Teenagers are tricky beings. You never quite know what mood they will be in and what will annoy your teenager at any given moment.
They could be bubbly and over-the-moon one second and in a cross, dramatic episode the next. There are no warning signs between mood swings. Sometimes all you have to do is breathe in the wrong way to set them off.
Here are 45 surefire ways to annoy your teenager:
Say ‘Good morning‘ to them too cheerfully
Say ‘Goodbye‘ to them too cheerfully
Suggest that they ‘Have a good day’
Ask them to put on a coat because it’s cold outside
Suggest they should put on more sensible shoes
Suggest they should change their outfit
Suggest they should wear a hat/take an umbrella
Eat too loudly
Laugh too loudly
Talk too loudly
Breathe too loudly
Drink your cup of tea too loudly
Not wash their favourite jeans fast enough
Lack the ability to read their minds
Wear ‘embarrassing’ (your everyday) clothes in public
Use teen slang words
Use old and ‘uncool’ words
Say ‘Goodbye’ to them too cheerfully
Utter even a syllable in front of their friends
Speak at all
Sing along to a song they like
Sing along to a song that comes on the radio
Sing the wrong words to any song
Sing at any given time and in any given moment
Ask if they’ve done their homework
Like one of their posts on Instagram
Don’t like one of their posts on Instagram
Post photos of them on your own Instagram feed
Ask ‘How was your day?’
Neglect to ask them about their day
Attempt to talk to them at all when they come home after school
Attempt to do the floss
Attempt to ‘dab’
Dance. At any time. In any way
Skip
Try to hug them
Try to hold their hand
Show any form of affection, especially in public or in front of their friends
Ask them questions about their night out
Ask them to walk the dog
Ask them to stack the dishwasher
Ask them if maybe they perhaps wouldn’t leave wet towels on the floor
Exist
Yup – it’s a pretty exhausting list.
When you have a teenager almost everything you do will annoy them or embarrass them. And to think just a few years ago we were their heroes.
Many parents survive the teenage years by relishing embarrassing their teens. So – we say – bop in the supermarket aisles, sing out loud to your favourite tune on the radio and be as cheerful as you like. Even if you do get eye rolls and sighs along the way.
