Thiis is really a question to you guys who have teenage sons or daughters.
We have a teenage son now approaching 15 . For some reason it appears not be cool to be seen with your parents . Is this now normal behaviour amongst teenage kids?
He turned down a trip to Blackpool on the train including a pub lunch and tea because he didn't want the risk of being seen with us by someone he knew and this has upset my Mrs.
Yes, and it was when I was that age too lol
Her dad makes her go and and do stuff she doesn't want to, but I don't because I remember how much I hated having to do that when I was a teenager.
They grow out of it in a couple of years :)
As Delilah said it is pretty normal. I too was exactly the same at that age.
He will grow out of it and feel horrible about doing it later :p
Yes, this is perfectly normal, I remember when I was in my teens it would crush my street cred if I was seen out with my parents. Ok if we were going to a town along way away and there was a pub lunch involved I would have to of weighed the risk of being seen vs a pub meal. I'm sure there is a math formula you are taught at school regarding distance vs chances of being seen with you parents.
I am sure my daughter won't have the same problems as I did, seeing as I am such a cool Dad. 
This is so normal, especially with boys! I've got three kids ,now all in their twenties , my daughter was fine about being seen with me, in town or whatever but the minute the boys turned 14 they didn't want to be seen with us. In fact if we ever HAD to go anywhere together they would walk way behind me just in case anyone they knew saw them !
Good news is they do grow out of it - eventually :)
I don't have kids, but I can remember what it's like. It probably isn't personal and could be because they know that anyone who sees them will give them a hard time at school about it.
Hasn't this always been normal for teenagers? I think I heard every one of my friends' parents say to us that very same thing when we were teens "Go on off you go, you don't want to be seen with your "uncool" parents!!" or something similar. And I actually always (overall) got on with my Mum, yet it still applied to a certain extent.
Honestly, it's nothing to worry about. They're just going through that phase of growing up where they're somwhere between being a kid, and an adult. They want to explore the idea of being independent, and to do that they need to be out with their peers. Hanging around with your 'rents doesn't exactly scream "independant, mature and cool" ;)
Just maintain a reasonable distance and, you watch, they'll come running back as soon as they need something :P
Thanks guys.
It is really something new to both of us. Yes I had my independence as I was an aircraft spotter in my teenage days which took me far and wide of this country and others . However I still occasionally went out with my parents especially if a pub lunch was involved and sometimes with a girf friend in tow .
My Mrs has always been part of a close knit family and knows notthing different.
Oh wow, i was neverl ike this at all! Then again i haven't had the typical narmal life due to my illness, but i've always been happy/proud to be out and about with my dad!
I have 2 daughters and the eldest was very much like this - the youinger one however, is now 20, and has always loved being out and about with myself and hubby.
The older daughter is now 22 and wants to come everywhere with us !! dont worry, I'm sure it's just a phase. . . . . .
I never cared my self, buy my twin sister always pretended she wasn't with my mum, until she needed something of course lol.
That's normal teen behaviour I don't know anyone including myself that wanted to be seen out with our parents as teens if it was avoidable. When you get in to your twenties you don't mind being seen out with them
Yes it's normal,they do grow out of it lol x
Thanks guys for your input and assurances :)
I guess I'm lucky in that I share so many interests with my kids. Unfortunately that's not necessarily because my kids are mature, but probably because I am in truth something of a man child when it comes to popular culture.
I tread a fine line between being and a Father and a friend and I am thankful that we still hang out as much as we do, as to be honest they are, and probably will always be my best mates.
macspants wrote:
I guess I'm lucky in that I share so many interests with my kids. Unfortunately that's not necessarily because my kids are mature, but probably because I am in truth something of a man child when it comes to popular culture.
I tread a fine line between being and a Father and a friend and I am thankful that we still hang out as much as we do, as to be honest they are, and probably will always be my best mates.
Same here. Still great friends with my girls, and their friends. Lots of mutual respect. still partying after all those years.