do that?" I think it was something along the lines of people who jump from one building to another over a 9 story drop. My 13 year old said dreamily, "Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I really want to do stuff like that..."

 

I turned it into a joke and said, "No! Noooo! Don't even tel your poor old mother you think about stuff like this! You're my teeny tiny baby and you're not allowed to jump on building roofs!"

 

He laughed, but...why would anyone even want to jump from one building to another?? Teenage boys are insane!!

Edited April 30, 2016 by Garga

[retiredHSmom]

Emergency room visits and fires on the same day is pretty bad.  Mine at least tended to spread the excitement out.

 

I hate to tell you, but it isn't just the teens.  I have three in their twenties now.  All naturally very cautious, compared to their friends.  Late bloomers here... at   25yo their sense kicks in... sort of...

The 26 yo was surfing this winter.  In Maine.  He is taking diving this semester so he can take the underwater welding class next year.  And I thought he was the one who was the least interested in fire.

We still haven't talked the 29yo into wearing a helmet when snowboarding/skiing.  He wears one at work but that didn't keep him from being struck by lightening (recent) and almost losing an eye when a pipe fitting he was welding exploded (early 20s) and a few weeks ago, almost losing the same eye again smashing up palettes with a sledge hammer.

And the 21yo is talking about free climbing, and his friend made a medieval forge last fall.  He was the one that brought oven mitts, water bottles, and chips for their test run, at least.  I asked if the forge had worked and he said it worked great - melted anything put in it including the poker and someone's hair, but he was smart and was wearing a hat.  I have to say that his school has been absolutely awesome about making safety glasses an of-course sort of thing.  He looked at me as though I had two heads when I asked if they were wearing them.

All that happens when they get out of their teens, as far as I can tell, is that they have the means to do even crazier things.

 

What is it about boys and swords or height or fire or speed?

 

The hair spray sounds familiar. Boy - "Mum, where do you keep the potatoes?" Me - "Under the counter. Wait! Don't hang up! Why do you ask?"

 

When people ask me what my dreams for my boys are, I always say, "To live." It makes people laugh but it is actually sooo not funny...

 

Nan

Where do your sons attend school that teaches underwater welding?  My son would love that!

[Garga]

Swords. My dh's uncle (who had no kids) brought back real Samuri swords to my dh and his brother when they were teenagers. Each of them still have the swords. And the swords have dozens of nicks in the sharp sides of the blades where they would sword fight each other when their mom was at work. They were fighting each other hard enough to bend metal.

 

Every time I look at that sword I'm still aghast, "You guys could lliterally have chopped off each other's arms or hit a vein on the side of the neck or cut right into your stomachs. Did you even think of it?" My husband looks a little surprised and says, "No. We never thought of any of that. I guess you're right..."

Edited April 30, 2016 by Garga