Although it officially takes 13 years to become the parent of a teenager, when you’re face-to-face with a young person as tall as you are, it can feel as if they were just a baby and then you blinked.
Teenagers are known for their frequent eye rolls and conversing with adults in monosyllabic grunts, but there are other hallmarks of the adolescent years that are less widely known — and often pretty funny.
For example: upon becoming a teenager, my child became towel rack-blind. They can no longer perceive towel racks, hooks — even doorknobs. Every towel they touch finds its way to the floor and stays there.
We scoured Twitter and asked HuffPost’s Parenting Facebook community for other hilarious things no one tells you about parenting teenagers. Here are some of the other unexpected surprises that those teen years may bring...
Raising teenagers makes raising a toddler look like the easiest time in my life. Sorry for the bad news, toddler parents.
— Dadman Walking (@dadmann_walking) November 11, 2022
Parenting books don’t prepare you for your teens hoarding all of your dishes & silverware in their bedrooms.
— Sarcastic Mommy (@sarcasticmommy4) March 23, 2023
No one is more certain they don’t have homework than a teenager who most certainly has homework.
— Jessie (@mommajessiec) April 26, 2021
“When my son was 16 he decided he was going to start lining his bowls with cellophane so that he didn’t have to wash it.” —Sabrina Henk (Facebook post)
My teen spent the car ride to school explaining in great detail how he’s an adult now and wants everyone to recognize his independence. He also texted me at lunch to complain how the crusts weren’t removed from his sandwich
— Maryfairyboberry🧚🏻♀️ (@maryfairybobrry) September 14, 2022
“Can I have $20?”
— Jessie (@mommajessiec) April 22, 2021
-how teenagers say hello
Used punctuation in a text to my teen and now she thinks I’m mad.
— Simon Holland (@simoncholland) July 9, 2020
“They suddenly turned into their father. They couldn’t find anything, even if it’s literally exactly where I told them it was.” —Shannon Elizabeth (Facebook post)
Ruin your teenagers day by looking in their general direction.
— Dadman Walking (@dadmann_walking) March 4, 2023
Strangers pay me a lot of money to give them advice but let me try and tell my teenager one single thing and it’s an automatic, “You don’t know anything.”
— Lady Lawya (@Parkerlawyer) September 18, 2018
Will someone please explain to me why my teenager refuses to wear anything warm all winter but now that it’s hot out he’s wearing the same hoodie every single day!?
— Professional Worrier (@pro_worrier_) May 4, 2022
“My teen is very cool but I still would like to not have every single lidded drink cup in the house sitting on her side table.” —Tracy Deakin (Facebook post)
Actual conversation between 14 and me today... Me: Good morning! 14: Stop.
— Carole-ing, Carole-ing, Carole-ing (@savoir_fairest) January 30, 2023
having a teenager is fun because food that was in the kitchen when I went to bed is no longer there when I wake up.
— Dadman Walking (@dadmann_walking) June 27, 2022
Please pray for my teen who forgot to jump and touch the doorframe before entering a room today
— Maryfairyboberry🧚🏻♀️ (@maryfairybobrry) January 19, 2021
“Wardrobe doors. Our 13-year-old never closes them anymore. No idea why!” —Melina Rojas (Facebook post)
I hope my friends don’t find out I own a coat.
— Simon Holland (@simoncholland) January 6, 2021
-Teenagers
If you have teenagers, you know that 65% of their time is looking for their earbuds.
— Abe Yospe (@Cheeseboy22) December 10, 2022
My teen’s stories have a beginning, middle, and I need $20.
— Jessie (@mommajessiec) September 13, 2022
“They are completely nose blind to the horrific odors coming from their room and SWEAR they don’t smell anything.” —Kristi Kempton (Facebook post)
If you’ve ever wondered what living with a teen is like....mine just walked by and said:
— Aimée Wimbush-Bourque (@simplebites) April 26, 2021
“Love you mom just farted”
and that about sums it up.#lifewithteens#momlife#parenthood
Making my second meal of the day and one kid hasn’t woken up yet. Life with teens.
— Sharon Holbrook (@sharon_holbrook) December 26, 2022
No one is full of more false hope than a parent saying good morning to their teen.
— Sarcastic Mommy (@sarcasticmommy4) January 30, 2023
“I started with ten forks and now I have four. I actually found some under the bed years after she left home!” —Cathy Davis-Meyers (Facebook post)
Teenager, “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do here.”
— Lady Lawya (@Parkerlawyer) March 29, 2018
Me *spends entire paycheck on a trip to the beach*
Teenager, “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do here.”
Me *hurls self into ocean*
My teen was complaining that all of the cups were in the dishwasher. I told him he’s more than welcome to wash one by hand.
— Sarcastic Mommy (@sarcasticmommy4) July 17, 2022
2 minutes later I find him drinking from a bowl with a straw.
Good luck to his future wife.
Conversation with Boy Wonder;
— ThatCrazyAldousHouse (@JenniferAldous) March 25, 2019
BW: I’m starving
Me: Why didn’t you eat
BW: Come on Mom, you know I eat every 1/2 hr
Me: Good point
This is life with teenagers. Don’t expect to ever have money again, it’s all going towards food and sports 🤷♀️#lifewithteens#parenting#parentsquad