Turning the tables on our children!

When dd1 in particular was a teen, I was forever saying, 'Why do you have to leave everything to the last minute?' - esp. as regards homework, etc.

Roll on several years, she was home from uni and I was doing an OU course, with an essay due in - as I thought - a few days later.

But once I checked more carefully - eeeek! - it was due in by midnight that night, and it was already at least 5 pm! And this was pre everything done by email - we had to,post them.

My tutor lived on the other side of London, so after a few hours of very hectic essay writing - thank goodness I'd done a bit of preliminary work - off we went off in the car at 11pm to deliver it - dd in her pyjamas with the A to Z, gaily chortling, 'Why do you have to leave everything until the last minute?'

Ah yes, those teenage rooms. I have photographic proof of that too, Hetty. I' m just waiting for the right time to produce them .

Perhaps we could have an online Gransnet competition to decide whose offspring's rooms were the worst, though I didn't have daughters, so don't expect to win on account of no used sanitary towels lying around the floors ( though I did find some equally unsavoury things when I once have to do a deep clean) !

I have photo evidence of the state of their teenage rooms - (as well as funny naked toddler pictures, school photos with dodgy haircuts etc.) all stored away for the amusement of the grandchildren!

My youngest son, who gave me every grey hair on my head, has qualified as a primary school teacher. When he solemnly informed me of the 'importance of boundaries' I couldn't stop laughing. He also maintains that he was 'never that untidy, filthy, naughty etc in front of his fiancee. Again I laugh and give a few examples... we're very close and luckily share the same cruel sense of humour..

Once they have teenage children I was able to point out that this was nature’s way of getting my own back!

Yes I did that as well Bathsheba when my grandchildren were young.

Not that I bicker, of course - it's him!

I don't know about revenge, but there is one way in which the tables have turned - in recent years, they have been known to tell us to stop bickering!

I tell my GC all the naughty/silly things their parents did when they were little

I got told off because I laughed at something naughty my DGS did (a minor, cheeky misdemeanor). So now I put on a scowly face which makes him laugh and we both get into trouble.

I drink her gin and Prosecco!

In the early days of their marriage, when they drove us anywhere, after 5 mins we would call out “Are we there yet” we soon got bored with it though.

I must admit that I used to hide the choc ices in a fish finger box. They'd all be gone otherwise! I'm very fond of telling them all that their kids are little angels compared to how they were.

My daughter was in a bad mood once and shouted (quite unnecessarily) at my granddaughter. I put my daughter on the naughty step and made her apologise! Of course, my granddaughter was delighted.

MamaCaz
I started doing it when I invited some colleagues over for a meal, offered them all some posh ice-cream at the end of the meal, took it out of the freezer to discover there was about a centimetre in the bottom of the tub. My boy had got there first. One of my colleagues asked what his least favourite veg was and suggested it as a strategy....still works and he's in his thirties!

It's not getting my own back but when she used to complain about the state of DGD's bedroom, I used to think I don't know how you've got the nerve. Hers was always a tip.

Ooh, I love the idea of hiding the nice stuff in a frozen veg pack

When the GC play -up I remind them that they were just as bad when they were the same age!

I've told my DiL the trick of hiding things like choc ices inside an empty frozen brussel sprouts bag.

I don't feel the need to get my own back ?

Argh Urmstongran please tell me you don't drink that stuff! And you half Spanish as well (in your habitat at least)!

I drink her Prosecco.