Updated: Oct. 21, 2020
In a relatable twist of teenage chaos, a California mom named Sarah Thompson went viral for her humorous note to her daughter’s school explaining her teen’s habitual lateness. On what started as a regular school morning, Sarah found herself wrestling with her 15-year-old daughter, Emily, who was not only late but also determined to stay in bed despite the morning’s demands. If you’ve ever been a teenager (which is likely most of us) or have one of your own, you’re familiar with this all-too-frequent scenario.
As the sun shone brighter than ever, Emily was engaged in a fierce battle against the clock, while Sarah fought to get her family out the door. Frustrated with the morning madness, Sarah crafted a witty note to Emily’s school, attributing her tardiness to a condition she playfully dubbed “teenage-ism.”
“To whom it may concern: Emily is late today due to a flare-up of a condition known as teenage-ism. This affliction affects countless adolescents across our nation, and unfortunately, there is no known cure,” Sarah wrote.
In her blog, Sarah shared how she was giving Emily the classic mom talk about responsibility when she noticed her daughter had tuned her out, lost in her own world with headphones in. This was the moment where Sarah’s patience hit its limit. She dramatically unplugged Emily’s headphones and, in a fit of exasperation, tossed her phone out of the car window.
Yes, you read that right. She threw the phone out the window.
What I admire is that she unplugged the headphones first. Deep down, amidst the chaos, a voice of reason prevailed—perhaps something akin to Neil DeGrasse Tyson whispering, “Unplug the headphones; they’ll slow the projectile.” Thanks, Science!
Among the symptoms of this notorious “teenage-ism” are an unwillingness to rise from bed and a tendency to respond to parental guidance with sass. Upon arriving at school, when Emily needed a note to explain her tardiness, Sarah had no intention of providing a standard excuse. Instead, she decided to embrace the humor of the moment and wrote that Emily was afflicted with “teenage-ism,” emphasizing that it included an inability to exit the cozy embrace of her bed and some backtalk towards her mother.
It’s worth noting that Sarah later retrieved Emily’s phone from a neighbor’s yard and kept it for four days as a form of punishment. However, she made it clear that Emily isn’t a bad kid; she was simply having a typical teen moment. “I want to emphasize that Emily isn’t a bad kid. She’s an honor roll student and an incredibly talented musician,” Sarah stated. “I love being her mom, and we all have off days.”
For every parent who has faced the trials of raising a teenager, Sarah’s note serves as a lighthearted reminder of the all-too-familiar circus of teenage life.
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In summary, Sarah Thompson’s comedic take on her daughter’s lateness captures the everyday struggles parents face with teenagers. With humor and understanding, she illustrates that conflicts are a part of growing up, and all parents can relate to the ups and downs of parenting a teen.