u/WinterFew5375

I gave everything to be present. No lads’ nights, no pub culture, no disappearing weekends — I was \*there\*, from day one, consistently.

Now my kids are teenagers and I feel like I’m haunting the house rather than living in it.

Weekdays are fine — work keeps my head occupied. But weekends? I dread them. Everyone’s around and I’ve never felt more alone. I’m background noise.

The hierarchy is clear: Mum is the first call for everything — talking, lifts, decisions, comfort. I exist in a support role. When she’s busy or tired, I get promoted temporarily. When they need money or something fixed, I’m useful. Otherwise I’m furniture.

The cruel irony is I sacrificed the social life specifically to be present for them. And somehow I ended up invisible anyway.

Is this just what teenage parenting is? Or is something wrong with how I’ve played this?

I gave everything to be present. No lads’ nights, no pub culture, no disappearing weekends — I was *there*, from day one, consistently.

Now my kids are teenagers and I feel like I’m haunting the house rather than living in it.

Weekdays are fine — work keeps my head occupied. But weekends? I dread them. Everyone’s around and I’ve never felt more alone. I’m background noise.

The hierarchy is clear: Mum is the first call for everything — talking, lifts, decisions, comfort. I exist in a support role. When she’s busy or tired, I get promoted temporarily. When they need money or something fixed, I’m useful. Otherwise I’m furniture.

The cruel irony is I sacrificed the social life specifically to be present for them. And somehow I ended up invisible anyway.

Is this just what teenage parenting is? Or is something wrong with how I’ve played this?