Anyone else's child turn into a horrid, know-it-all prototype teenager on starting secondary?

[SorenLorensen]

Or am I just lucky?

Over the last two days we have had arguments about blazers, friends coming back after school and, now, homework. From a fairly laid back and amenable boy he seems to have turned into an argumentative, you can't tell me anything, little sod.

He's just told me he doesn't need any help with his homework and he just wishes I would stop interfering and trying to take over. I didn't think I was - I thought I was being helpful

I'm trying to be patient but I am failing miserably - I've just yelled at him and he has stomped off to his room and slammed the door and is now crashing about in there.

Does it get better or is this it from now on in?

Got to feed people now (yes, even the grumpy one) but will check back later.

I think the extra workload, pressure of organisation, and the extra-curricular activities take their toll.

It's nearly half-term, so not surprising that grumpiness is setting in.

My DD was very slippery with homework in Junior School, and she is finding it hard to come to terms that there is nowhere to hide in her senior school.

oh yes deffo rings a bell in our house!

Same here...

Gosh yes, it's (almost) funny really. However, the good news is that by the time they actually get to be teenagers, they have improved nicely.

So, barring the odd 'off' day or grumpy 5 minutes, my 13-year-old is now a pleasant, chatty, funny, helpful young man who is a pleasure to be with. His 11-year-old brother by contrast is practising hard to be a moody teenager! The funny thing is, the older boy now looks on with a mixture of amusement and horror, and says 'was I really like that?'!

It's a lot for them to cope with really - growing independence, a new school, more homework and other responsibilities to contend with, and a few hormones thrown into the mix!

ds1 hasn't been too grumpy, but he is suddenly getting much more tired. This morning I had to wake him for the first time. He's been really great mornings, but did need a bit of chivvying this morning. And he is definitely a bit tired and miserable this afternoon.

Roll on half term I say!

Oh that gives me hope, ecoworrier!

We're friends again - have had a talk and he's had a cry. He is tired and is finding it all still rather overwhelming - the two week timetable is tricky to get his head round, and they keep changing rooms for certain sujects which confuses things still further.

And he says all the work is getting hard now - after a gentle start.

They've asked him to go back to his primary school next week to talk to the year 5 and 6s about what his secondary school is like - he's looking forward to that.

But yes, roll on half term (ds2 doesn't like his new teacher and is having to be coaxed to school every morning - so we are all ready for a rest).

Thanks all

He also says he gets really angry about things (that old red mist...) I think hormones are probably beginning to kick in, as well as everything else.

same here...

bloody hard work aren't they

my yr 8 dd is currently grounded for the umpteenth time

Hard work is right - and I'm not overburdened with the gift of patience at the best of times

Mine is now year 8, turning into a real teenager in 12 days, and we still get this, especially the homework arguments.

I find the homework hard to deal with as I'm a teacher, and seeing him turn in shoddy homework is more than I can bear, so I have been known to make him redo it.

I am coming to the conclusion that I either have to send him back to UK to board, or let him learn the hard way that he will get detention and grief if the work isn't done to a decent standard. He is a bright kid and is coasting, and whilst I have pointed this out to the school, they just shrug. It's an International school, and they have a high turnover in KS3 of students, and only seem to pull their fingers out when it's KS4 and the students will contribute to their exam stats.