How to be less affected by 12 year old’s mood swings?!
Please help. I’m getting to the end of my rope and I don’t want to end up saying something I regret or disconnecting emotionally but my 12 year old is driving me mad with her explosive and volatile mood swings which are related to school but exacerbated by hormones and tiredness and anxiety.
I’m doing my best to support her but I also have a toddler and a demanding job.
I’m not even sitting down to eat some
Nights as she won’t sleep due to howling and shouting about how bad her day / school / friends / teachers / life is….
Nothing I do helps. I’ve read countless books on managing teens emotions etc. I listen, I validate. I hold space. I help her think of solutions (if she wants them) she’s on my mind all the time and even when she’s in a good mood I am anxious about the next blowout.
I want to be more resident and thicker skinned as I know she’s probably only at the beginning of a tumultuous journey. But I’m feeling dizzy and achy and sick… it’s not good. I need to be strong for her.
I was never like this a teen, I suppressed everything which I know isn’t good either but I have no model or example of how to mother her through it I’m just going off instincts and parenting books.