Is it normal to feel this sad?

[ObviouslySerious]

Dd is 12 and recently began acting less of a child and more of a teenager. I know this is normal.
However, I'm finding it quite difficult. I'm finding I feel very emotional when I see her being in a mood and storming off to her room. Not wanting to spend any time with me or her father.
It's all seemed to have happened suddenly and I'm finding it hard to digest.

Is it normal to actually feel sad about this? She's our eldest so the first time we've witnessed someone change from a child to a teenager in the blink of an eye.

Yeah the teen years are a bit brutal, they throw strops, and NOTHING you do will be right. Get used to, it lasts about 5-6 years! 😬 They will feel embarrassed to be with you, and act like they don't like you and are annoyed by your very presence. (Not ALL the time, but sometimes.) They will act like they know more about anything and everything than you!

They do come out of the other side though, and turn into wonderful young adults. My 2 DD are mid 20s now, and are the best people in the world. I love them dearly, and they love me too. There's not a thing they wouldn't do for me and DH (and us for them!)

And yeah it IS normal to feel a bit sad that they've changed from little kids. It does pass though.

Thank you @SabreIsMyFave that all makes sense.

It does make me feel sad though to think that the chapter has come to an end and the next few years will possibly be filled with a lot of clashing.

🤗

I have two of them.18 months between them.
Absolute hell here. I feel very sad and like I've failed them in some way.
Can't believe they are line this. Spend my waking hours walking on eggshells.

Yep my last one has not long hit twelve 🥹, he is a really good lad but has defo turned into a teenager just like that! And yes I am sad about it 😭. My older two are 24 and 30, one of the reasons we had him was to keep us young and not by alone pottering round like old people in our 30's (had the first very young and the second quite young) and he seems to have grown so quickly, time has flown by and now already he doesn't want to spend time with us so we are going to be pottering around on our own in our 40's 😩.

Hormones, periods

Girls are all over the place emotionally at this age

One minute they're crying over nothing, the next they're screaming over nothing

You need to deal with it calmly and understand it's not always in their control

It does seem that this is the age then when it all starts.

I remember watching mamma mia with my mum and that was the first time I saw her cry ( watching the slipping through my fingers scene ).
Up until now I've never really took notice of the song but it is very poignant.

It’s also important to remember that it is developmentally normal for teens to start to “separate” from their parents and put more emphasis on their peer relationships- it’s part of how they become successful adults. That isn’t to say you can’t still be close to them ( when they’re not eye rolling or telling you you know nothing 🤣) but the relationship evolves and it’s important that it does.

this is so funny 🤣 how old were you when you had him ?