The preteen years are one of the most difficult times for parents. At least, according to these 55 Twitter users. Their hilarious Tweets about what it’s like to be a parent of a tween will fill you with both angst and laughter. We’ve heard a lot about how crazy teenagers can make their parents, but it turns out, the ages of 10 to 13 are just as bad.
They are still young kids, yet, are starting to think like adults thanks to puberty and other factors kicking in. From their incessant desire for cellphones to all sorts of new additional behaviors beginning, preteens might just be the worst of the bunch. At the end of the day though, we still love them just as much as ever.
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BPMbadassmama
1. Deodorant Required
This dad noticed that his son was really starting to smell recently. It was completely out of the ordinary. However, when kids hit puberty, it comes with the territory.
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Cheeseboy22
2. Opposite Opinions
If you have a thought or suggestion about something, your preteen will probably ignore it. One effective strategy is to use reverse psychology. Just tell them the opposite of how you really feel.
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MommaUnfiltered
3. Style Choices
When kids reach their preteen years, they start to become much more aware of styles. That doesn’t just apply to clothing either. Even stylish notebooks fall under that category.
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Manda_like_wine
4. Expensive Tastes
You’ll learn that sweatpants aren’t just sweatpants. There are all different types of sweatpants and your preteen will desire the most expensive brands that exist. That’s just a given.
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simoncholland
5. Busy Schedule
Weekends are always occupied. Just when you think you might get a reprieve, some other sort of commitment kicks in. For example, your kid might sign up for youth sports…
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mommajessiec
6. Embarrassing Parents
Being embarrassing never used to be a problem. However, once your kid turns 10 years old, suddenly, you become like a pariah to them. They don’t want to be seen anywhere with you.
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lunchboxdad
7. Curious Nature
Tweens have a lot of questions. They are just starting to learn how the world really works and are very curious about everything. Even things that aren’t actually that important are interesting to them.
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kellyoxford
8. Sighing Years
The preteen years could easily be renamed. At least, according to this mom. She came up with a very catchy new idea for a television show based on what she’s noticed. Hopefully, Netflix or another major network will pick it up soon.
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WendiAarons
9. Hoping For A Phone
At what age is it appropriate to give a kid a cell phone? It’s a question that many parents struggle with. The kids will insist that they need one as soon as possible though.
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MamaFizzles
10. Eating Habits
One of the most amazing things about young teens is their ability to eat. Their appetites go through the roof. They can pack in massive amounts of calories without packing on any excess weight.
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steveolivas
11. Dressing Room Blues
Preteen girls really love shopping, but their moms, not so much. Waiting around while the girls try on a million different items can be a big hassle and take a crazy amount of time. It’s a challenging process.
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JessBWatson
12. Hip Hop Fans
There are a lot of different phases that kids go through. Some of them are more enjoyable than others. According to this mom, the best phase of them all is the Lil’ Jon music phase.
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SarahThyre
13. Runaway Threat
Has your kid ever threatened to run away before? It happens to most parents. If the kid doesn’t like something that you said, their first instinct is to flee the country.
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JennyPentland
14. Bedtime Extensions
When kids are young, getting them to bed is much easier. They respect your authority a lot more. As they get older, they start to question why their bedtime is so early.
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MommaUnfiltered
15. Asking Questions
Did you clean your room? Did you do your homework? These are questions parents have asked their kids a thousand times over, yet the answers are almost always the same.
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mommy_cusses
16. Eye Rolls
Most parents think that the teenage years are when their kids will start to rebel. However, bad attitudes start to develop sooner rather than later in most cases. There is no sugarcoating it.
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lunchboxdad
17. Democratic Notions
Preteens will question every decision you make. They fail to realize that you are still the parent and what you say goes. They want to be their own boss.
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MommieKnwsFresh
18. Old School Ways
Technology is a necessity for kids these days. They don’t know how to function without it. God forbid, they would have to do something as simple as use a non-electric toothbrush.
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steveolivas
19. Tuned Out
This father also experienced a technology-induced moment of clarity. He realized just how different this generation of kids is. His daughter, on the other hand, didn’t even hear him.
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simoncholland
20. Exercise Routines
Before the kids reach their tween years, your exercise routine might involve going to the gym. Afterward, it involves something much more basic — turning off lights. It’s just as exhausting as any cardio class.
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AsgardianRose
21. Childhood Movies
Movies that you think are classic, your kids will think are outdated. They just don’t understand. As they get older, they’ll also become more vocal about your “old-timey” tastes.
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kimholcomb
22. Now Or Later
If you ask a tween to do something, they will almost always try to procrastinate. There are a million other things that are much more important to do first. That’s how they view the situation.
Source:
TheAlexNevil
23. Dad’s Money
You have to be more careful about finances. Preteens don’t understand the value of money and the hard work that goes into obtaining it. They think that it just grows on trees.
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Cheeseboy22
24. Life Lessons
This mom teaches her kids daily lessons about the world through notes. She puts them in their school lunches. They are simple and revolve around subjects that are easy for them to relate to.
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amydillon
25. Dinner Chat
Preteen girls can talk up a storm. Have you ever eavesdropped on one of their conversations? They get so absorbed in their goofy topics that they sometimes forget that you even exist.
Source:
BPMbadassmama
26. Exotic Pies
Tweens are pretty funny about food. They are curious about trying different things, but also already have their childhood favorites. Bizarre new things like pumpkin might amaze them.
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kellyoxford
27. Flowery Vapors
Perfumes, lotions, and fragrant shower gels suddenly become very important. Smelling good is everything. Tweens need something with an alluring scent.
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SarahThyre
28. Evil Genius
Once kids reach around ten years of age, their intelligence will start to surprise you. They become seriously cunning. They can come up with all sorts of creative ways to annoy you.
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LetMeStart
29. Different Generations
Your kids probably won’t be too excited about your style choices. To them, you wear old people clothes. They might have been hip back in the day, but they definitely aren’t anymore.
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MothaKim
30. Girls And Boys
At some point, your kids are going to want to start dating. Although, the way they view dating can be very amusing. They have unique ways of looking at the world that probably have never occurred to you before.
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kellyoxford
31. Mic Drop
Back in the 80s and 90s mic drops were a big deal. However, times change. These days, kids have a completely different way of talking and they won’t ever explain it to you.
Source:
ExperBadMom
32. No Parents Allowed
When kids are young, you are their best friend. They love spending time with their parents. You have to enjoy it while it lasts because eventually, that won’t be the case anymore.
Source:
IbecameMyDad
33. Renaming Things
It might surprise you how creative your kids are. They are great at making up hilarious words that, in their minds, fit the situation perfectly. Adults likely won’t understand though.
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Manda_like_wine
34. Parental Singing
Have you ever wanted to make your tween angry? Just do some karaoke in the living room. They will not be impressed by your singing talents.
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lunchboxdad
35. Awkward Music Choices
Once kids become preteens, it becomes extremely simple to make them feel uncomfortable. It can be a lot of fun for parents. It’s just too easy.
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SarahThyre
36. Inside People
It’s often shocking to parents how much time tweens spend in front of screens. We live in a different world now. Playing outside is no longer appealing to the youth. Video games are just way too much fun for them.
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JennyPentland
37. Unnecessary Parents
What do parents really do? Life would be so much easier without them. That’s the thought going through almost every kid’s head the minute that they turn eleven or twelve years old.
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byclintedwards
38. Tween Suffering
There are different degrees of pain that vary based on your age. When you are young, every minor problem feels more serious than it really is. Little things can quickly blow up into huge emergencies.
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TheDoseTweets
39. Can’t Wait
Kids don’t really have a good sense of time. They just haven’t been on earth long enough to appreciate how fast the years fly by. A few months can feel like a lifetime to them.
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whithonea
40. Communication Problems
It can be quite difficult to get the attention of a tween. They live in their own world. It takes a lot of yelling to get through to them and wake them up from their dream state.
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thebabylady7
41. First Dance
One of the most exciting things about becoming a preteen is that school dances start. It can result in a lot of very happy kids. There is just so much new material to gossip about.
Source:
MommaUnfiltered
42. Christmas Covers
Kids make the best parodies of songs. They know all of the right words to replace. Somehow, their versions of the tunes always end up coming out hilarious.
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SarahThyre
43. Sleeping In
There is nothing more relaxing than sleeping all day. As an adult, it rarely ever happens. However, as a preteen on summer break, it is pretty much a daily occurrence.
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simoncholland
44. New Swimsuit
As a parent, you get to see your kids go through all of the stages of development. It’s part of growing up. Although, some milestones are certainly more exciting than others.
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StellaGMaddox
45. Powerful Smells
Give a preteen boy a can of spray-on deodorant and you’re in for a fun day. Your whole house will end up smelling like it. Young men often use an excessive amount of the canned fragrances.
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steveolivas
46. Video Challenges
This mom had a great idea for a new preteen YouTube channel. If someone could pick it up and run with it, moms everywhere would really appreciate it. It would make their lives so much easier.
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JessBWatson
47. Autocorrect Issues
The best method of communication is to just be straightforward. Tell your kids how it really is and don’t sugarcoat it. They will appreciate your honesty.
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nicfit75
48. Fun Dance
For some preteens, school dances are an opportunity to flirt with a member of the opposite sex. You can meet your first girlfriend or boyfriend there. Although, not every kid has the same priorities.
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LoveNLunchmeat
49. Fanny Pack Wearer
Preteens make perfect candidates for pranks. They can be convinced of anything. It often results in some extremely funny situations when parents occasionally decide to take advantage.
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Cheeseboy22
50. Wild Scents
Everybody knows that preteen boys stink. However, this mom came up with a great way to explain what the stench smells like. She used a comparison that everybody can understand.
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KrisnBrit
51. Hormonal Changes
It might surprise you how quickly your little angel transforms. Both the boys and girls go through big transitions. Their bodies produce a mix of all sorts of fascinating new chemicals.
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ksujulie
52. Attention Getter
One of the most exciting hobbies for tweens is arguing, especially with their parents. They will never miss an opportunity to contradict you. On the other hand, at least they are paying attention.
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mommajessiec
53. Getting Older
When kids are toddlers, life is much easier, and cheaper. However, the older they get, the more expensive everything becomes. You need to start saving while they are young if you don’t want to go broke later on.
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FoxyWinePocket
54. Uncool Photo
Sadly, once kids become preteens, your coolness factor goes way down. They no longer see you in the same light. Even special filters won’t really help.
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MommaUnfiltered
55. Random Clutter
Rooms start to get messier and messier. You never know what you’re going to find in the room of a tween or teen. There is nothing that is off-limits.
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RodLacroix
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