Before anyone gets all huffy with me – let me say that I love and adore my daughter with all my heart. She is the most important part of my life and that is why I can say what I say without any guilt or fear of a call from Child Protection Services.
If you do not have a teenage daughter – this could alarm you. I feel obliged to warn you in advance. Sensitive readers should turn away now.
Teenage girls are scary, believe you me! However, it is not their fault. It is because they are not really human…
At some point (round about when boobs start to appear and zits mean that bank balances are drained by cleaning and beauty products) sweet, innocent young girls are abducted and taken away from us! It’s true! Can you imagine the horror? Of course, all hell generally breaks loose and parents the world over want their daughters back.
So the abductors kindly give us a substitute. There is a note attached to their ever expanding chests saying:
We thank you for the use of your darling child for ongoing research into the human species. We hope that this replacement will suffice in the mean time. Your real daughter will be returned to you after a process called Puberty
The aliens sure got a lot wrong with the programming of these replacements. Some of the standard default settings need urgent adjusting.
So, to the folk who create these replacements – here are a few tips for future models
To: Whomever it may concern
Address: Some or other far away and seriously peculiar planet somewhere.
Subject: Suggestions, defects and upgrade requirements for current teenage models.
Humans generally maintain a particular mood for periods longer than 5 minutes.
Parents do not suddenly become idiots and ignorant morons. They probably were from day 1 but unfortunately on our planet they still have to be listened to and obeyed by their offspring.
There is a clear difference between a bedroom and the rubbish bin.
By its very definition, a bedroom requires the use of a bed to sleep in. A bed is not just a depository for every item of clothing the replacement has been begrudgingly supplied with. (Your planet must be quite backward. Us humans nailed the use of cupboards vs the floor and beds many years ago)
You got the cleanliness part right. They will spend hours in the bath. So why do they choose to wear dirty inappropriate clothes? Yes, maybe placing clothes in a washing basket is a tall order but could you install something called self respect into your next generation upgrade? It would be great to not have to send them back to change 5 times before they look decent enough to leave the house.
Their hearing is clearly defective. Repeating the same command over and over again should not be necessary. Once you have fixed this manufacturing fault, please could you do a recall of existing models to rectify?
Is it a necessity that they be plugged into some form of electronic device 24/7? Surely you can make their battery life longer so that they can step away from cellphones, TVs and computers for longer periods?
There are pitch and volume issues as well. When speaking to parents they tend to mumble and slur and yet when there is a human male within 10 meters or a picture of some vampire- wannabe boys in a magazine, their voices become high pitched and inappropriately loud. I’ll let you off the hook regarding the strange words and language that they use as this seems to be a universal phenomenon. Male teenagers are just as difficult to understand.
Please change the default facial pose from pouting to smiling. This could alleviate a lot of aggravation.
You are welcome to take my model back for a few days if this will assist you in making these changes.
I look forward to your speedy response and getting my own daughter back in due course. I really do miss her and besides, all the wine I have to drink to calm my nerves at the end of the day is making me put on weight.
Yours Sincerely
Mother to a teenaged alien.
Alma – You are a scream! I love your updates and wish they were more regular – once a month is just NOT ENOUGH!
Amy – We love you a bunch – please come home soon!
Thank you Lesmarie. I promise to make make my blogs more frequent…Did I say promise?….I meant I hope to make my blogs more frequent.
Oh my Gosh! What a good laugh, Alma. Brilliant. I couldn't have said it better myself. And yes, you should post more often than once a month.
Thank you Jo. I do post more than once a month…sometimes. Good to hear that you relate seen as your daughter is past (almost past?) the alien stage.
They are welcome to take back my teenage alien too for an urgent software upgrade!!! I feel like a kid who has been left home alone for the first time. Kay is away on a school tour and I have the remote to myself, have not tripped over a school bag this evening, not received any complaints about the meal I served, not raised my voice to be heard over the earphones permanently attached to her ears, had to remind her to shower, appear interested in the endless bitchy battles on the playground, or negotiate my way through this weekends entertainment/taxi schedule. BRING ON MORE SCHOOL TOURS!!!! (I do miss her a teensy bit tho :)) Love Lauren
Okay, I'll start taking down serial numbers for upgrades when the alien officials get back to me.
School Tours?? I want one of those those. Are they on sale anywhere?
Oh my, Alma! This is just too funny!!! My poor mom had 3 of "them aliens" at the same time in the house,,, : )
She sure did! I think that the aliens only started abducting teenagers in the last few years though. We would NEVER do most of the things the current replacements do!?
Speak for yourself on the last comment. I think my mother would have agreed with you wholeheatedly. I must say, by taking you view of the "alien" teenagers makes living with them a whole lot easier. Perhaps you should get in contact with the psycologists out there and teach them a thing or two. I've known Amy Alien since birth and have one alien who has thankfully been returned to me almost fully functional (there is hope)but sadly still have one of the malfunctioning models with a few years to go before the upgrade arrives. Looking forward to you next blog Alma, keep em coming
Thanks Jacquie (Simply Webz)
I am sure that the psychologists out there would probably be keen to psychoanalyse ME after reading my position on teenagers??!!!
Just seen your comment on my article on ADHD teens and their clutter at http://www.ladd.co.za/teens/teen-clutter.html and came to your blog. Love your sense of humour. It is amazing that they do finally become human … well most of them do.
Thanks for that Pat. I look forward to my alien becoming a human. Well done on what you are doing for ADD in South Africa. I was unable to attend your last workshop in Hillcrest so keeping tabs on all your news for future activities.
Fekkin' awesome post!!!
Thenk ye (uncoly):-)
My son is 32 and teenage-hood has taught me how to love forever, forgive forever and ignore the scars 🙂
Such amazingly true words and an inspiration to all of us current alien Moms. Thank you Loose and Lovely.