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For feeling sad that my son’s growing up

53 replies

Mumoffootieboys · 12/09/2021 10:50

I posted this over in parenting but seem to get more traffic over here and I’m desperate for some advice…

My son is 13, just gone into y9 at school and I’m really struggling with how he’s changed.
He’s been getting moodier over the past year or so, doesn’t want any affection from me and barely even speaks to me. He doesn’t want to do anything much as a family any more, only really wants to do things with his dad and his dads friends. I’ve also recently found some things on his phone where he’s been messaging girls on social media being flirty etc. All of which I’m sure is normal behaviour for his age but I hate it!
I know I’m probably being really dramatic but I feel like I’m grieving for the boy he once was. I keep crying when I look at old pics and think about things we used to do.
Please tell me anyone else has felt like this?

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SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 12/09/2021 22:15

@Mumoffootieboys, there is a book called Divas and Doorslammers by Charlie Taylor, in which he says that teenagers’ brains are actually rewiring during adolescence - structural change is happening - and during this rewiring they can and do lose certain abilities - impulse control, temper control, empathy, sense of proportion (and ability to realise they aren’t the centre of the universe). This is why they seem to change so completely from the child they were before.

He describes it as being akin to temporary brain damage - but it IS temporary, and most, if not all, of these abilities come back once the rewiring finishes.

Ds3 was particularly bad during the teenage years - lots of lost temper, grumpiness, taciturnity, shouting and rudeness - I honestly wasn’t sure he’d make it out of the teenage years without ending up under the patio - but we did both make it, and he is now a pleasant young man - still quiet, but happy to have a conversation even with his aged mum, thoughtful, hard working and well able to control his temper.

I would offer to send you my copy of the book, but I already sent it to a friend who was going through the same thing with her teenager.

Rest assured - your lovely boy is still in there, and will come back.

diamondpony80 · 12/09/2021 22:40

I didn’t feel bad about DS growing up at that age as I knew I’d have him around for a few years yet. Now he’s in his final year in school and it’s less than a year until he leaves for university. It makes me quite teary to think about it. Not that I see him much anyway as he has a car, a part time job and a girlfriend so he hasn’t much free time. If I give him notice though he will still come on a family day out with us.

Mumoffootieboys · 14/09/2021 17:04

Thank you @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius I’ll have a look at that book, that sounds really helpful

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