Starting the ball rolling with my pre-teen dd 10.

[lexcat]

Dd just turned 10 (thinks she a mini teen at times). An angel one monent and them the stoppy moody child. It's really amazing the affect of hormones can do.

Aah, somewhere I can share my frustrations! 10yo DD is currently going through a phase of crying for no reason - she'll burst into tears at school about something random, a bad memory seems to be triggering it at the moment, and then gets v embarrassed because she hates crying in public. So now she's crying on the way into school...about crying at school. Honestly she gets in such a state and I feel really helpless. I want to tell her to pull herself together but I know that's no help! And any strategy I suggest to cope she dismisses - "I just can't help it!! Wahh..etc"

I'm sure it's hormones and mental development and overwhelming feelings - I experienced exactly the same thing. I think that's why it's frustrating me so much - she's so like me and I wasted so much energy feeling upset over nothing!

I can't believe we're at this stage already...she still seems so young in many ways but I know teen life is just round the corner. I'm not sure I'm ready for this!

My DD had discharge from around 11 but didn't start periods til she was 13 - month after 13th bday. She is now 14 and totally developed, but it has taken 3 years at least to go from nothing to everything!

Ok so it's 10am and dd1 has already been in tears for most of the morning. It's baffling. DH had offered to take her to the cinema because they're showing the Harry Potter films, but she came down the stairs in a state and finally said she didn't want to go. No particular reason why.

Then DH mentioned something in the news about the king of Thailand's funeral and that started her off again because it reminded her of her great-grandfather who died about a year ago.

The night before she was up at 4am and cried because she couldn't get to sleep - then cried about it again the next day!

Honestly, it's becoming exasperating! We are being patient and gentle with her as we can but someone please tell me this phase will pass soon!!

I'm dreading next week - she starts back to school and I think getting her in the door is going to be very difficult indeed (see my previous post re separation anxiety)

YellowDahlia - ur daughter sounds just like me at 11! I had never tied it to hormones till now, as it was around the time I changed school, so assumed it was that, but the change in me (from being loud and cheerful, to crying about the smallest thing), always seemed rather extreme.
I did get thru it, and was back to mostly cheery by 13, but not sure if there's much you can do until it passes, other than keep reassuring her that she's loved, and not odd for feeling this way and encouraging her toward cheerful thoughts (maybe look up positive thinking techniques and see if u can pass anything on to her).
My DS went like this at 14, and when I picked him up from school one day due to it, the teacher said he was the 4th 14 yo boy she'd had in tears that morning!! Made me feel heaps better that it wasn't just him :-).