be honest now...were you a problem child growing up?

[Dancing Fire]

did you give your parents a lot of headaches during your teenage years?

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Not at all.

 

[packrat]

For a few years, yes. Not as bad as some I know, but still..I''m praying my kids aren''t like I was.

 

[cindygenit]

Nope!

 

[kas baby]

I was kind of angsty at times. Overall though, I got my homework done, straight A student, did extracurricular activities, did my own laundry, didn''t ask for money, looked after younger sisters (i.e. made dinner, made sure they got their hw done, etc) I tried to be perfect.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 11/17/2009 8:52:51 PM
Author: packrat
For a few years, yes. Not as bad as some I know, but still..I''m praying my kids aren''t like I was.

 

[AprilBaby]

No, but I should have

 

[miraclesrule]

Yes. I still am.

 

[Kaleigh]

I wasn''t a problem child, but did test the limits. Problem was I had NO limits. My parents weren''t really there... I could do whatever I wanted. I drove at 14.. around the neighborhood. Never got a ticket and when it came time for my driving lessons, the instructor had me drive around the block, he said you''ve been at this a long time haven''t you?? I said yes, then he said ok let''s go on the highway.

Kinda the story of how I grew up, I knew stuff way before I should have. I raised myself pretty much. I had Elizabeth, but by the time she got to our house, things had already been set into place, no going back. She was and is a god send for sure.

YOUR kids want and need limits. They need to know you care. Unconditional love is so important.

 

[soocool]

My mom would have said yes, my dad, no. I was a daddy's girl and would do anything that would make him proud of me. As for my mom, I fought her all the time. Hated to wear dresses, I would purposely get them dirty. Hated her curling my hair, I would brush out the curls. If she said black, I would say white.


When I became a teenager I was somewhat headstrong and my biggest fight with my mom was about going away to college. I finished high school at age 16 and she would not let me live at a college campus so I had to live at home.

 

[Lilac]

Not at all. The only time I really "acted out" was when my mom moved me away from all my friends and my father to a completely new neighborhood right before high school - and my idea of "acting out" was crying, locking myself in my room, and not talking much to anyone.

I never drank, never smoked, never cursed, never got in trouble in school. I studied and got straight A''s. I was a perfectionist - and I still am. Even my mom admits now that she never really worried about me not doing well in school or getting in trouble because she knew I was too much of a perfectionist to let any of that happen.

I probably had less fun than I could have though

The only "bad" thing I did that my parents didn''t know about was sneaking around with my boyfriend (now DH) after we met when I was 16.

But even then, it was just some making out and cuddling in the backseat of a car.

 

[Callisto]

Haha idk about problem child... I was independent.

I was definitely spunky with a splash of incredibly stubborn hehe.

But I always tell my friends with young challenging daughters that even if they are difficult as young children they aren''t doomed to a problem child as I was anything but a problem child as an adolescent and young adult. So at least the journey was worth the destination for my parents... or at least I like to think so. haha

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I definitely gave my parents migraines.

But to be fair, I had very conservative Asian parents, so much of what I did to cause them grief in highschool (dating, coloring my hair, wearing make up, wearing unusual clothes) were things my peers did too, and their parents didn't seem too bothered by it.

I never did drugs, never drank, graduated top of my class, never got in trouble with the law. But my parents still threatened to throw me out of the house on occasion, lol. So by their standards, I was definitely a problem child, but I personally don't think I was that bad.

I argued with my dad a lot, but I used to try to console him by telling him that you can either raise an independent and intelligent daughter that will question everything (including you), or one that does whatever you say for the rest of her life without questioning you. It was his silver lining for those times when he wanted to throttle me

 

[Tacori E-ring]

nope.

 

[Kelli]

Nope. Looking back, I should have been MORE adventurous. The only time I got a bit wild was when I turned 21 and moved out of my parents'' house. It didn''t last long though.

 

[gardengloves]

of course I did, so did my kid. we came full circle

 

[iheartscience]

I was no angel...I didn''t do anything really terrible (drugs, etc.) but I wouldn''t say I was easy to get along with. My twin sis and I pretty much did what we wanted and just got in trouble later.

 

[KimberlyH]

I think the hardest part of parenting me would have been how skulky a teen I was, but I did well in school, obeyed my parents rulse for the most part and stayed out of trouble. I wouldn''t complain if I had a teen daughter who behaved as I did.

 

[jcrow]

no

 

[gardengloves]

well you know it was the 60''s for me, bless my parents for going through it with an original Woodstocker, tie dye tee shirt and all - !, but i got it back with my Gen-Xers kids. Hey whatever, was the rallying cry of their generation.

 

[HVVS]

Date: 11/17/2009 9:05:28 PM
Author: AprilBaby
No, but I should have

LOL!

I was not a problem child. I was the one who observed and studied and clocked everything, so I could be a fearsome problem adult later.

Well, maybe just once I was a problem child, when I announced to the entire clan that I saw my dad's older brother find and take my grandparents will, and where he hid it. Just after he'd finished telling everyone that they didn't leave a will. It was my 15 minutes of fame. Ther found it just where I said, though.

 

[iluvcarats]

I''m the youngest of 4. They had seen it all by the time I came around. I definitely had to work hard to up the ante

 

[yssie]

Depends who you ask

 

[Haven]

I was definitely far more interested in my social life than in my education during high school. My parents got a lot of the "she isn''t reaching her full potential" type phone calls from my teachers, and a few "please pick me up I''m stranded with drunk people at some random person''s home" type phone calls from me. I dyed my hair all colors of the rainbow, and pierced a lot of things, and was overall just really loud, outgoing, and social.

I didn''t cause a lot of problems, though, and I was responsible enough to hold down several jobs and play a lot of sports, both of which kept me out of real trouble.

I did hate my mother during my entire sophomore year, though. I couldn''t tell you why.
My parents fondly refer to that as my "stomp stomp slam" year.

 

[Haven]

Date: 11/17/2009 10:18:26 PM
Author: gardengloves
of course I did, so did my kid. we came full circle

My mom always says "May you have daughters just like yourself one day" to me.

 

[JSM]

My parents were really strict, and thought I was a horrible kid. Which I wasn''t - straight A student, lots of activities, worked, didn''t get in trouble, blah blah blah... I just liked to test the limits. I complained when they gave me a 9:00 curfew, heaven forbid!

Then my parents raised my three younger siblings... and realized I was a saint! I''d love to have kids like me, but knowing my luck they''ll turn out like my husband. I think I''m moving out during the teenage years!

 

[MagsyMay]

Haven, LOVE the "stomp stomp slam!" HA! That was SO me!

I was really not THAT bad of a kid as far as they go, but I definitely was a crabby, sulky, bratty girl on many frequent occasions

I always did extremely well in school, but felt my parents were unnecessarily hard on me, partly because my older brother (2 yrs older) was an extreme challenge and "screw up" as far as they go (in high school, he ended up okay!). But my parents coming down on me because I got an A- instead of an A really irked me. I felt like I was carrying the brunt of the oldest child, when I was middle child (a girl) in between two brothers.

I never got in too much trouble (i.e. I was smart enough never to get caught!), but I sure did cause a lot of screaming back in the day!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 11/17/2009 11:17:18 PM
Author: Haven
I was definitely far more interested in my social life than in my education during high school. My parents got a lot of the ''she isn''t reaching her full potential'' type phone calls from my teachers, and a few ''please pick me up I''m stranded with drunk people at some random person''s home'' type phone calls from me. I dyed my hair all colors of the rainbow, and pierced a lot of things, and was overall just really loud, outgoing, and social.

I didn''t cause a lot of problems, though, and I was responsible enough to hold down several jobs and play a lot of sports, both of which kept me out of real trouble.

I did hate my mother during my entire sophomore year, though. I couldn''t tell you why.
My parents fondly refer to that as my ''stomp stomp slam'' year.

My daughter hated me about that age, too. My theory is that she was in love with her father, and I was the competition. She would hang on his arm and flirt, and I got to walk two paces behind when we were on family outings. No problem. I just waited her out. She moved on to flirting with guys her own age soon enough.

She is 20 now, and we get along fine.

 

[Cehrabehra]

Oh hell yes. I bit other kids, made myself throw up for babysitters, ran away from home (and from babysitters), snooped in people''s things, talked back, was lazy. And as a teen - you name it, I did it. But by about 17 I was done and I never snoop anymore (I have no desire to know about anything I''m not supposed to know about), I don''t run away (lol), I don''t make myself puke, and I only bite in fun But I never was a thief, ever.

 

[Cehrabehra]

man, lots of good girls here!! My daughter is a good girl. I''m so lucky - I was totally prepared to have a kid like me!!