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Dd17 just attacked me…

197 replies

Totalmayhem · 24/08/2026 13:18

Caught dd17 lying (again) this morning and told her that as a result I wasn’t going to take her for the hair cut we’d booked in. The result was her throwing a screaming fit and deciding to ‘runaway’. I followed behind her at a distance as we live very rurally and she was in a state so I was concerned. When she realised I was following she turned and attacked me - blows mainly to my body and verbal threats as to how was going to go for my face next. I stayed calm asking her to stop and asked her to come home to calm down. She kicked her sliders off in the kerfuffle and eventually came home (I assume not want to walk the very shitty roads barefoot). She stormed to her room and broke the door handle slamming it (it’s old and been dodgy for a while) so now can’t get out. I’m sitting outside her door so when she does want to emerge we can try fix it. But for now I’m
just sitting shell shocked. Dh had to pull her off me at one point. WTAF. I know she’s worried about going back to school - there’s loads of work she’s meant to have done but hasn’t. We’ve really been trying to support her but she just tells us to leave her alone or lies to say it’s done. She’s lonely I know - she makes friends easily but looses them fast. Where the hell do I go from here?!!

OP posts:
Fieldandstream990 · 24/08/2026 20:04

Totalmayhem · 24/08/2026 14:50

Thanks all. We’ve tried to always tread softly as know she goes off the deep end when challenged but it was at a point where I couldn’t let it slide again. She’s been treating everyone in the house like 💩 - her siblings really try to help her and be kind but she’s incredibly rude to them in return. She seems to think she’s entitled to the perfect life without having to take any responsibility to facilitate that herself. When things go wrong/she doesn’t get what she wants it is always someone else’s fault. She just doesn’t seem to get that the common denominator is her, not other people. I’m still so shocked she kept hitting me again and again - even when I was calmly asking her to stop - she needs to at least admit her violence was wrong, if not where does that leave us?! I get she needs time to calm down, but she also needs to accept her behaviour was beyond unacceptable, whatever the cause. How the hell do we move on if she doesn’t?!

Op obviously I am not defending violent behaviour ever, and she needs to apologise to you.

I don’t understand why you are linking having a haircut to behaviour like she was eight though? That is too controlling for a seventeen year old and not well thought out.

If you wanted to refuse lifts then you needed to say that you won’t run her to places for a week starting next Saturday or whatever to give her a chance to make alternative arrangements.

A haircut is a big deal to a teenager.

Easy to say in hindsight but but why didn’t you say I will take you to your haircut and we will discuss lying and your general behaviour en route and go out for a coffee afterwards and discuss your relationship with your siblings? Give her something to think about?

And when she tried to run away from you and she tried to literally put distance between you both, you followed her when she is seventeen? Your parenting techniques need to adapt now that she is older.

You effectively denied her the opportunity to calm down and when you are sitting outside her door you are continuing to do the same thing!

Give her space Op! She is unhappy and taking that unhappiness out on you.

She may try and control her siblings bc she feels she has too little autonomy herself.

If my DDs, including the one with ASD, were lying about school work aged seventeen then I would assume they didn’t feel comfortable to me talking about it,

I’d have backed off and said something along the lines that it’s your responsibility and you can come to me if you need support but you suffer the natural consequences if you don’t compete it on time? And maybe ask why they were having difficulty in that area and was it anything I could help with?

If dcs haven’t got the hang of independent study by aged fourteen or fifteen then there is probably something much more serious going on anyway.

Why come down hard on this anyway? It doesn’t sound like she is avoiding work for rebellious reasons if she is a prefect?

i cannot believe that people are suggesting that Op calls the police! What would that achieve in all honesty? If you could get them to come out for a dispute between a teen and their mum it would be a miracle in the first place. I am not dismissing what happened to you Op but you need to try and build on the remaining mutual trust between you now, not destroy it.

I think she should apologise and you should agree to give her space in future when she feels she needs it.

And obviously get your dd assessed and get get her some good psychotherapy support from someone she likes who has experience with adolescents. This is a phase and it will pass. Give it five years or so!

And if she is diagnosed with ASD or ADHD obviously that isn’t a phase but things can still improve and she can learn strategies that will help her to cope.

Good luck to you both 💐

LondonLass2026 · 24/08/2026 20:05

When I was worried about going back to school after summer, I called a friend or read a light hearted book. If I'd laid a finger on either parent, the other would have killed me.

You'll probably have to take the doors off the hinges.

Sorry, no other advice but I hope you get this sorted. Thus is horrendous.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:07

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:04

She needs punishing every day for as long as it takes to change her ways. She beat her fucking mother up.

This is a young woman who OP suspects may be autistic - disabled - and you think that's the way to treat her?

Unexpecteder · 24/08/2026 20:07

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IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:09

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:07

This is a young woman who OP suspects may be autistic - disabled - and you think that's the way to treat her?

This is a violent young woman who is diagnosed with nothing

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:10

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Yes, I know, and I think she should have done something long before now.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:11

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:09

This is a violent young woman who is diagnosed with nothing

Right, but if her mother suspects autism then she should be doing what she can to help her daughter access help - therapy, a diagnosis and potentially medication, not piling on punishment after punishment.

BruFord · 24/08/2026 20:12

I would go downstairs and give her space. She's wound up and you camping out outside her door will just wind her up further.

She can text you or bang on her door when she wants to come out.

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:13

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:11

Right, but if her mother suspects autism then she should be doing what she can to help her daughter access help - therapy, a diagnosis and potentially medication, not piling on punishment after punishment.

We'll agree to disagree.

Canadanian · 24/08/2026 20:14

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:09

This is a violent young woman who is diagnosed with nothing

What’s your point? Do you think everyone with autism or adhd has been diagnosed?

Are you honestly not aware of the diagnostic bias that means young women’s symptoms are missed? Have you heard of masking, or how it can lead to burnout and melt downs?

Also nobody is impressed by your big tough act.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:15

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:13

We'll agree to disagree.

So you think she shouldn't be helped? Just punished until she somehow...what, stops being disabled? Confused

Fieldandstream990 · 24/08/2026 20:16

HelenaWilson · 24/08/2026 19:15

She needs driving lessons though.

Do you think someone who flies into violent rages ought to be behind the wheel of a car?

And she doesn't need to drive. She can walk, cycle, take the bus, like her siblings do.

Driving lessons would be a good idea as it would probably lessen her frustration at being reliant on her mum. Especially if she is autistic and finds public transport hard.

Unexpecteder · 24/08/2026 20:16

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UnbeatenMum · 24/08/2026 20:17

This seems like Autistm or ADHD to me. She was unable to cope with having the haircut taken away. I don't think a punishment like that at 17 is particularly helpful, it's kind of infantilising unless the lie was specifically linked to the haircut and made it impossible somehow? Then by following her and then just standing there while she hit you you enraged her further and didn't give her time or space to calm down. By all means try anger management but I think you need to adjust your parenting too. Basically think de-escalation, not escalation if she's in a heightened state. You can still have boundaries but knee jerk unrelated punishments are not a good idea. And if she's angry about something give her space.

Arran2024 · 24/08/2026 20:19

Hi. For whatever reason (maybe autism) your daughter is unable to cope and is taking it out on you.

The two are separate issues but intertwined. I have similar with one of my daughters, though she is never violent, it's just verbal.

She is diagnosed with autism. I had a lot of help over the years from professionals and the technique that is most suitable in your situation is sth called NVR.

It covers things like not escalating, de escalating, choosing your battles. You also make a statement about what you expect going forward. It's a 12 week or so course - there is a lot more to it. I found it really helpful.

BTW have you considered PDA at all? It often comes with meltdowns.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:20

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Why is that relevant to anything?

Unexpecteder · 24/08/2026 20:20

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mygigbilasetting · 24/08/2026 20:21

Totalmayhem · 24/08/2026 18:31

So eldest sibling has just had some friends arrive. Dd messaged asking to fix the door and be allowed to join them. Eldest dc is not keen but I’ve asked them to let her join them for a chat - some normality will hopefully help further the calm. When we got the door open I said ‘you do understand we need to talk’ and she said ‘yes, but I really don’t want to talk now’. Eldest’s friends are the most truly lovely gentle people - and they have the patience of saints…

😬

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:22

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Again, what's your point? Are you trying to catch me out or something?

I'm an autistic adult who sees their own childhood experience in OP's posts and is offering their opinion, which I'm allowed to do.

Fieldandstream990 · 24/08/2026 20:24

IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:09

This is a violent young woman who is diagnosed with nothing

A truly violent person doesn’t literally try to run away to avoid confrontation and the frustration of that moment , and seek space to calm down.

An overwhelmed young woman would be a more accurate description.

It was op who followed her in to that disregulation when she should have allowed her the space she needed.

Attacking your mum is never right or justifiable but if she suspects asd in her dd, then maybe it would be a good strategy for Op to learn some more about the condition and how to handle it?

MotherofPufflings · 24/08/2026 20:24

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Well I do. I've raised 4 children who are now lovely young adults. And I agree with @beaglescurleduplikebagels that punishments don't make a child who is not coping with life (for whatever reason) behave better.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:25

MotherofPufflings · 24/08/2026 20:24

Well I do. I've raised 4 children who are now lovely young adults. And I agree with @beaglescurleduplikebagels that punishments don't make a child who is not coping with life (for whatever reason) behave better.

Thank you Flowers

Unexpecteder · 24/08/2026 20:26

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IronEverything · 24/08/2026 20:29

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 24/08/2026 20:15

So you think she shouldn't be helped? Just punished until she somehow...what, stops being disabled? Confused

Why do you keep saying she's disabled?

Unexpecteder · 24/08/2026 20:33

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