I'm trying hard not to dislike my 14 year old daughter's boy-friend

[cleveramerican]

trying so hard to be a NICE GUY
trying not to embarrass my daughter.

every time I see him eating something....(ONE OF MY RING DINGS OUT OF THE FREEZER, for God's sake))
I just want to strangle him.

he's nice kid who I've known his whole life.
she is just being nice, being a good host.
she would happily empty my freezer into the kids stomach every day.


does this kid ever get full?
he walks into my house and says "So, what are we snacking on?"
how much frozen pizza can a 14 year old boy eat?

I know a few hundred slabs of frozen pizza is better than the two of them out walking around the streets.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Maybe it's time to set some limits?

Or is he not getting enough to eat at home? Maybe his parents are having difficulty feeding him...

I never had boys, but I hear that their appetites are legendary.

It's a sensitive situation...

[Skittles]

2. eating tons of crap is pretty normal behavior for a teenage boy

weren't you once one yourself, cleveramerican? :7

[cleveramerican]

8. Yes I was...

but I would NEVER EVER have eaten 1 of my girl friends father's special hidden frozen ring dings.

[Skittles]

9. aw that is just EGREGIOUS

KICK HIS ASS

[Tangerine LaBamba]

27. I feel your pain,

but this is where we all have to grow up.

Nothing puts food away like an adolescent boy. Unbelievable, and bless them. They're growing and hungry all the time.

And if you want to tell him that that's your private stash, that would be kind of cool, treating him like an adult, showing him what's acceptable and what's not.

But, boys that age eat like earth-moving machines. I'm sure you did it, but you didn't realize what it was like because you were a kid - same way the boy doesn't have any idea that he's eating your special treat.

So, everyone gets to grow up and admire themselves for behaving well............................

[proteus_lives]

39. I remember putting food away like that.

It was like being at eating contest and still starving to death. When my sisters and I were little my parents got us a medium pizza to share on out-food night. By the time I was 12 I began getting my pizza because the dinner table was turning into a boxing ring over slices!

In those years I discovered one of the most magical words in the world: buffet. And the growing, In the summer between 13 and 14 I shot up 4 inches and got stretch marks on my hips and shoulders. Skin and bones but averaging 2-3 helpings a meal with snacks in-between. :rofl:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

42. One summer, when he was fourteen years old,

my boy came home from the end of school and went to sleep. He appeared at various times during the summer, but not very often. I just figured he was tired, or going through a stage, or something, but when he surfaced around Labor Day, in time to start school, he needed a shave, and he had gone from a Men's Small to a Men's Extra-Large.

I took him to his pediatrician, which seemed like the ultimate in bizarre behavior, and the doctor got a good laugh - our boy checked out just fine.

They grow while they're sleeping, you know. And what happened to our kid wasn't at all unusual. I just kept thinking of "Body Snatchers," you know?

How kids eat! It's just amazing, and really beautiful to watch. Now that ours are grown and gone with their own kids, I can't really remember how the groceries seemed to disappear as soon as they entered the house, and I wonder how the hell parents with three kids can afford food these days. The prices are absurd, and kids have got to be fed.

Stretch marks!!! You really had a growth spurt, didn't you? Just like my son. He was all bones, with these great big shoulders. He didn't fill out, really, until his late twenties.

Don't you wish we all could eat the way we used to? I could match you in that pizza department, and now, a couple of slices, and I'm stuffed.

Old age sucks.................

:toast:

[proteus_lives]

43. Oh I remember the sleeping thing too.

I remember coming home from school or activities and collapsing into bed. Or on car/planes I would drop-off as soon as I slipped on the safety belt. It was like turning off. Deep sleep then more food. ;-)

I remember shaving for the time too, teenage boys are always very proud of their first chin-scruff and upper lip dirt. I had the growth spurt while spending over 4 months from home. My mother was beside herself when I stepped off the plane. Not only had I gone from from 5 foot to almost 5'5, my hair had darkened from light brown to it's current black-brown and my skin tone had deepened as well. That combined with my pelican-sized snooze also led to the question I still get today, "Hey, are you Jewish/Turkish/Greek/Romanian/Persian/Arab/Italian?" (I have grown into my nose...mostly) My mother asked me repeatedly if I dyed my hair. My dad began his long-running joke to my mother, "Lindy are you sure he's one of mine?"

Yeah, my family rarely had a grocery bill under a $100 when all three of us were at home. Both my sisters have kids of their own and I don't how they manage. My nephew Ethan is almost 12 and he's already eating obscene amounts and getting moody. Sigh, I remember when he was six and we would spend the afternoon at the movies and get ice cream and he thought his uncle was the coolest. :-(

"Stretch marks!!! You really had a growth spurt, didn't you? Just like my son. He was all bones, with these great big shoulders. He didn't fill out, really, until his late twenties."

That's the truth! I didn't stop until around 22. I finally clocked in at 6'0 and 210.

I wish I could eat like that again but I have recently made friends with heart-burn. Getting older does suck. :fistbump:

[hedgehog]

47. I'd swear my oldest used to come in from track practice and chug a bottle of milk,

but that can't be right, can it? I buy milk in half gallon glass bottles.

[Lorien]

54. Geez, if one of my boyfriends had ever thought of TOUCHING anything

in my father's kitchen without his permission he would have been booted out into the ally in a nanosecond and never allowed in the door again! Why is this kid allowed to waltz into your home and raid the fridge like it belonged to him?

[cleveramerican]

60. my daughter raids the fridge for him

and serves up the pizza, which I don't mind much at all.


The "what are we snackin' on" comment got me going

and then eating my last frozen ring ding put me over the top


Could my 11 year old or my 9 year old have eaten the ring ding to frame their older sister's boy friend?
they are usually not that devious.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

57. The problem is you're hiding ring dings in all the wrong places.

The hunting ground of the American teen boy: pantry, then cabinet, then fridge, then freezer, then repeat in that order until treat is found.

Try hiding your ring dings in a place he'd never look: the laundry hamper, perhaps, or the dishwasher.

[undeterred]

3. Think of him as a zoo animal that you are sponsoring for a while.

:shrug:

[Phentex]

49. I like this idea!

of course I love the panda picture too.

[mysuzuki2]

4. If he's a nice kid you've known a long time

and the worst thing he does is eat your ring dings and pizza, you ar luckier than you know. As the father of a former teen age girl, it could be LOTS worse.

[cleveramerican]

10. Thank you

I feel bad that it bothers me.... but it does.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

29. You're serious?

Well, that's that "growing up" thing I was talking about.

I honestly thought you were kidding.

Still, he's a kid, and if you don't want him eating your stuff, tell him.

Then, imagine that he possibly sees you as a total dork. Or not..............................

[1gobluedem]

5. Fourteen year old boys are bottomless pits

And they are *never* full. But, I agree, you should set some limits with your daughter, what she can offer to him and what she can't. Otherwise your grocery bill will double.

Good luck!

[Richardo]

6. How much frozen pizza can a 14-year old boy eat? All there is.

I'm the oldest of four boys and we were all born within six years. How my parents got through our teen years without filing bankruptcy I'll never know. My mom told me about times she'd some home with two carts full of groceries and some of them never even made it to the refrigerator while she was putting them away. How demoralizing that must have been.

[tigereye]

32. I'm sitting here howling since I had 3 younger brothers!

:rofl: I guess I should feel fortunate that I only have one male teen in the house.

[triguy46]

7. You aren't required to be nice to 14 yo boys. They are prime for abuse

[MilesColtrane]

11. Look on the bright side.

The more time he's filling his gullet, the less time he's pawing your daughter.

And tell him to stop wearing his ball cap backwards.

[Brigid]

12. A 14-year-old boy who's had enough to eat?

Never gonna happen. Sorry. :(

[Kali]

13. this thread is a little sexist

I raised three teens - 2 males and a female. Didn't notice much difference in the abilities to devour everything remotely edible in the house.

[cleveramerican]

14. I only have daughters

and I am the youngest of 5 brothers myself.

you might be right/ I'm doing the best I can
I am aware I am tippy toeing through a minefield here.

I have been silent, but its getting harder

[Richardo]

15. Regardless of hunger level, eating the dad's snack stash is grounds for... something

I never would have touched MY dad's stuff, let alone someone ELSE'S dad's stuff. Kid needs a talking to about boundaries.

[Shell Beau]

16. I can assure you that the boys do tend to eat more than the gals.

I was the youngest child and the only girl (2 older brothers). When my brothers brought friends over, they ate EVERYTHING. My girl friends never did. It is just weird like that. You sound a little like my dad. Are you more perturbed because this is your baby girl's boyfriend? Say if you had a son, and it was a friend of his, would you be as bothered?

[cleveramerican]

21. you are right about this

I remember being a 14 year old boy
I can guess what he wants from her besides pizza.

I am a protective dad.

[Shell Beau]

26. I think it is a good thing to be a protective dad. You just care.

Good luck. I know I probably gave my parents fits when I was the dating age. I am actually married to the guy I dated all through high school. My dad hated him then. We dated forever it seemed before we got married at age 23 (young, I know). I am 31 now and still happily married to my high school sweetheart, and now my dad loves him.

[Odin2005]

37. If you think you can prevent them from doing it if they are determined you are fooling yourself!

Just remind them to use protection! :P

[regnaD kciN]

17. Some say that food is a substitute for sex...

...so I guess you should be happy. :evilgrin:

[Deja Q]

24. Yeah, 'twas Woody Allen that said that. After running out of ding dongs, he found 3 women...

not to mention the adopted girl... :scared:

[Blue Diadem]

18. Better get used to it Dad.

Although I think if my husband had been on a day shift job and had seen what was devoured around here when our kids were teens he mighta had a stroke.

Girls can be just as bad as the boys. We have 2 sons and a daughter. When they were teens, (imagine 3 teens at one point) we couldn't keep them or their friends full. Their friends used to come over and immediately the cupboard doors or the fridge would be opening and closing. Then there was the time I caught a girl eating out of a dutch oven that contained our dinner for the evening. I simply offered her a dish. Any kid that could go that crazy over hamburger helper had to be hungry.

Just as you said, it was better for them to be here than out walking the streets. Oh...you might try hiding your favorite foods but just remember where you hide them.

[Lars39]

19. Put the stuff you want into empty frozen spinach boxes.

:)

[cleveramerican]

22. now thats a good idea

frozen spinach would never get touched.

[Deja Q]

25. !

:spray:

Then again, when I was 14 I adored spinach... of course, I'm a nerdy geeky toad, so of course I love to eat green leafy things...

[Phentex]

48. my boys love spinach...

love it! And turnip greens and collards and lima beans...

haven't gotten them in love with brussels sprouts but I'm working on it!

[JVS]

20. Pre-marital sex really builds up a guy's appetite.

;-)

[tigereye]

33. oh you!

:spank: How are ya, JVS? What's new?

[Deja Q]

23. Given the amount of cholesterol and fats in a few hundred slabs of pizza and ring dings, I disagree

Not by too much a margin, the streets are a nasty place. I've heard rumors the pavement walks around at night and strangles people by wrapping around them...

Okay, that bit was too silly, but it's Sunday night and my parrot is screaming for attention. And you don't want to appease their screaming or else they will associate one's reappearing with the screaming and then they, unlike me, will never shut up... :D

At least they're not bouncing around in a bedroom and I don't mean on one of those Pilate ball things...


Oh my...



Insert trite and equally puerile "blue balls" joke here...

[Bombero1956]

28. I guess I'm an old geezer

because when I was young I knew my place when I was a guest in someone's home. Number one on my no-no list was never to touch the food in the fridge and never touch the TV unless I was invited. I can't believe the kid is eating your treats without so much as a by your leave.

[handmade34]

30. there are so many really good reasons

to dislike a daughter's boyfriend... if eating a lot of food is your biggest concern, it will be ok. Best way to not resent the kid is to set him down and have a honest talk about rules, expectations and consequences. Then there is no reason to be upset; you will be happy because he does not break the rules and if he does, you implement the consequences. Communication is the best tool to feel comfortable with kids.

[tigereye]

31. my son is 13, so I sympathize

have you ever read the cartoon Zits? You won't feel so bad! :D

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. My dear tigereye!

Zits is the best!

I laugh all the time...

:hi:

[tigereye]

35. remember the one where he tipped back the whole fridge into his mouth?

that was hilarious! I almost died laughing! :hi: Paggy!

[Odin2005]

36. Don't strangle him! One should expect a teen boy to be always ravenously hungry!

:rofl:

[grace0418]

38. When my brothers (I have five) were teenagers, it was truly astounding to witness

the massive quantities of food they could consume. I can't even begin to describe, and I can't even begin to imagine how we weren't homeless from the grocery bills.

[dropkickpa]

63. Same here

Mom and dad coming home from the grocery store looked like a plague of locusts descending. NONE of the fruit lasted more than an hour, no chip or cracker lasted, and the lunch meat only lasted 3 days tops. With only 12 years between the oldest and youngest child, this went on for MANY years (I'm the 3rd child and only girl of 6). My mom regularly had 2-3 grocery carts for each trip.

[proteus_lives]

40. My dad once chased me out of the house when I 12.

I had eaten all his Dove bars. ;-)

[Skittles]

52. HE IS MY KIND OF DAD

:thumbsup:

[cleveramerican]

59. I can relate to your dad

my own three daughters know not tot ouch 'em without expressed permission from me.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rocky Sullivan]

44. He isn't interested in your food. He's taunting you.

Taking what's yours. Pissing on your territory.

And I beg of you, please do read "Zits". It's hilarious.

[cleveramerican]

45. if he was a friend of a son

I would tell him "eat another of my frozen ring dings and I'll rip off your head and shit down your throat"

but because he's my sweetheart of a daughter's boyfriend that might be the wrong way to go.

[Bucky]

46. When he turns 40, he'll probably be really fat. Probably gets a coronary at 55.

Happy now?

[whistler162]

50. You need to explain to him that there are two untouchable

things in the house.

1 - Your daughter.
2 - Your frozen Ring Dings!

[supernova]

51. Next time they raid the fridge just say

Here's what you can eat:

The PBJ (if you have it)

Maybe the frozen pizza (if you have enough)

Or whatever you are OK with them eating. Explain that the rest is off limits (you're on a budget, there's a special family event coming up.... yada, yada).

They might also get tired and want to go somewhere nearby to eat to fill his gullet.

I wish I had been a teenage boy in the appetite dept. LOL.

If you're really smooth, you can talk them into doing the cooking.

And there might be more to it, maybe he isn't getting enough at home. But do set boundaries.

[Lorien]

55. Or put price tags on everything and a cash jar on the counter. nt

[Skittles]

53. just making sure you've seen the classic rules

http://www.davesdaily.com/funpages/10_rules_for_dating_my_daughter.htm

[noamnety]

56. frozen ring dings???

What is your address? oops ... I mean that sounds awful.

[cleveramerican]

58. don't knock till you've tried 'em

awesome out of the freezer, but it was the last one!

[blueknight]

61. i have 3 girls in college

i hate all their boyfriends, its just natural

[Zavulon]

62. Stop stocking the freezer.

If she wants to feed him, let her do it out of her own pocket.

[Rabrrrrrr]

64. When I was 14, I didn't have enough to eat until I was, oh, 27. Maybe 26.