Daughters.

[stopsayingmum]

Please will someone tell me that their stubborn, argumentative, attention seeking, messy 7yr dd turned into a lovely, pleasing, organised and compliant teenager/adult.
I love my dd but SHE DRIVES ME MAD!!!!

stopsayingmum Portofino

I have post grad qualifications from 3 top clas universities, an executive jo, a wonderful DH and 2 amazing adopted children (DS ans DD). I've been very fortunate! I have also (eventually) managed to have a really good relationship with my Mother (my relationship with my father was never in question, I was the ultimate 'daddy's girl').

*job

Ugh, I've also had no sleep and my typing is showing that!

Well done Andro. I live in hope dd turns out like you. Good to hear.

I have 3 pre-teen dds. The feistiest by far as a small child, dd2, was really very hard work as a baby, toddler, and small child. At 7 we got comments like "Well, at least she won't be needing assertiveness training", and "She gets worse every day!". Or from my mother after looking after the dds for a day, she offered to have "1 or two of them to visit in the holidays, not including dd2".

But now at 11 she really is massively more compliant and agreeable. The occasional strop or yelling fit, but much much rarer, and followed by apologies. She's delightful now. So some of them certainly do get calmer with age.

And meanwhile my dd3, who was an easygoing baby, is a stubborn, argumentative, attention seeking 8yo....

But dd1 has been easy from birth, she's nearly 13 now. Laid back and calm.

None of them are tidy though and none is too hot on washing or grooming.

There is hope then. Grandad calls dd ASBO. I think he is only half joking.