The mysteries of the teenage boys brain

I have yet to understand how a teenage boys brain works. If someone could invent a pill or a shot that is administered at the age of 14 then they would be a millionaire a hundred times over within the first 24 hours of it being released.

We just seem to have gotten eldest MM on the right track (yes he's 22 and still suffering from moments of teenage boy syndrome) and now middle MM (16 years old going on 2) is at it again. Being a mother is so tiring sometimes - sigh!

Middle MM has been on a police imposed curfew for several months following a moment of 'teenage boy brain' which I posted about here. This goes to court next week and advice from police is that if he claims guilt he'll be let off with a smack on the wrist (which is nothing compared to the swift boot up the butt that we have delivered) His kicking a bumper bar and punching the boot of a car is nothing on the $10,000 damage done to the car in question. Unfortunately, there's lots of teenage boy brains on the loose in society.

Last night another moment of stupidity which I am not going to discuss other than to say where is the pill or the shot to rectify this problem? Hubby and I always get comments on how well mannered, intelligent and thoughtful our children are and what an amazing work ethic they have. It makes you proud as a parent to hear this but what you can't combat is the influence of the peer group who also have 'idiot teenage boy syndrome'.

Years ago, with the oldest MM, we tried barring him from seeing the fellow 'idiot' - this backfired dismally and it's only today that eldest MM can acknowledge that person was in fact a twit and no longer has anything to do with him. We've tried a different tact with middle MM and still don't seem to be succeeding in dealing with the 'idiot boy brain syndrome'.

Middle MM has secured an apprenticeship purely through his own hard work, he has oodles of money saved in the bank and owns two cars. For a sixteen year old he's leaps and bounds ahead of all of his mates, but moments of stupidity threaten to derail all of his good work. Hubby and I feel like we're bashing our heads against a brick wall trying to get him to understand what he is doing.

Last nights incident means MM with 'teenage boy syndrome' is confined to the house for the next two weeks on hard labour. This is torturous for me, because then not only do I have 'idiot teenage boy brain', it's combined with 'surly and sulky teenage boy brain' - arrgh! I've been a teenager, albeit a girl and I know I sent my parents grey before their time but when does it end?

I hope and pray (even though I'm not religious) that youngest MM who turns 14 in six weeks will learn from his brothers and exhibit a little bit more control. Eldest MM was a walk in the park compared to middle MM and I don't think I have the energy to endure it again with the youngest.

Do we ever stop dealing with 'teenage boy brain', probably not, because I know even hubby has moments of it still and he's in his forties. I will continue to keep soldiering on, and what hairs haven't turned grey I will have pulled out by the time the youngest leaves home. If anyone knows of a remedy, voodoo doll or spell which will fix the problem, can you please forward a crate of the best to my place.

Cheers, Fi