Tweens jumped at the chance to get honest about what their parents do and say that they find totally annoying - prepare to howl at the responses they gave when we asked them to reveal all...
Raising tweens is certainly an interesting and beautiful ride, and there's a lot of myths that are not true to dispel about this particular group of kids. Yes, they can occasionally be angry, entitled and rude, but who isn't when navigating this challenging time of life? They're actually adept at coming up with their own tween slang, and their obsession with dropping the word 'skibidi' into every conversation is quite endearing (just don't listen to the song - it'll never leave your head.)
To prove just how funny and insightful tweens can be, we interviewed some to get their most candid insights into their parents' most annoying rules and habits. They definitely rose to the challenge, and we've picked out the best of the best responses - be prepared for some big laughs and a lot of screen-related outrage.
Parents' most annoying habits and rules according to tweens
- "I hate being told to go to bed when my parents go to bed whenever they want. And just to really annoy me, they tell me to go to bed when I'm in the middle of a game and just don't understand that you can't do that. But they say it every night anyway."
- "Saying things that kids say and being totally cringe. My mum said 'flex' the other day on a work call and I was so embarrassed. That's not the only time, she does it all the time."
- "They make me wear clothes. I know I need to get dressed when I go to school, but pants are comfortable and I don't know why I have to get dressed on holiday and stuff."
- "My dad always says he'll do something when I ask, and it's just to make me be quiet. I think he only ever does what I've asked half the time and now I just think he's a liar."
- "My mum blames me for every single fart, and it's definitely not always me. I think she's like the fart police or something. I've heard the cat fart in the litter tray but nobody believes it's sometimes him and not me."
- "When my mum dances (*does fantastic demonstration*) it's sooooooooo cringe. Mum said she used to win dance competitions when she was younger, but it definitely doesn't look like it to me."
- "When my mum does the food shop online, she always asks me and my brother what we want. When the food van brings the food, my dad eats what me and my brother asked for and I find that so annoying. I keep asking for the stuff I asked for to be put in my room, but my parents won't let me."
- "What do I find most annoying... (*thinks hard*) Oh, I know - no gadgets before school, no gadgets in bedrooms and telling me I've had too much sugar. My friend has an Xbox and fridge in his room that has chocolate in it, and I'd never be allowed that."
- "I really don't know why, but my mum is obsessed with telling me to stop clicking my fork on my teeth, and talking about vegetables vs processed food when we're just trying to eat our dinner. I just want to eat."
- "My parents never buy enough coke. There's just never enough in, and it's really bad. Oh, and telling me I have to dry up, we have a dishwasher and I don't understand why everything doesn't just go in there."
- "Mum reckons it's always too hot to be wearing jeans and hoodies even when it's not. And I think I should be the one that decides that now, I am 11."
- "All I ever hear from my mum and dad is that everything is too expensive, TV has a time limit, and I need to get off my phone. Most of the time they just say stuff about getting off screens and don't actually do anything about it. They also tell me at least five times a day that I'm not grateful for anything to try and make me feel guilty."
- "Making me do chores when I get home from school like practice piano, before I'm allowed to do anything fun. I hate piano."
- "When football and rugby season finishes, my dad constantly tells me I need to stay fit for when it starts again. I don't want to, I just want to rest, and I know he says it because he used to be really good at rugby, but now he's got old and wobbly and doesn't want me to get unfit like him."
- "I asked my dad to help me make some slime from a recipe I found on YouTube. We went shopping to get what we needed, and I kept saying people had commented on the recipe video saying you also needed shaving foam to make it work properly. But he said 'It's not in the ingredients list and that's what I'm following.' I said, 'get shaving foam', like, 5 million times and he didn't listen. Then what happened? We needed shaving foam. Literally the most annoying thing that's ever happened to me."
For more on tweens, we have tips for less stressful holidays when they're with you, and what you can do to curb tween screen time. If your tween struggles making the right friends, an expert shares how they can identify friendships that are the right fit.
