To be concerned that my 10 year old is too childlike

Awww she sounds lovely. Enjoy it. My older dd was a lot like that and played imaginary games til at least 11. She was then a teenage mum so grew up way too fast! So be careful what you wish for…

Oh my gosh, she sounds adorable. I loved reading your description of her. I can imagine my DD (3) being like this at 10 but who knows how she will turn out.

Your daughter sounds truly delightful. Please don't wish her childhood away.

Is she an only child ?

Don't rush her into growing up, it will happen.

If she is 10 next birthday then if in England I guess she is in year 5 ?

My dd happily played with dolls into Secondary school - both baby dolls and the Barbie / Bratz dolls and gradually it stopped.

Tho mid 20's now and has a bed full of soft toys on it !

She sounds lovely. I think playing at this age is still very normal and shouldn't be discouraged. I do see what you mean about this being a bit unusual though and a bit intense. Is she an only child? Does she have many other hobbies and interests? Has she many friends? Talking to mum about what her dolls are doing at 9 does make me think she could be a bit lonely. Playing with toys is still totally normal but this does sound like it could be a bit intense.

I suspect the fact that this is worrying you is you worrying about something slightly more than just the toys.

Let her enjoy every moment while it lasts. My daughter seemed out of sync with her peers, dressing in footy kits and tracksuits and shunning anything remotely feminine when she was 12 when all the other girls were being really girly and experimenting with make up and jewellery and dressing up. She just wanted to climb trees and play football. This changed literally overnight at 13 and and now goes to school every day with the shortest skirt imaginable and a full face of make up and her Christmas list was all about the jewellery and handbags! (She still loves her football though!)

She's a child, it's ok for her to be childlike!

If it helps, my daughter was exactly like this and she's 16 now and happy, confident, creative and fiercely independent. Already happily chatting about all the places she's going to travel in her gap year, which uni she wants to go to, pondering working abroad and emigration one day. She still has one or two cuddly toys, who are of course all named, and it hasn't hindered her one bit. They grow up incredibly fast so cherish this lovely phase while you have it!

My 8yo boy is the same. Scrupulously fair about rotating his (many!) teddies to the best spot in the bed, and making sure they can all "breathe". He told me the other day that it's "quite a responsibility" having to look after so many 🤣🤣

Don't worry about "growing up" OP. I know plenty of fully grown adults who treat their fluffy dogs like very expensive teddies, and who get very upset if you say anything less than complimentary within earshot (the dog's earshot, that is!)

Sounds perfectly normal to me. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Sounds really normal and healthy to me. My daughter was a lot like this at that age. She is now 12. She is still quite innocent for her age but has ditched her dolls (still holds on to the squishmallows though) she is getting a lot more grown up and becoming more mature but I like that she has retained some of her innocence. Don’t wish the teenage years in… they are awful! It’s lovely for a child to have an active imagination and be creative and her own person.

Absolutely normal. She sounds like she has a fantastic imagination and prefers to role play, hence using the toys when not with friends.
My child is 10 and although likes the iPad often FaceTimes her friend and they role play online. She is less mature than her older sister at the same age.

My sister was like this and I was gutted when she stopped playing it when she started secondary school and I was year 5. We are both in our 40’s and I’d say pretty standard women.

She sounds amazing.

My 13 year old still has a bed full of cuddly toys and loves at least 1 cuddly toy as a gift at birthdays and Christmas. She doesn't line them up and play any more, but she still has a favourite she cuddles at night, is very precious with them, remembers where they all came from, who bought her them. We are planning a double ottoman bed for her room so she can keep them all but in a more grown up way, but she is unashamedly in love with them. I still have one from when I was little and we are both quite nostalgic.

I wouldn't worry. Some of us just love them.

She sounds lovely. My DD has just turned 11 and has suddenly'grown up'. At your DD's age my DD was very similar. As were her friends.

When she's a famous author due to her vivid imagination you'll be pleased you let her play!

I found that both of my children changed a lot when they started secondary. They went from being kids to more like teens within months really. With dd especially it was like a switch flipped. She went from being a goofy kid to a teen interested in boys and fashion and make up almost overnight. I will caveat that by saying we are in Ireland I think kids start secondary later than kids in the UK but really I say enjoy it while it lasts teendom is just around the corner.

Sounds very like my 9 year old DD. I sometimes wonder the same; however I think if your daughter is happy in herself and not struggling with friendships etc then I think she's fine. I think this is a funny age - looking at DD's friends and classmates some are still very childlike and some do seem to be moving into the realms of phones, Tik Tok, skincare trends etc.

She sounds great.

If you read children's stories from a long time ago, like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables etc, it's really striking how much we've simultaneously started expecting children to grow up really early and to not have any actual responsibility or independence. Your DD is fine, OP. I kept my doll house into Secondary school and used to play with the dolls and make food and clothes and things for them. Imaginative play is great for children (even if I hate when mine make me join in!).

Your daughter sounds sublime. Being childlike is perfect for someone who is 9 years old. Cherish every second of every minute.

Watching with interest.

My 8 year old boy has a giant collection of teddy bears. He tucks them all up in bed every night carefully. He cares about them like they are his babies. He notices if one is missing and he makes special little comfy spots for them to sit in during the day.

He loves animals if a cat meows at him it makes his day. Always wanting to pet and talk to animals. Still loves feeding the ducks.

He's very sweet, a lot of the boys his age do seem more grown up.

She sounds like what a child should be. No kid of primary age should be into phones, tik tok, make up etc.

This sounds so much lovelier than my almost 9 year old DN who has an iPhone, social media and says she's too grown up to play. (Not my child not my choices), they have plenty of time to grow up she's not even heading out of primary school yet, let her be

She sounds delightful, let her be.

My 9yo plays for hours with her younger sister and her cuddly toys doing the same. I'll be sad when she stops.