Preteens
12 yo and interested in parenting?
Secondme · 09/06/2013 18:23
My dd is 12 yo. She has been thinking, after weeks of lessons about this at school, what she wants to be when she's older. Her thoughts so far were Lawyer, she knows a lot about this now since work shadowing my dsister. And something to do with child development. I was a speech therapist before I retired and she has become very interested in this. I have a lot of textbooks on the subject of child development and she has read them all.
I was just wondering, is 12 a bit early to be very interested in the subject of parenting? I get a lot of questions like 'When do, on average children start whatervering.' She has read all our old parenting books, etc. Except the contraception and pregnancy bits cos that's 'still a bit yucky'.
She does want to have children when she's older, but not dwelling on that (much). Loves looking after ds3 (8) and her little cousins, (5 and 6).
I don't have a problem with it, I just don't remember ever being interested in it as a child. Her friends are interested too. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Meringue33 · 09/06/2013 18:30
I was interested. I read all my parents books on child psychology (Bruno Bettelheim, Clare Rayner, AS Neil) and used the theories against them during arguments :)
dianettey · 09/06/2013 18:32
It sounds like more of an intellectual curiosity than a desire to be a parent!
What an intelligent, mature and inquisitive mind your daughter has- is this a stealth boast 
Secondme · 09/06/2013 18:33
Yes we have had that. And she is writing a list on how she feels about situations so she will remember if she has children.
Secondme · 09/06/2013 18:33
She can be very immature. She is sulking now actually.
Turniptwirl · 09/06/2013 19:49
I was fascinated by the children's medical book for years!
Notmyidea · 09/06/2013 19:58
my mum used to have a pair of 1950s household management manuals that I loved reading the pregnancy and babycare sections of. I loved the idea of being a mum. (I love being a mum now...most of the time.) Didn't actually have kids until I was 27.
cory · 12/06/2013 13:36
This was a compulsory school subject in my country when I was around this age. And this was a country with a very low incidence of teenager mothers. But learning about child development was interesting in itself and has often stood me in good stead later in life.
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