What are your 11/12 year old Girls like?

[Floweringg]

Mine is deep down very lovely, very sensitive, kind, funny and intelligent.

However…..

just recently her mood swings have ramped up and it’s almost like she’s changed overnight… her voice is very flat and she finds it hard to move her head up from her phone, she hates school, hates her life, is exhausted all the time, and tearful / irritable.

in between this when she’s distracted or doing something she enjoys then we get glimpses of her old self.

im worried about her and keeping an eye on things for sure - but wondering if this typical preteen behaviour and those who have come out the other end. How long does it last?

thanks ☺️

My almost 11yo is like this, has yours started her period? Mine started at 9, I would limit the phone, set time & app limits, I've also got a 13yo who's like this.
Both hate school, no advice but it's quite standard I hope!

I have a just turned 12 year old. She’s not really like you describe; she loves school, has lots of hobbies/interests outside of school and doesn’t spend much time on her phone as she doesn’t really have time.
She is definitely more irritable than she was a couple of years ago though, and I do notice the odd eye roll when she thinks I’ve said something utterly ridiculous!

Beautiful, hilarious, competent, sensible, intelligent, capable, sociable, fun.

Self centered, obsessed with her friends, appearance, clothes, materialistic, doesn't suffer fools, goes to school as a social occasion, cares not a jot for school work but fortunately is reasonably academic.

She’s not started no… she’s still quite petite so hoping we’ve got at least another 6 months. Maybe famous last words?! 😂

I have limited her phone, she’s now only allowed it until 6.30pm on school nights and 2 screen time a day… still a lot but she is at that age where she is too young for a lot of the TV shows she wants to watched but grown out / already watched a million times the age all ones.

Shes enjoying anime arm so hopefully that will last

I have twins & one is just like yours (including the anime!), the other a sunbeam... hormones are a pig and some kids are so much more sensitive than others! I'm keeping communication going, hugging, supplying little treats, encouraging fresh air & interests & extracurricular school stuff, encouraging she talk to the school counsellor, not allowing internet in her bedroom, checking her activity...
I don't know how long it will last - but I think i was the same...! GODSPEED

Remove the phone and reassess in a month.

(I do think there's a weird entertainment gap for girls their age. Try Taskmaster, mine love that 😄)

In terms of TV, mine likes things like Bake Off, MasterChef, Traitors, Strictly, Gladiators…

My stepdaughter was horrible at 11. Rude, disobedient, disrespectful, constant sarky comments and insults designed to hurt people. No-one got a pass on it either, even her sister who was a literal baby, she managed to find cutting criticisms about her clothes, her abilities and her looks. Tried to imply to DH that I was having an affair just for the drama. Even suggested that DD wasn't his at one point. Thrived on stirring up drama between DH and BM by making up stories and telling them different things. It came out of nowhere- she was a normal 10 yo and then suddenly an absolute nightmare of an 11 yo.

It passed and she was back to her lovely self by 12 and now at 16 she's great. Still a bit sarky and sulky, that's just her temperament, but it's been a long time since I've dreaded her company.

Mine is 12 nearly 13.
she is sociable and loves her friends. She doesn’t love school but hates missing classes all the same. She hates homework but still always does it.
She’s fiercely competitive, plays a few field sports and represents the school for cross country. She loves baking and cooking. She did so well in her Christmas exams despite not doing a lot of study, so she is way more capable than she even thought, her self esteem could do with a little boost at times.

She can be quiet at times and has snapped/been rude on many an occasion but I can quickly put her back in her place (long may the last).

her friends are No1 without a doubt! She is on her phone quite a bit but will also do things, this weekend she went swimming with a friend and went for a run with her cousin.

she watches stranger things, young sheldon, Malcom in the middle etc.

she got her period when she was 11 1/2.