The logic is broken. You cannot reason with a teen bub the way you reason with a 16-year-old, but you also can’t just pick them up and move them like a toddler. They want autonomy, but they don’t know what to do with it. You will negotiate screen time. You will hear "That's not fair" 47 times before breakfast. Your patience will be tested.
Tiny Humans, Big Love: Navigating the Beautiful Chaos of Teen Bubs teen bubs
They still think you are sort of cool (when their friends aren't looking). They tell you weird facts they learned on YouTube. They ask you about your day. You get to see the adult they are becoming—the witty sarcasm, the unique taste in music, the deep empathy—peeking out from behind the chubby cheeks that are slowly sharpening into a jawline. Survival Tips for Raising a Teen Bub If you are currently drowning in the backtalk mixed with bedtime cuddles, here is how I am surviving: The logic is broken
There is a specific, magical kind of chaos that comes with having what I lovingly call “Teen Bubs.” You know the phase I’m talking about. They aren’t infants anymore, but they definitely aren’t independent big kids yet. They are the strange, wonderful, sticky-fingered hybrids of toddlerhood and the tween years. You will negotiate screen time
April 14, 2026