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my 17 year old daughter is so babyish

170 replies

ThisSillyAquaPlayer · 19/09/2025 11:06

I have a 17 years old daughter, and frankly, she is very very eccentric. She acts so much younger than her age and everyone her age kind of sees her as a little sister. That is not necessarily a problem but she also looks and sound way younger than someone her age typically would. She is graduating from high school next year and she will be officially an adult.

She gets so attached to everyone and greets people very enthusiastically even though they might not return the same energy. When she gets excited she gets really excited and she looks up to certain people a lot. Obviously she's not a problem to be fixed but I do think this is a bit of a problem. Is at a lost.

OP posts:
Bananaandmangosmoothie · 19/09/2025 19:30

It sounds like maybe she needs to take a gap year and get a job before going to uni.

Illegally18 · 19/09/2025 19:25

5128gap · 19/09/2025 11:23

Do you think it genuine as opposed to a contrived behaviour that brings her social rewards? Eg, she's seen as cute, to be looked after, protected and/or eccentric and therefore more interesting?

Yes, I was about to say this. I remember doing/being similar at 17, in the hope it would make me liked. It didn't.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 19/09/2025 19:22

Motnight · 19/09/2025 11:08

Genuinely, why is this a problem?

She won’t be taken seriously in the workplace

Bluecat7 · 19/09/2025 19:21

She sounds lovely. I was always young for my age and definitely a late-bloomer. I got there in the end, although I’m still too trusting!

Beachtastic · 19/09/2025 19:11

This sounds exactly like me, and I'm in my 60s and so far no diagnoses of anything (although maybe it's just a matter of time...?).

My trusting naivety has got me into all sorts of pickles throughout my life. Over the years, I know that friends and family (even colleagues!) have sometimes discussed it with concern.

I've experienced some pretty hardcore situations, but did I learn from them? -- not really. That happy-go-lucky approach has been hard to overcome. I think I've sometimes been judged as lacking in life experience, but the opposite is true: no matter what happens to me, this comical level of idiocy/innocence prevails.

I did eventually land on my feet with a lovely DH (#2! -- the first was a very different story) who gently grounds me whenever I am inclined to dream my way into another challenging situation. He finds it amusing that I've plumbed the depths of life and still have this default setting that everything is rosy.

I think this is just the way I'm hardwired, unfortunately. I don't know if it needs fixing. There are advantages and disadvantages to it. I tend to be blissfully unaware of the dangers around me, which gets me into trouble, but then if it all bites me on the bum I am also reasonably resilient. This is a good thing or a bad thing, depending how you look at it.

Intrigued to know if there is a label for this and I should be on medication!!!!!!!!!

NimbleDreamer · 19/09/2025 18:53

One of my friends in school was exactly like this. She was eventually diagnosed with autism as an adult.

animaginativeusername · 19/09/2025 18:27

I think you overthinking it. My daughter was like this, but I just felt that is who she is and let her grow and develop as a young woman at her pace. at 23 she is independent, has a job and travels on her own. Your daughter needs your support, love and guidance. Also why does it matter how other young people are developing. Just support you daughter, love her for who she is

Manthide · 19/09/2025 18:25

She sounds quite similar to dd3 who is 17 and just started y13. Dd3 has ADHD and is very different to her older sisters. I think she'll be okay when she goes to university. A lot of her year seem very immature - not sure if its related to COVID.

theadoory · 19/09/2025 18:21

Get her assessed for autism. If it is that, its so much better to know as soon as possible, her and you. She may be vulnerable. Autistic people, especially women, are known in services as ‘forever twelve.’

Willyoujust · 19/09/2025 17:56

Sounds like SEND.

autienotnaughty · 19/09/2025 17:49

Can she cook? Manage money? Her personal hygiene? Navigate public transport? Is she on top of her school work? How does she react when faced with a challenging situation?
Is she prepared for adulthood? Uni or a job?

it could be she has a innocence due to being fortunate enough to have got through life relatively unscathed. Or it could be autism. Add or similar leaving her struggling socially.

GetaitdownyouLove · 19/09/2025 17:35

Your dd sounds lovely, energy is good! It is a refreshing change from all of the miserable lacklustre teenagers you see skulking around, carrying caffeine.

Maybe she has Adhd?

Edited to say she may just be excited and high energy. I teach my dcs difference is good; be yourself. But yes, worth checking on the ND front.

Kemelomommy · 19/09/2025 17:30

Oh yes!😳 Lol...Sorry about that.

soupyspoon · 19/09/2025 17:28

Sounds like some sort of ND, she sounds socially unaware and a bit disinhibited. Has she had any sort of social support in terms of how to manage peer interactions?

usedtobeaylis · 19/09/2025 17:27

She also just sounds like a naive 17 year old. Its possible to just be a friendly, enthusiastic, innocent girl.

AliceMaforethought · 19/09/2025 17:26

Kemelomommy · 19/09/2025 17:22

I'm 27 years old and 36 weeks pregnant, my baby daddy and I dated for few weeks before i got pregnant. He started ignoring me when I was three months pregnant. He also hasn't told his parents about my pregnancy, and refuses to meet me to discuss anything related to the baby. I don't know what to do, this is my first baby and his second( his first lives with his parents). His excuse is that he's always busy and tired. I feel like my baby will be born and her daddy will always see her as a mistake.

I think you posted in the wrong thread.

AliceMaforethought · 19/09/2025 17:25

I don't see what the problem is. Would you rather she was doing drugs and Onlyfans?

Kemelomommy · 19/09/2025 17:22

I'm 27 years old and 36 weeks pregnant, my baby daddy and I dated for few weeks before i got pregnant. He started ignoring me when I was three months pregnant. He also hasn't told his parents about my pregnancy, and refuses to meet me to discuss anything related to the baby. I don't know what to do, this is my first baby and his second( his first lives with his parents). His excuse is that he's always busy and tired. I feel like my baby will be born and her daddy will always see her as a mistake.

AliceMaforethought · 19/09/2025 17:18

EmeraldShamrock000 · 19/09/2025 11:32

My DD is similar only very shy.
She's nearly 17, she's very sweet, babyish voice, at her age I'd left school, had a job, drank, smoked, I'm glad she has a very different lifestyle to mine, she was diagnosis with asd aged 7, born with a muscle disorder.
Her Christmas list always includes toys.
I don't know what the answer is for toughening her up.

Why do you need to 'toughen her up'?

beardediris · 19/09/2025 16:52

Bladderpool · 19/09/2025 11:10

Soun a bit like Williams Syndrome, has she been diagnosed with any neurodivergent condition?

I know someone pretty well with Williams Syndrome it’s very rare they usuallyhave very distinctive facial features and significant learning difficulties I’d be amazed if it wasn’t picked up earlier than 17.

Climbingrosexx · 19/09/2025 16:47

I know someone who is just very enthusiastic, she will talk to absolutely anyone, is bubbly and giggly. In my opinion a bit over familiar with people she has only just met, gets involved in everyone's business (suppose you could say a bit of a busybody) and gives out hugs like they are going out of fashion. I just think that's her personality though. If you told her to take a step back I don't think she would know how to. Nothing wrong with her it's just who she is

StudentAdviser369 · 19/09/2025 16:29

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ChangingWeight · 19/09/2025 16:28

She just sounds inexperienced in life, more so than the average 17 year old.

Most 17 year olds have seen enough of the world to not be enthusiastic with everyone they meet, they would have a sense of sussing out danger, appropriateness, even just bad vibes. Eg I wouldn’t expect her to greet someone up to no good enthusiastically.

Having babyish interests isn’t a big deal, but that’s a side her friends may see of her as opposed to everyone she comes across. Like when I was 17 I had mainstream interests and niche interests but only people I were close to would be aware of everything.

I don’t think there’s a fix to this, most people just learn from experience. She probably needs to socialise more, and to be honest, get stung more in terms of knowing when to reel it in.

Jimmyneutronsforehead · 19/09/2025 15:58

ThisSillyAquaPlayer · 19/09/2025 11:06

I have a 17 years old daughter, and frankly, she is very very eccentric. She acts so much younger than her age and everyone her age kind of sees her as a little sister. That is not necessarily a problem but she also looks and sound way younger than someone her age typically would. She is graduating from high school next year and she will be officially an adult.

She gets so attached to everyone and greets people very enthusiastically even though they might not return the same energy. When she gets excited she gets really excited and she looks up to certain people a lot. Obviously she's not a problem to be fixed but I do think this is a bit of a problem. Is at a lost.

At risk of sounding like an armchair psychiatrist, I think greeting people who might not return the same enthusiasm shows inability to read intent and could fall under the social deficit criteria in autism.

I also think that having "childish" or unusual interests, especially if they're intense could fall under the restrictive and repetitive criteria too.

I agree with other PPs that it also sounds like she could have Williams syndrome, but people with Williams syndrome usually have some distinct and unique facial features. There are also usually co-occuring cardiovascular issues, developmental delays and connective tissue abnormalities, which you've not mentioned any of these so it seems less likely to be Williams.

For many of us autistic women, diagnoses don't come until later in life when the deficits in communication, understanding intent, displaying naivety, and not being able to recognise emotions really sticks out as the supports in place from childhood are no longer there. There are no longer teachers supporting friendship groups or encouraging cooperation, or safeguarding against others with poor intent. We often assume people have the best intentions.

We don't always have sensory sensitivities, in fact, sensory sensitivities alone aren't part of the diagnostic criteria. They can play a part in restrictive and repetitive interests/movements/rigidity, but being hyper/hyposensitive to sensory input isn't necessarily part of the criteria.

It's also overlooked in a lot of women especially as the stereotypical social and communication challenges function around low register, less likely to engage especially if something is not of interest, not being able to make friends or form friendships, and often overlooks the challenges that come with being hyperverbal and extremely sociable even though there are clearly deficits if she can't read someones intentions, mood, energy levels, and forces herself into conversation with people.

I worked for Starbucks for some time, doing an apprenticeship, and I was very much hyperverbal, pushing myself into conversation, and I made for a great sales person, because I could push their coffee of the week, rewards cards systems, additional extras primarily because I couldn't see the disinterest that people had, and my workplace used this to their advantage. I was young, barely 18, and I found it such a strength, but then as I moved on from that workplace into other settings, and found myself having to form my own social groups and not finding a community that had been manufactured by schools or employers, it became really apparent that what I was doing was more of a weakness than a strength, and was considered abnormal and restrictive. I'll spare you the long story, but it lead to a lot of sticky situations with male friends and not being able to pick up on their social cues, and lead to some rather intimate actions that I felt I couldn't advocate for myself for or get out of because I had "led them on". Me thinking I was being friendly, and them thinking I was being friendlier. So I do think that you need to consider the wider safeguarding ramifications given the deficits you've listed.

I think the average age for diagnosing women is 36-37, and it's that high for a reason. A good psychiatrist will be able to ask you the right questions to confirm that these struggles were in place as a child just less evident as she had the right support structures around her at the time. They may also ask her to take part in a CATQ screening for masking.

Having childish interests and hobbies in itself is not an issue, but it is restrictive in the fact that she will struggle to form relationships with peers appropriate to her age group, and that's how they would view it in an assessment setting.

She is almost an adult, so I would do some research and see if she would consider an assessment, but I think your immediate worries need to be around safeguarding her and preparing her for adult life, and most importantly helping her understand consent and cultivating a safe space with you to talk about any issues that may arise due to her communication deficits.

Glassdesigns · 19/09/2025 15:57

Young people with autism are often emotionally immature. Maybe a 1/3rd younger than their actual age emotionally is what I’ve heard. The differences do become more noticeable as they grow older and peers mature.
I don’t know if it’s relevant OP, but might be worth investigating.

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