QOTD - 10-03-05

[Ms.Huxtable]

When did you get in the most trouble from your parents?

My parents were very, very lenient. I wish they would have punished me more for some of the stunts I pulled.

In fact, I have a difficult time trying to recall a time where they whooped my butt for anything. It would have been because I wasted something though. Man did my Dad hate waste.

I was a bad child/teenager though. I wouldn't have wished me on any set of parents.

[Deeps]

BB Gun .... Broken Windshield .... Cops.

No more hanging out with Sam Kinder for a month which at the time felt like about 12 years.

Damn windows their breaking. Damn neighbours and their not wanting to have their stuff shot at.

Deeps

[TomFoolery]

Hmmm, makes me wonder.

I got in less crap for stealing my parents' car and ripping out the power steering at 14 yrs of age than I did when I got busted for stealing a pack of gum at the age of 4.

The worst had to be when I got suspended from school for drinking on a school trip. Even then they were more pissed about the school not taking a hard line with us than they were about the booze.

I don't think my parents ever really got too mad at me...

[StoneMtn]

I think the most trouble I was ever in was a result of telling my mom I was "going on a canoe trip up north"...

... The next call she received was collect from Wampville, NY (a location between a Dead show in Foxborough Massachuseets and the next show in Buffalo) ; and I won't go into all the details of what led up to that phone call.

[AdamH]

Smoking pot in the house, in my bathrobe, at 15, on a Saturday afternoon and having them come home unexpectedly early.

They never got mad, just disappointed, which is far worse.

[Kaidy Mae]

By far I got in the most trouble for my infamous disappearing acts. From about 15-17 I would forget to call home, forget to come home, etc. It wasn't to be malicious; I just got to having fun and forgot. Well, one day (when I was about 16) I went to a friend's boyfriend's house after school. We skipped fourth period and were enjoying some delicious vodka. All was well. People continued to drop by throughout the day and into the night. By about 9 o'clock the house was raging. I didn't want to leave. I left a message earlier at my house that I wouldn't be home on the schoolbus and that I was getting a ride home around "dinner time". None of my other friends knew where I was and I (obviously) didn't call home to update my folks on my vodka fueled good times. Whoops!

Long story somewhat shortish, a vomitting Kaidy Mae is delivered to the doorstep by some John character my parents had never met. My Mom had phoned the police to file a missing person's report (it wasn't 48 hours, but when a 16 year old girl disappears from school people get a little antsy). THEN we had to go find my older sister who was driving around, in tears, looking for my mangled corpse on the side of the road.

There were also many incidents where I was out and mysteriously caught "the flu" and had to get the folks to bring me home. I remember falling out of the car one night and being sick in the driveway. My Mom just said, "The flu, my ass!" and went inside.

I was a horribly inconsiderate teenager. I fear that if I ever have a daughter that she'll be more wicked and wild than I was. Yikes!

[Booche]

"Smoking pot in the house, in my bathrobe, at 15, on a Saturday afternoon and having them come home unexpectedly early."

If you had of worn your mom's dress, the last thing they would have worried about was the pot.

I got fireman-carried home once. That was a big one. My mom thought they should take me to the hospital and my dad said I needed to sleep it off, not that I remember any of it.

[Kaidy Mae]

having them come home unexpectedly early

That is a dirty trick for parents to play. That happened to Brinapple and I after a wild night of intoxicants and heavy metal. I hadn't slept, folks show up at 11am...time to go to Mom's bday party. Eek!

They never got mad, just disappointed, which is far worse.

Oh, that's so true. My Mom used to avoid me and mope in her room when I had done something wrong. My little sis and I used to fight and when it was the worst we would hear her cry sometimes. I tell ya, it was like someone taking a bite out of your heart. I think that's when I stopped being such a selfish brat (or at least tried to stop).

[Steve from Cleveland]

Back in the day, my neighbors across the street had a commodore 64. They had this helicopter sim "Super Huey II" or some shit... Anyway, I LOVED that game. They went on vacation. I wanted to play it. I convinced my Bro, sis, and some neighborhood kids to break into their house with me. We played games on the computer, watched TV, ate some food, popsicles, etc... Jumped on their beds (And one broke (while I was under it)). And generally caused lots of meyhem. Anyhow, they came back from vacation, and apparantly, we didn't close the freezer door properly? Anyhow, we (mostly I) had to pay for all the shit we broke/ruined both while in the house, and while trying to break in...

That was, I think, the worst... I have done LOTS of other things that were close to that... But I think my age (like 12 at the time, or something?) was a factor in the harsh punishment...

Steve

[can-o-phish]

Okay, I'm sitting here in my editing suite LAUGHING MY FACKIN' ASS OFF! This is one of the best threads/QOTD that I've read as I'm laughing at all of these stories that I, and I'm sure many others, can easily relate to...

[AdamH]

The most "disappointed" my parents ever got in the early years (the whole syphilis thing was later) was when my neighbour Kelly and I wrote our names in fresh asphalt right in front of our houses. I wonder if anyone would've figured out who did it?

Supposedly we were going to have to pay for repaving but I think Luigi and Co. took pity on the damn kids and their mischief.

The most "angry" my mom ever got was when I spooned the tops off her pre-made weight watchers chocolate custards in the fridge. She slammed the fridge door so hard the rack broke and all the jars and bottles fell out. Then she told me to clean it up. And about an hour later she was laughing hysterically for having got so mad.

[TomFoolery]

My mom broke a big wooden spoon on my ass. I was sticking my finger in her bowl of cookie dough.

Now Kayte regularly beats me for picking at her food prep.

Guess I don't learn so good.

[TomFoolery]

Wow - could that first paragraph ever be misconstrued.

[Kaidy Mae]

my neighbour Kelly and I wrote our names in fresh asphalt right in front of our houses. I wonder if anyone would've figured out who did it?

Hahaha! That reminds me of when I was a kid and I wanted to vandalize and, of course, not get in trouble for it. I wrote my little sister's name all over the basement floor in my mother's nailpolish. For a long time I was stumped as to how my Mom figured out it was me.

My sister was 3. LOL

Yet another time where Kaidy ended up having her mouth washed out with soap.

[Sunshine]

One hot summer day in Sauble Beach four 14 yr old girls( passing themselves off for 18), hooked up with a bunch of 20 year old guys that wanted to take them to their cottage in Pike Bay and to the big Pike Bay Pig Roast.

Girls told parents they were going to the movies with another friend and staying at her house. Meanwhile the girls loaded up in the van with the guys and continued to get drunk on straight Canadian Club.

Parents got wind that they weren't with Crista, called the cops (police couldn't do anything until we had been missing for 48 hours), then Parents heard we had been sighted at the Pig Roast.

3 mini vans pull into this cottage at 1 AM, drag their daughters out of the house, Erin and Teawna had been found naked with the 20 year olds. I was drunk almost passed out on the staircase.

Needless to say (heading into grade 9) my father told me I had to earn my trust. That was the hardest thing to do in my life.

oh ya, and picture Scottieking trying not to laugh as my parents drag me into the house at 3 AM.

[Deeps]

One hot summer day in Sauble Beach four 14 yr old girls( passing themselves off for 18), hooked up with a bunch of 20 year old guys that wanted to take them to their cottage in Pike Bay and to the big Pike Bay Pig Roast.

Girls told parents they were going to the movies with another friend and staying at her house. Meanwhile the girls loaded up in the van with the guys and continued to get drunk on straight Canadian Club.

Parents got wind that they weren't with Crista, called the cops (police couldn't do anything until we had been missing for 48 hours), then Parents heard we had been sighted at the Pig Roast.

3 mini vans pull into this cottage at 1 AM, drag their daughters out of the house, Erin and Teawna had been found naked with the 20 year olds. I was drunk almost passed out on the staircase.

Needless to say (heading into grade 9) my father told me I had to earn my trust. That was the hardest thing to do in my life.

oh ya, and picture Scottieking trying not to laugh as my parents drag me into the house at 3 AM.

I'd want to be Sunshine's dad in this scenario. I'd deal better with Sunshine's blood alcohol level over the level of insanity I'd reach if I was trucking a naked juvenile daughter out of a party.

[Cosmic ChrisC]

I got in trouble so often, mainly because my parents were very strict. Any little thing was a huge deal with them. It was hell growing up like that. For those bringing up children right now, please let them live a little.

My first memories of getting in trouble:

At about fours years old, my dad found me in a trailer behind my apartment building, playing "doctor" with a 5 year old boy. I still remember that day clearly!

I also have a memory of my dad taking me out of church to give me a good slapping in our car. I have no idea what I did to deserve that.

Another time, I was playing with my cousin in my basement and the next thing I know, my suitcase was packed and my dad was taking me to the Children's Aid Society. I had done something wrong again (not sure what), and he wanted to scare me. He took me around the block in his car, but then brought me back home.

As 15, I have two memorable events:

Me and my friend drank a mix of hard liquors in a McDonald's cup at the Rideau Centre. I drank way too much of it and passed out while waiting for a bus at Hurdman station. A cop found me and brought me home. I have never been that drunk since or that hungover (2 full days!). My parents never yelled at me that time...I think because they knew I learnt my lesson.

This next time was the worst...I told my parents I was sleeping at my friend's house, but really I went over to my boyfriend's house. The next morning, I got up early to go to my friend's house in case my parents called. Between my boyfriend's house and my friend's house was my grandfather's house. Well, what do you know...I notice my dad's car parked there...so I turn around in a panic. My dad with his eagle eyes spots me, gets in his car, picks me up, asks me what I was doing walking around at 8am in the morning. I tell him I needed to walk, which of course didn't make sense. I get home, he calls my boyfriend, gives him a huge speech and tells him never to go near me again. I went to my room and slept for the rest of the day.

[Sunshine]

Yes Deeps - my father was the lucky one.

The unfortunate part was when I lifted my drunken head off the van seat I saw Erin's mom peaking in a window as the lights went on (her dad and another mom had gone inside the room) - and she crumbled to the ground because she saw her daughter in bed with the 20 year old. Ouch! And the other Father had to be held back from tearing apart the one guy. It was a deadly scene. And we were 4 very stupid teenage girls.

Luckily, Erin's mom heard me earlier in the day say "we shouldn't do this we are going to get caught", Thank god she passed this onto my parents, who kept that in mind!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Hard to pick out a short list here - my folks, as above, were terrifically strict (I think I was in my late teens, e.g., before I ever saw my dad have more than one beer in a week, and that only on the hottest days of summer; I'd get wallopped as a kid for saying something as foul as "damn" within earshot), in a mostly tacitly religious way. Timouse or Snail might help me dredge forward the doozies that I'm sure I've repressed, though I do remember the fallout of a party in late high school I threw at our place that got considerably larger than anyone might have anticipated. Cops were called, neighbours outraged, etc. etc. It was very much a total loss-of-trust sort of moment, which is a lot harder to deal with than a straightforward punishment. Helluva party, though; no regrets on that score .

I'm always stunned by people who are able to be open and honest with their parents about the stuff, good and bad, they get into, and don't need to keep it buried in observance of the explicit and implicit family rules. I'm glad we've both now experienced enough to be able to change that with our own girls (appreciating how enormously challenging this is).

Ok, loaded auxiliary question: easier to raise girls or boys?

No, forget I asked that.

[tribalstar]

wow..it is so good to know that I am not the only one wwas silly at a young age and grew up "reasonably" okay.

Gr. 6- smoking

Gr 7/8- drinking all the time with the older boys and first LSD/ Cocaine experience.

-Ran away from home cuz I got caught smoking, made it one night, went to school got arrested

-puked on Stratford City bus, crawled 2 blocks home and passed out between screen door and foyer...so busted.

Highschool- Well...it was HIGH school, and so many twisted trips at the 10 Day cafe, Like anyone needs to be reminded how much of a drug problem Perth County/Stratford folks have.

I find it interesting that I did so much and now my 17 year old sister is soooo good. Like she won't even stay home alone overnight. And labour day weekend was her first experience in a mosh pit. My parents are way more involved in her life then they were in mine.

[timouse]

Timouse or Snail might help me dredge forward the doozies that I'm sure I've repressed, though I do remember the fallout of a party in late high school I threw at our place that got considerably larger than anyone might have anticipated. Cops were called, neighbours outraged, etc. etc. It was very much a total loss-of-trust sort of moment, which is a lot harder to deal with than a straightforward punishment. Helluva party, though; no regrets on that score .

i remember that party, and it was a very well attended doozy. circa the same period, i had a similar party while my folks were gone that would have gone off without a hitch other than the ruined screen door. seems a bunch of us were out on the patio when dr evil decided to leap heroically out through what appeared to be an open door, but was in fact a closed screen door. his knee went though, and then he hung there cartoon-like before the overstretched screen threw him backwards in to the kitchen.

needless to say, when the folks came home the next day, they looked at the near perfect relief of a face in the screen and said "Hey! That's your friend David!"

i did a lot of chores that summer to work that one off, and just as i was getting back in their good books i managed to run the station wagon sideways across a post and put a fairly substantial dent in it. of course cars being what they were in the 70's i popped the dent out with a plunger and used some rub-on wood stain to repair the scrapes in the fake-wood paneling.

it's times like these that i remember what my father used to tell me. he said "son, you're a big disappointment." and god love him, he was right.

[headymamamyrna]

This has been a very enjoyable thread for me as a parent!

All your stories are typical of teenagers.

Its how we deal with it as parents and remember you will be in that situation yourselves as some of you already are.

Personally the teenage years were the best for me as a parent.If you love your child enough and they know it they won't want to disappoint you so those of you approaching teenage years as a parent don't worry too much.

As for it being easier to raise boys or girls I can't comment because I didn't have girls but I can't see where there would be any big difference

You are still the parents of these kids.

Funny though how we have been taught so many things in life but never about being a parent.

[MamaPink]

I can't even admit to the shameful things I did as a teenager. I feel awful just thinking about the grief I endured on my mom. Especially since she was a single parent my whole life. We have a fabulous relationship now, but I still feel bad. Gosh, I was horrible. I think I'm going to go send her some flowers or something.

[Stoolshed]

Well, there was the time my parents caught me with the waterwings wedged between the couch cushions...Sticky situation.

[Ms.Huxtable]

Good idea LMP. I was talking to my Dad on the phone tonight. I always get so emotional when I talk to him partially because of the grief I caused him as a teenager and just how much I love and respect him now.

In retrospect I suppose my question of the day should have been "What SHOULD you have gotten in trouble for?" I'd still be typing all these hours later.

Dr.TalentedMouse, I know so may people in your shoes who aren't candid with their parents. As much as mine may not be able to relate to what I'm telling them, I give them credit for listening. They knew every bad thing I did in high school and know that I drink a bottle of wine every night after I finish my post-work ceasars. They know I smoke herb and partake in other drugs. They know I dated a man nearly (okay more than) twice my age. They know I snuck out my bedroom window countless times. They helped me move into my second apartment at age 16 and helped fix holes in the walls after a raging party. They were along for the entire tormented journey of my adolesence.

I guess my parents are pretty cool after-all. Thanks for the perspective.