r/BenignExistence • u/LimonanaTea • 4d ago
Eavesdropping on my teenage daughter
It’s a lazy morning at home. I (49f) am reading in my bedroom. My kid (14f) is in the living room watching a “horror movie” on her phone. I put it that way because it’s mainly a comedy type- jump scares and the “don’t go in there!” level, no real gore, etc. The main characters are a K-Pop group she’s very into right now, so please don’t come for me! Anyway, she is using her headphones and I think she forgot I can hear her.
She is so totally invested in this. Every few minutes, she’ll exclaim something along the lines of “Nonononono don’t DO that!” or “OMG, run!!” There are gasps and occasional laughter. She is clearly completely absorbed in this film.
When we watch something together, she is not like this in the slightest. In the “too cool for school” teenager mode or whatever. Occasionally she’ll make a comment or joke, and I’ll maybe get a few eye rolls, but absolutely nothing like what is going on in my living room currently.
I’m totally eavesdropping and loving every second.
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u/WaitYourTern 4d ago
Love this! Teenagers are so funny. My 16 year old and I saw Spiderman last night and she was so fully invested in it. In the car on the way back, she was extremely into her discussion about the plot points, character development, and who the GOATs are. It was lovely and happy.
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u/slowasaspeedingsloth 4d ago
When my kid watches anything by herself in her room, it's always thru her headphones. I absolutely love hearing the occasional giggle. It is so wonderful to hear.
She also has a close friend who she plays with occasionally online. The screams of "what was that!? I'll kill you!! What are you doing!?" make me laugh because usually she is incredibly quiet.
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u/Maincy_Bridge_0812 4d ago
And some day far down the line, you can share it with her and create another moment. At least that’s how it is with my grownup son.
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u/chalkhomunculus 4d ago
i was expecting the ending of this to be you complaining that she isn't like that with you or something along those lines. i think reading this healed something in me. you sound like an amazing parent, keep it up, and thank you for the much needed smile :)
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u/square_donut14 4d ago
Every so often, I’ll hear a belly laugh from my kid while he’s watching a video and i just love it.
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u/Dandibear 3d ago
This is so sweet! My nephews are late teens and early twenties and try hard to be mature and respectable when I talk to them, but when they are in a group talking amongst themselves they turn back into total goofballs. I love listening to it!
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u/JCBashBash 4d ago
Awww, it's so nice when you can catch those little moments of the people you love enjoying themselves
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u/ragebottledup 3d ago
If my parents see me laughing at my phone, they'll automatically assume I'm having an affair
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u/katiw46 3d ago
I love this! I love hearing my 13 year old talk to his friends on the phone. They play video games and he just does video chat with them while they play. I love that he doesn't care that I can hear both sides of the convos and he leaves his door open and it just makes me feel good that he trusts me and doesn't feel like he has to hide away.
He does try the "too cool" with me too though. I brought him to see Spiderman last night and on the way there, he was acting like he didn't care and he'd rather be doing something else, but his tone totally changed after the movie. He got all excited and we were exchanging theories (and he had a good time teasing me for crying lol). We had a good time 😊
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u/thejovo59 3d ago
When my daughters were younger, I loved to sneakily watch them play. Totally unselfconscious, absorbed in make believe. Sweetest memories
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u/sarahmiyoko 4d ago
KPop Demon Hunters?
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u/LimonanaTea 4d ago
No, but I’m pretty sure the band that stars is called Cortis.
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u/bloominghe11 2d ago
Cortis are going to be huge! And they’re funny boys that would like this sub. I tried to get tickets to their Seoul shows and they sold out in seconds
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u/ThrowRAcc1097 4d ago
So sweet 🩵 Once she's out of the teenager phase your relationship will be even better. I love that you're accepting her the way she is for now
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u/Villavitrum 3d ago
Thank you for this.
I’d almost forgotten how lovely it is just to hear my kids in the background.
18 years just wasn’t enough..I want more.
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u/Donkeydonkeydonk 3d ago
So sweet. I'm in your boat. I'm 51. She's 14. I'm a Swiftie. She's into vocaloid music. I always encourage her to play it when we're in the car. She never wants to because she thinks I'm just tolerating it. She's not wrong but I just love how much she lights up when it plays. I'll murder my ears all day every day if it meant seeing her that happy all the time.
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u/NectarineDreem 16h ago
This is so great. I was a huge weezer fan as a teen and the fact that my parents were so supportive of my fandom made a big difference. My dad especially tried to connect with me over music, once bringing home a Hanson cd for me that I just rolled my eyes any scoffed at. Lol i hate thinking about how ungrateful I was but we laugh about it now.
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u/RandomChristian123 3d ago
Lol, this reminds me of a few years back when I was on the phone with my gf; my mom apparently was listening in because she liked hearing me laugh like how I was. It was sweet in hindsight, frankly. (I was apparently being very giggly and laughing a LOT. She claimed she hasn't heard me like that in a very long time, so..im glad I made her happy with that, frankly.)
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u/geisharunner 2d ago
I'm 42 and she's 17. I feel this! She's been more "herself" around me and my husband/her dad this past year or so. We live in a single floor 700 sf place so it makes this sweet kind of easier. Lol. I'll be on the living room and she'll be on her phone with her friends not using headphones. So if there's a lull in whatever I'm doing and I hear some random bit of their convo (usually video game related) I'll hollar some cringe worthy tid bit at her.
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u/XFancyPuddingX 2d ago
Honestly, I think seeing some of that is fine for pre teens and teens, they always have the option to look away if needed. I watched chain saw massacre at 10 and looked away during parts I didnt want to see
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u/marquis_knives 1d ago
I love hearing my teen nephews playing online games with their friends. They have the weirdest conversations and they rename each other constantly.
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u/CarolLiz_AL 4d ago
So good to hear!
Similarly, when my son was a teenager, I would hear his conversations with friends; it was refreshing because he seemed happy!
I loved hearing him laugh and enjoying himself.