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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

14 year old daughter moved out

158 replies

Doodles14 · 18/03/2022 16:15

Hi there

My 14 year old daughter has moved out last week cos I grounded her, she has met her dad for the first time last Thursday and moved in with him and his fiancé that she’s never met on the Friday, due to the fact he has parental rights I can’t do anything, he doesn’t even pay for her. I have been absolutely broken, sometimes she messages me, sometimes she doesn’t. Any ideas on how I should play this? She now has covid so will be isolating with 2 people that she doesn’t really know 😢

OP posts:
mumofblu · 31/03/2022 19:56

I'm not sure if this will help but I found the more emotional i became , sad or angry . The more I fuelled the fire . I started to contain myself and be v neutral
Once I knew she was safe , others were letting me know when she turned up at theirs , these were friends parents and they would chat with her and bring her home , then we would just say hi when she came back . She started coming back and wanting a hug but we never questioned her just said , hi !

I stopped any emotional contact , sometimes sent funny videos or jokes and poured my grief out to friends only .

When she saw that I was calm she started to re- engage with me .

She has counselling and told the counsellor that she couldn't stand to see me emotional so that pushed her further away .

It isn't easy but we are much calmer and she even asked me to watch a film with her the other night .

I know our situation isn't the same because she effectively has to come home .

But compared to two months ago when she was absconding after school , turning tracker off , leaving at 8pm through the window , wandering the streets , saying she hated me , hated being at home , took an overdose , and had to have a mental health assessment she is now like a different child and I can only say it's because I stopped being emotional in front of her .

I hope things resolve for you soon because I know the pain I felt was like nothing I could imagine at the time

All the best

CrazyRatLover · 31/03/2022 21:54

@mumofblu I'm sorry that you went through that, but it's fantastic that things got better for you both. Thanks for sharing your story.
I totally get what you're saying about fueling the fire, I found that too. Also the contact too - to keep it unemotional. I find that it's helping the situation. When we fell out she saw me cry and it just made her angry.
Thank you for that.

Zara82 · 13/04/2022 10:37

Hello.

Just wondering how things are getting on @Doodles14....

My dd moved to het dad's and currently 'ghosting' me and it hurts

Doodles14 · 13/04/2022 11:04

@Zara82 that’s my daughter been gone for a month now, I have to say it has gotten slightly easier, I haven’t messaged her or anything for a week and last night I got a message from her to just simply say hello, I replied but no open questions, so then I didn’t get hurt if she didn’t reply. I have tried the begging her etc to come back at the start, but I’m not playing her wee games anymore and she can come home whenever she’s ready, I have to say it’s been the hardest thing I have ever done. Especially when hearing her dad let her out til midnight 20 miles away from where he lives with her pals, I can’t see her coming home anytime soon, he has no boundaries so she can do whatever she wants.

My heart aches for you, but I have finally come to realise they will realise the grass isn’t always greener, and for the time being I am enjoying the peace 😂 and I’m saving a fortune on Mac make up xx

OP posts:
CrazyRatLover · 15/04/2022 10:40

@Doodles14 that's a really good sign that she's sent a message voluntarily. She's thinking of you and cares. I think she's had some space to think, you've left her to it but knows you're there and will welcome her back.
Hopefully the space will do you both good and your relationship will be stronger when she comes back. xx

Billybagpuss · 15/04/2022 18:12

Well done, you are so strong 💐

loveyoutothemoon · 12/05/2022 19:31

@Doodles14 how are things going with your daughter?

Calmgamer1 · 28/09/2022 09:53

If I were you, i would get to his house and take your daughter back! You've raised him for 14 years, she is yours.😂xxxx

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