Understanding a teenager's mind (a.k.a. the most difficult puzzle in the universe)

If you're expecting this post to give you an answer to that question, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Actually, I just want to add to the confounding dilemma faced by parents with teenage children. And I'm curious to know if my experiences are shared by others in my age group. Here goes:

Case#1

Why is it they wait until that exact moment when you are half-awake, walking out to the car to drive them to school at 7.20am with 5 minutes to spare before prefects waiting at the gates start taking down names, to hit you with one of these gems: "By the way, dad....I need an extra 10 bucks for a buku kerja sejarah (tahap satu prestasi cemerlang pasti berjaya series...or something like that)." And the big brother adds "Yeah, me too."

And then, when you in your groggy state-of-mind hand them that extra 10 bucks from your wallet and get back to the urgent mission of sending them to school before they get a demerit, the younger one adds "Actually the teacher said can pay next week....but I nak bayar cepat."

Do you get the irony? On they one hand, they appear to have kept in mind the teacher's instructions, deadline for payment and such details stored somewhere in their mental filing cabinet, PLUS have the foresight to plan to pay ahead of the deadline....BUT somehow decide to hit you with this surprise sucker punch when you are in a state of mind that you need to check that you don't start the car with the key to the front door grill. Couldn't they tell me the night before? Last week? What if I didn't have the 20 bucks to spare? (yes, it's happened before!)

Either the teenage mind slips between states of organisation and chaos in a matter of seconds, or the surprise attack was actually planned from the very beginning. Both are equally troubling.

Case#2

This happened just today (Saturday).

I wake them up at 6.45am. "Get up, boys...you have to go to school today right? (they didn't tell me about it, by the way....their mom did...it's for the school's Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) birthday celebration)

The younger one replies: "Yeah...we have to be there 8.30am...the teacher gave us a letter"

Me: "Ok then, get up and get ready. Call me when you guys are ready to go"

At 8.10am, the younger one walks into the room and says "We're ready" and I notice he's wearing his white shirt, green pants school uniform. I walk downstairs and his older brother also has his school uniform on.

Me: "Kena pakai school uniform ke? How come not baju melayu?"

Younger one: "Adam said last year they wore school uniforms"

Adam makes no verbal response to that statement, so I take that as his support that it's true.

Me: "Ok then, let's go"

As we enter the car, I hear the younger one mutter under his breath "Kalau kena pakai baju melayu nanti macamana?" to his brother. I didn't hear any reply. I should've been paying more attention.....

True enough, we approach the gates of the school and ALL we see are boys in baju melayu. No one is wearing school uniforms, as far as we can tell.

Me: "See? They're all wearing baju melayu!"

The younger one: "Ohhhhhhhhh"

So we turn around, speed back home for them to change, with me nagging along the way "How come you guys can't remember these details? You don't pay attention, that's why....Show me the teacher's letter when we get back"

Of course, they can't find the teacher's letter anywhere...and we don't have time to look for it because once they change it's time to rush back to the school.

One remembers that there's a note from the teacher, but not where he put it, or much of the important details (like what to wear). The other (who probably got a note from his teacher as well) had no information to share other than LAST YEAR they wore school uniforms. I really should've been more alert to the signs....

That's all I can say for now. I have to get ready to pick  them up at 12.30pm....according to the younger one, of course......

So I better give myself a half-hour window either way...he could call any second now......