Teenagers and Camping

[Bill U]

Has this ever happened to you:
Camping with a 16 year old teenager, all of a sudden I'm an idiot. I can't do anything right. I don't understand the way of the world and I've become a booger eating moron. When will I get it? I know nothing. How have I lived my 52 years without his sage advise? I can't light a campfire the proper way and why do I have to stack the fire wood in a neat pile instead of just throwing it into a heap all over the place by backing the truck up at high speed and hitting the brake. Why does the trolling motor battery always need recharging? Can't I just buy another battery and why dosen't this boat go faster? My girlfriend is just drove up so don't even look at us. And do not ask her questions.
This, my friends, is why some animal species eat their young.
Just venting because he is really a great kid with a job at the local Winn Dixie grocery store as a bag boy and is now paying taxes. He was outraged when he saw the deductions on his first check. I told him "Welcome to the real world, son". He really is a great kid but I have found out you have to check your temper and be an example for them to follow. Just venting here.

[LadyWindrider]

Welcome to parenthood. Glad I got that part over. Just stick to your guns, like your dad did, and you'll be amazed at how much he'll grow up, JUST LIKE YOU.

[Big bird]

You had your chance, now it is his. Pray you did it right, because you have little left. We all go through it and if you did it right when he was younger he will join you a few years from now. Hold your breath, hang on, give support and wish him well on his journey.



Big Bird

[chevy02]

LOL Good luck i know what you mean i have a 17 yr old daughter wow she can go from nice to bitchy in less than 10 sec

[rockwood06]

I fell your pain, I have a 21 year old daughter soon to graduate from college and a 19 year old son, he graduated from high school last year and wanted to become a Carpenter but now has changed his mine. He works at the mall and is now realizing that a high school education will keep him in the mall. He is considering the Air Force and maybe become an Air Traffic Controller. As mention above my daughter is nice at any given time but can be a pain in the ass and complain about her live, I don't know what her problem is she is going to graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and a have a minor in Business Finance and she is getting her second SMI scholar award this week end......Is it a full moon or what?..... You have to remember we parents don't know anything according to our kids, but they don't realizes they will follow our path and become greater then us because we have made the path for them to follow.....We Are The Pioneers....You can talk to them until you are blue in the face and they will wake up, just keep your foot in there butt and do not let them think too long on there own, they still need parental guidance with that.....We the parents can not give up although sometime would like to send them back where they came from. The biggest problem I have to day is modern technology, it has made our kids lazy. Good luck...

[grhodes50]

Man, you've got a lot to look forward to. You're gonna be very surprised at how smart you will become by the time he reaches 25!

Johnny Carson once said that at one point every teenager will say, "I didn't ask to be born!" He always told his kids, "No you didn't. But if you had of, the answer would have been NO!

Hang in there. Let them stumble and fall. Just be there to help them up.

[Matt_L]

I can't wait... this is right around the corner for me (10, 12, and 14 yo).

I'm just now starting to have a bit of trouble with the oldest (girl) in that she's really not looking forward to camping this year even though we've just upgraded from a pop-up to a TT. A bit too much family togetherness coupled with being away from her friends, I guess. What do you guys do to keep 'em pacified? Bring their friends along? Tell 'em to shut up and deal with it? Something in between? We're planning on camping A LOT this year and I don't want her to dread every weekend we hit the road.

[Filthy Beast]

Teenagers, tired of being harassed by your stupid parents? Act now! Move out..Get a job..Pay your own bills. Do it while you still know everything.

[cfsoistman]

We survived!!! 3 daughters, only one left as a teenager and that ends in August. Oldest 23 is married with a little one of her own, Middle daughter 22 and serious with a real nice guy, he's a Marine, and the youngest 19 is in College. I believe my wife and I are starting to get smarter in their eyes. They're realizing if you want something you have to work for it. But there were times during those teenage years where we were dumb as dirt and too strict. They're now realizing we were looking out for their best interest.
Don't complain too much because you know you were the same way only if you had parents like mine they'd put a foot in your butt.

[wnytaxman]

I have twin girls who just turned 13. As the girls would say, "OMG!!!!" They can be absolutely brutal. I also have two older kids in their 30's. They were both the proverbial PITA's (you can fill in the blanks on that one) when they were teens. Now he is a petroleum engineer in Houston making big $$$ and she just got her PhD from Johns Hopkins. Both you and they will survive, just not without scars.

[yvesm]

Kids; God's punishment for enjoying sex!

[grhodes50]

Grandkids; God's reward for not killing your kids!

[yvesm]

I like that!

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by grhodes50

Grandkids; God's reward for not killing your kids!

Excellent! That statement would be a great bumper sticker.

[tmmar]

Originally Posted by grhodes50

Grandkids; God's reward for not killing your kids!

Well put!!!

[08flagvlite]

I know the feeling well, I have 2 teenage boys- one 18, and one 16, that both drive their own cars and have girlfriends that want to tag along everywhere! I don't know about you-all, but I personally didn't buy my camper to provide sleeping arrangements for all of this! AND, don't even get me going about car insurance, or vehicle maintenance/repairs. Fortunately, dear old dad can fix them (or maybe it should be UNfortunately!!) anyway, I hope they both have plenty of kids to drive them nuts! Randy

[VAlover]

Now that our kids have children, it's nice to watch, sit back and tell them "payback is hell", and they actually get it!

[chevy02]

Oh and yes diffinitely take their freinds with them How horrible to have to spend time with your parents alone for any given time and if they`re old enough put up a tent for them to sleep in solve the problem as to where they gonna sleep unless you have a bunk house model

[Bob and Teresa]

We bought our trailer at the point when the kids did not want to camp with us anymore. Now that our son is 25 and in the "Real World" he keeps finding excuses to go camping with us.

Our daughter who is 20 still wants no part of camping, even though she grew up with her own tent and could not wait for the next trip.

But boy during those teenage years we were all kinds of stupid. Now they are sort of wondering how we got so smart.

So hang in there and things will turn around.

[rockwood06]

You are correct they will see the light. Just yesterday my 19 year old son gave us a compliment and I just about fell out of my chair, so I must be getting though to him, It has been a slow process. I think they are called the "X" generation.