The longer I parent, the more I realize there’s no “easy” phase when it comes to raising kids. Some people might argue that the newborn phase is fairly simple, but as someone whose kids screamed bloody murder for hours on end, because of colic, I beg to differ.

That said, every phase of life does have its challenges, and there’s no pretending that the teen years don’t come with plenty of them.

If you’re in the thick of parenting a teen, these 12 memes might help you laugh at the absurdity of it all.

12. They don’t like to be talked to.

They have to approach you, like a feral cat.

11. It can be a bit awkward.

But at least we know that some day they will love us again. Probably.

10. It’s a mystery, for sure.

There will always be a double standard.

9. And yet we all love cats.

It’s a mystery.

8. Even the ones they don’t like.

Time to start hiding them.

7. Texting is better than calling.

But it’s still exhausting.

6. It can get pretty old after awhile.

Like within a block or so.

5. You know it’s there and you’re supposed to do something responsible with it.

You’re just so tired and confused, though.

4. The good news is that it doesn’t last forever.

They gray hair they’ll give you is, though.

3. This seems like a decent system.

Maybe we could adopt it worldwide.

2. They have a lot of feelings.

Most of them at the same time.

1. Start over with the house or the kid?

Asking for a friend.

My kids are still little, and while I’m looking forward to some aspects of them getting older, definitely not all of them.

How do you cope with a moody teen? Give us your tips in the comments!