People are always preaching that the truth will set you free. Well, here is the bottom-line God’s honest truth when it comes to teenagers. There is no “Men are from Mars”. There is no “Women are from Venus”. There is only Planet Teen. Put away the petty conceit that teen boys and teen girls are sooooo different. They are walking the same planet, breathing the same air, and wreaking the same havoc.
So, for Monday Listicles, here’s the thing that makes us go hmmmmm about teens:
Why does it take so long to get ready in the morning?
Here’s the photographic evidence that proves our point.
Hair
Shazam! Hair this good does not happen by accident.
Towels
So they aren’t taking the time to hang them up or put them in the hamper. So maybe the minutes are ticking away as they decide which one to use. Or maybe they are just staring into the linen closet trying to conjure up a clean one.
Closet
Could you find anything in under 15 minutes in here??
Shoes
Whether lined up for emphasis or left in their natural state, that’s a lot of shoes. Choices like that could take hours.
Black Hole
This is where everything is: the flute, the left soccer cleat, and the cover sheet to that book report. If only you could find this elusive black hole, you could shave 30 minutes off of your morning.
Pretty sure we saw your gold hoop earring in here, too. And all of the mismatched socks from the dryer.
So you see, XX or XY things aren’t so dramatically different; they are really just equally frustrating. This list could go on forever because there is no limit to the things that make you go hmmm on Planet Teen, but we are keeping it short for Stasha on Monday Listicles this week. That should make everyone go hooray!
I hear ya about Planet Teen because I have one and she suffers the same ailments you described up above. God help us!
Bruna (@beeswithhoney) recently posted..blossom trees & paper plate flowers
I am really looking forward to my kiddo growing up now…I swear I never was a teen. I must have jumped straight from 7 to 31. Except pimples and general moodiness.
Thanks for picking up a great topic. I love your spin on it. Also my husband seems to be a teenager 🙂
Stasha recently posted..Monday Listicles
I don’t know what you guys are talking about because Noah isn’t scheduled to be a teenager until August. I will never know what you’re talking about because I decided many, many moons ago that Noah never WILL become a teenager. He is going to stay stagnant at 12 for the next 8 years.
The end.
Kim @The G is Silent recently posted..Comment on Monday Listicles by Terri Sonoda
Are you riding your unicorn while typing this comment? 😉 Ellen
My daughter always – ALWAYS – has at least 3 pair of shoes laying around. It makes me crazy.
Bridget recently posted..Monday Listicles
Ah great list! I remember the Black Hole and my sons were teens a long time ago.
Terri Sonoda recently posted..Monday Listicles – Ten things that make you go hmmm
I really like how you did your list up! Talk about restraint…my list for “Teen Planet” would have been endless.
Diane recently posted..Puberty at 50 (aka Menopause)
I’ve decided to not have anymore kids now, because with my gigantic shoe collection, we will be overrun when my two hit their teen years!
BonnyBard recently posted..Things that make you go hmmm… Monday Listicles
The teen we still have at home has a nice, secluded room in the basement (don’t worry, we put some newspapers down), and every time I dare peek in there it’s just a sea of dirty clothes and empty soda cans. I’ll give him credit, though – as soon as his dad says it’s time to leave for school, he stumbles right upstairs in something that resembles clothing and walks out the door. Of course, now that it’s summer, forget mornings – I won’t see him until around 3pm. 😉
hollow tree ventures recently posted..Peeing While I’m In the Shower and Other Things To Think About
Snorted at the newspaper comment! Erin keeps her teen in the basement, too, but has missed the step of putting the newspaper down (smack my head, wait, her head). I’m going to give her my Sunday paper this week to make sure she has enough to get started. 😉 Ellen
That black hole invades our house on a daily basis as well. The hole seems to especially like socks.
Wayne recently posted..Monday Listicles
I forgot to add earlier – what a great list suggestion you made there.
Wayne recently posted..Monday Listicles
I’m scared.
God help me, because I feel like our bathroom is too small and their closets too narrow for all that crap!
Let me enjoy toddlerhood a little more!
Jackie recently posted..Hmmm?
Haha…how did you sneak into my house to take those photos?
Makes you feel a little less alone in the universe, right? 😉 Ellen
Well that explains a lot!!! I think there is a black hole at my house too.
Stacey recently posted..Things that make me go Hmmmm
Mine aren’t too bad yet – but we’re closing in on the teen years for my oldest, and I know I’m not ready. The biggest cause for mine taking a long time to get ready now is the fact that they completely forget what they’re doing/what they have to do. So there’s a big rush to do everything in the last minute before walking out the door!
Katie E recently posted..Monday Listicles: Ten 10-Year-Old Favorites
P.S. I LOVE that braid!
I have to admit, that one was done by a professional, but thanks to Pinterest, we have become masters of the waterfall braid (I just didn’t have any pictures of those). Ellen
I’ve actually tried a waterfall braid thanks to pinterest, too! I think it would be easier if my daughters would grow longer hair though 🙂
Katie E recently posted..Monday Listicles: Ten 10-Year-Old Favorites
hmm. i think I just gained a whole lotta insight … about my husband.
deborah l quinn recently posted..Monday’s Listicle: Things That Make You Go “hmm…”
I feel like you might have been following me through my teen years there a bit 🙂
Loved the list!
Michelle Longo recently posted..Hmm.
We do live in shoe hell. Not mine of course.
I have so much to look forward to in the future. I shudder. I thought my toddler list was daunting. I’m going to go curl up in the corner now. Great list suggestion!
Delilah recently posted..How Not to Die while Camping
My favorite is when candy is left in the pockets of the various clothing items on the bedroom floor and the dogs find it. I cannot stress the importance of closing bedroom doors. Love your list and the topic, but not more than I love you guys! 😉
Kimberly s. (Sperk*) recently posted..It’s Good to Be Curious about Mister Rogers
Fingers crossed that when the teenager crosses into the twenties the black hole will disappear, but I’m not holding my breath! At least I’m not the only one!
Robyn recently posted..Things that make you go hmmm
Eep. My kiddos are currently 5,4, almost 3 and 7 months. That means one day I’ll have a 17,16, almost 15 and 13yo in my house. So yeah. What you’re saying is I’m sca-rewed? Haha! Loved the list!
Sarah Reinhart @littlewhitewhale recently posted..the sunday spill: NEW IDEA, NEW LINKUP
The hair is adorable! And that closet??? OH EM Geeeeeee I would die. It would drive me nuts.
Ducky recently posted..Things That Make You Go Hmmm
I just close the bedroom door and turn a deaf ear to “Mom, I can’t find…” 🙂 Ellen
Ah. The Black Hole. We lose socks, jeans, shorts, kitchen utensils. You name it, the BHole has done away it with it around here.
SouthMainMuse recently posted..Ten things that “make me go hmm.” If I can think of 10.
I am hereby always referring to all things lost as being stuck in the BHole! Ellen
great – just lovely to look forward with having 3. Boarding school is looking really fantastic right now. LOL
RoryBore recently posted..Monday Listicles: Hmm….Wait. What?!
You might have hit on something! LOL Ellen
So funny! As my three littles get up at the crack of dawn (4-5 am) every morning, I’m almost looking forward to the teen years…for a little wake up early revenge!
Wendy Coffman recently posted..Top Ten Things that make me go Hmmm….
LOVED this!
Did you do that Shazam hair? Because if you did I need you to come over here STAT and do our Irish dance hair! That is the prettiest hair style I’ve seen.
PS: LOVE the black hole.
Ado recently posted..Cindy Crawford is Perfect and I’m Not
I have to admit that one was professional (did not have her head available to do a new one and get it on the blog, lol), but the stylist talked me through it. So following that picture and looking at the tutorial on Pinterest, I can now rock the waterfall braid. I’m sure you could too!
P.S.- The black hole ruins my life. 🙂 Ellen
Thanks for the warnings about teens! My sister/brother are 18 now. I want them to be 6 again so we can go through it all over again. I am not a messy person particularly but even when I was a teen everyone gave me a hard time because there were just explosions of clothes and things everywhere!
Pish Posh recently posted..Hallelujah
I want my son to stay 9. It has been such a great year, such a great age. He can do most things for himself, yet he’s still very touchy/feely hugs, and kisses. And thinks I’m the best thing since sliced bread. 🙂 I’m scared of the teen years! Love your list!
Donna recently posted..Would you like $50? I’d love for you to win$50 this Friday!
Don’t be scared. We love our teens. We only set them out on the curb with signs reading “Free to Good Home” once per week. 🙂 Ellen
Um… that cannot happen! but I think I would take a mess of shoes over throw down on the ground tantrums right now!
Audrey recently posted..1 week old
Each stage, no matter what it is, if you’re currently wading through it, then it is the hardest. Stay strong! Ellen
So, are you telling me things don’t get better? Oh no, and here I was hoping that the towels on the floor, the messy closets and the shoes all over the place would improve with age! 🙂
Susi recently posted..Fly me to the moon… and beyond!
I have to stop reading the teen posts. Is it possible to have Pre Traumatic Stress Disorder? I have that.
The black hole is vast. We have lost more than a few things in it, but not the attitude. I keep hoping that we will lose the attitude and the eye rolling but those $#!%#$ things never get lost.
Jack@TheJackB recently posted..Those Three Words
OH! So THAT’S where the socks go!!! That hair is amazing, by the way. Additionally, we have the issue of side braids. Those things take forever!!!! HMMMMMMM.
Jennifer Worrell recently posted..Hmmmm…WTF?