11 year old son's behaviour - normal?

[thunderbird69]

I am not sure if our 11 year old is experiencing pre puberty or if it is something else.
He is still quite small, although has grown quite a bit in the past year (think he is 4ft 9). His body shape hasn't changed or his voice. His hair gets very greasy, he gets a lot of spots and needs deodorant. I don't know if these signs are relevant?

He can be fun, sweet and great company. But he has such mood swings where he over reacts and gets totally wound up so that you can't reason with him. He also moans and whines about the smallest things and claims most things are 'boring'. Very Kevin the teenager.

Does this sound like 'normal' behaviour? I am hoping that it is and that he will get puberty out of the way sooner rather than later and settle down again!

He is still behaving ok at school - phew! although he also goes to scouts and I have been told that he has been playing up there, although he is still keen to go.

I'm really just in need of reassurance that, as I say, this is normal and not a result of some terrible parenting on my part.

DS is 11 and you've pretty much described him mood wise. a delight and an angel at school , just won a very big award, and a PITA at home.. everything is lame/boring/pathetic , me and his dad know nothing. there is much eye rolling, shuffling about and general huffiness and an air of hard done to ness !

and it's only going to get worse apparently !

sounds almost exactly like my 11yo DS. He is lovely, funny, cuddly, sweet...and then is shouting the house dwon over a perceived minor injustice, getting so wound up that he cannot calm himself down.

Totally normal. Can remember my ds1 at that age .... got very angry, very quickly. Wanted to argue about everything...would say black was white etc. Cried when he got angry, then cried because he didn't want to be angry. Was pretty much over between 12&13 - he's now a delightlful 14 year old

That is reassuring to hear your stories, although sorry to hear them too!
I really didn't expect this sort of behaviour so soon, I was expecting it in his teens.

The only stories I hear are from mums with kind, considerate kids who are interested in all sorts of out of school activities. Always polite and positive. I do wonder sometimes why i didn't get one of them!

am hoping that it will be over between 12 and 13 and I get a delightful 14 yo MadameSin! I know exactly what you mean about crying when they get angry, then crying because they don't want to be angry!

Here's hoping our DS's will be out of it quickly thunderbird!

Relief to see this thread.Dreadful night last night...been building up.DS1 11 wouldn't say what was wrong and dp and I were worrying that something hideous had happened.Eventually after I wouldn't leave his room till he sid he said it was us,school abit his younger brother etc.W e also know nothing! and the eye rolling and rudeness is just awful.Really hope this does go soon!

Just like my DS1 who isnt 11 until July.
He already has hair under his arms much to my dismay.
One minute he's all sweetness and light and the next bellowing at us all becuase we are all 'so stupid'

What a relief to read all this. My DS is 11 and in the last year a primary school and just like the boys you are all describing. He is such a lovely boy, but seems to be trapped behind this grumpy, arguementative, rude boy at the moment.

I was thinking it woudl last for years - but if there is a hope that its just for a year or so, perhaps we can manage all the outbursts and tears.

and EEK