When you can't force social distancing...

I am mum to one almost-teenager and two teenagers.

One of these teenagers is very complex.

As well as ADHD, he also has something called Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

I know what you’re thinking, because I used to think the same thing.

It’s just another term for ‘naughty, undisciplined, badly parented’.

Until I realised that my parenting seemed to be vaguely successful with my other two children.

Not this one though.

Tell him that something is off limits, and he’ll be there in a heartbeat.

Say no and he’ll go ahead anyway.

Give a consequence and he won’t care.

He’s not just naughty and undisciplined.  In fact, he more disciplined than any of the others.  It just doesn’t seem to make any difference.

So, having a teenager (think ‘no fear, risk-loving, rebellious, self-centred) combined with ODD (think off-the-charts-actually-you-probably-can’t-even-imagine-it) when the government give guidelines to stay at home and social distance from each other means that my life over the last few days has been pretty shit (excuse the language, but this is how we roll these days - #likersgonnalike #hatersgonnahate and all that).

If you see a teenager out and about right now, please don’t judge the parents.  If they are anything like us, they will have attempted Every. Single. Known. Way. of explaining the situation to their teen and it will have, quite literally, gone through their selfish ears and out again before you can even cough.

“What if you try to stop him at the door?” you might ask.

He would actually punch us. 

“What if you locked him in his bedroom, or locked the front door?”

He would jump out of the window.  He’s done it before.

So, we know we all have to ‘to do our bit’ and we really are doing our best here.

We know that we have to flatten the curve and protect the invaluable NHS.

We know that saving lives is vital.

But please don’t judge us because our teenager is out and about.

And please don’t give us any parenting advice.  We’ve had more advice than you can stockpile toilet roll.

We know he shouldn’t be out.

We don’t know how to stop him.

Please be kind.

Just be kind.