To be concerned that my 10 year old is too childlike

I still remember occasionally playing with dolls age 12.
imagination like that is amazing and you never get it back.

she sounds wonderful.

I think it’s fantastic she’s still using her imagination instead of beig glued to a phone. It’s her peers i’d be more concerned about, not her.

I'm a grown woman with two cuddly toys in my bed right now 😀

My 23 year old still has lots of cuddly toys with names and they sleep on her bed.

She went through the normal teenage stage just loves cuddly toys.

Now expensive collectible ones.

This is like asking if a woman is being womanly. She is a child. So anything she does with her imagination is going to be child like.

I'm sure she'll have developed into using her imagination in a slightly different way by 18 when she's no longer a child.

@CuriositysCat my daughter was obsessed with Slyvannian Families when she was wee and I was sad when she put them away when she went to High School .( Inevitable!) She's coming up for 18 soon and has recently been up in the loft and guess what? She brought the box down and she has them back on her shelves pride of place! "Oh mum! They are so cute ! Look at the wee hedgehogs!" Be warned ! We have the Big houses and camper vans - cost us a second mortgage! She was lucky she had generous relatives!

I think as long as you are not one of those parents encouraging their child to be childlike as long as possible, then it is fine.

Your wee one sounds lovely. Don't rush her to grow up. She sounds just about right for her age . I work with wee ones her age who have sadly, (for reasons that are too upsetting to go into here, ) the world on their shoulders and have never been given the chance to be children and to play and to enjoy toys. It is heartbreaking to see.

Let her play with her dolls. She will grow up in time enough. Sooner than you think. She is doing just fine.

Can only echo what others have said, but if she was a little more childlike than her peers, so what? Children develop at different rates...Those with neurodiversity might hold onto childhood interests for longer (even for life), there's nothing wrong with it, it's just who they are and what they enjoy .

I was actually thinking that about my eldest tonight- he is turning 10 and I wonder if he is still a bit young compared to some of his peers. I don’t want him to change though- I want him to be like that as long as he is happy to be.

A it's perfectly normal

B if we told you yes she was childlike what would you actually do anyway. Burn her toys in a bin fire 🔥?!?

Imaginative play is way better than addicting to phones!

Good for her brain and personality.

I'm 47 too and I still say goodnight to Norman the cuddly monkey every night.

I'm still childlike! I'm 47!

Yip. My youngest child is like this too. Lots of her friends act much older. But even though her play seems "young" and she enjoys childish things - she is actually incredibly emotionally intelligent. It sounds like you have a loving, empathetic little girl who knows herself...long may it continue.

My 9 yo is very similar. Dolls and teddies. Set up every night who is sleeping where. Constant imaginative play. I have actually been thinking she's too babyish too though so am reassured by the comments here. I do think though that my 9yo and her peer group are all more immature than my other daughter and her peers at that age. I wonder if covid/lockdowns have anything to do with it...

I teach y5 and the girls vary from ones described here ... still childlike... unicorns, imaginative play right through to the "cool ones" who hand around like teenagers ! I much prefer the child like ones but as the year has progressed there's definitely less playing!

My daughter is 12 a confident typical 12 year old, into make up clothes great social life. Yet when she is at home she takes great pleasure in me pretending that I am the dogs voice and talking back at it and playing out various scenarios. Tbf we have had a great many laughs doing this . Let them play.

Aww that’s lovely! My 9yo loves his cuddly toys and can barely fit in his bed as they all have to be in there too. He doesn’t play with toys much anymore and it makes me a bit sad. FWIW I vividly remember playing with my Barbies when I was in Yr6 and getting upset that I couldn’t play with them when I moved up to high school 😢 (I still did occasionally - when no one was looking!) x

My dd is nearly 13 and in year 8. She has loads of teddies, a doll and 100's of schleich horses. She loves to play with her toys still although does like to play on her xbox too. She's got a small interest in make up but not boys! Yet!

My 12 year old still occasionally plays with her dolls in secret with friends. Not unusual at all.

Exactly as my DD was at that age. She will grow up soon enough, let her enjoy her toys.

I did find in Y6 there was a wide age of maturity. Some like my DD still immersed in playing with toys and some into makeup and music etc.

She sounds adorable. Enjoy it while it lasts. The teenage years are loooooong.

She sounds wonderful and plays just as a 9 year old should. Do not wish her childhood away she will soon only be interested in make up and tik tok and you will look back at this stage and wonder where it went!

She sounds amazing. I wish my 10 year old wanted dolls instead of WhatsApp. Make up and skincare.