teenagers

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

It's like all of a sudden my oldest went from snuggling with me on the couch while watching tv to eating dinner and going into her room with the door closed. I haven't forbade her to close her door since privacy is important BUT this is getting ridiculous! When I ask questions I get one word grunts. Every now and then, like one night this weekend, I'm blessed to get a few sentences describing just a morsel of what's going on with her life but that's about it.

how old is this one?

12 going on 21.

maybe puberty?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Snuggling with mom is just weird after a certain age. Kids need to find themselves and they can't do it with the door open and mommy watching all the time.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Maybe she has found (the boy) or is there some resentment within now that your husband is here, or just growing pains. Dont you remember how it was growing up, to old to do this, but not old enough to do that...... close friends now become it for them..do u allow her to talk alot on the phone or computer to her friends?

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Snuggling with mom is just weird after a certain age. Kids need to find themselves and they can't do it with the door open and mommy watching all the time.

My 14 yo takes his time in the shower

[SaadBell 0]

Your husband just came; this is a big adjustment for someone at 12 with hormones all over the map. Try taking her out by herself, just you and her, something you know she will enjoy, maybe shopping and lunch, and see if she opens up to you. Teenage years are hell, I know, hang in there, does it get better, not really, it will become worst, they just think they have all the answers at their age.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

It's like all of a sudden my oldest went from snuggling with me on the couch while watching tv to eating dinner and going into her room with the door closed. I haven't forbade her to close her door since privacy is important BUT this is getting ridiculous! When I ask questions I get one word grunts. Every now and then, like one night this weekend, I'm blessed to get a few sentences describing just a morsel of what's going on with her life but that's about it.

Honestly, I'd not take it personally, and would just continue to ask her how her day has been. You'll probably find that almost as suddenly as she started giving you one word grunts she'll one day start talking to you normally again.

My brother went from being talkative, rising at 6 am and being very affectionate to giving grunts, sleeping in all day and completely ignoring my parents. Do a search on youtube or google video for Harry Enfield - Kevin the Teenager, particularly the scene where Kevin actually becomes a teenager. It's hilariously accurate.

[doodlebugg 10]

She's fine with my husband. Was a little awkward the first week but seriously she's very comfortable with him. It's not that...she started this before he came. I even sneeked a peak at her internet history (i know...bad mom...baaad mom) and all that told me is that she visits sephora a LOT and looks at yahoo answers on how to apply make up and what shade is best for brown eyes and brown hair. That put my mind at ease a bit but still I don't get why the door has to be closed while she's looking at makeup.

I'll have to go back in my mind and try to remember what it was like. There is a boy but he's shy bigtime. I worked the snackshack this weekend at the softball field and he came up and ordered a popcorn and turned eight shades of purple while doing it. He likes her but he's too shy to talk to her.....thank GOD!!!!!!

I guess life will just be that much more difficult from now until college. I miss when she needed me to kiss her boo boos!!!!!

[Jenn! 918]

I even sneeked a peak at her internet history (i know...bad mom...baaad mom) and all that told me is that she visits sephora a LOT and looks at yahoo answers on how to apply make up and what shade is best for brown eyes and brown hair. That put my mind at ease a bit but still I don't get why the door has to be closed while she's looking at makeup.

I don't think that makes you a bad mom at all. I think that makes you a good mom. The internet is a very dangerous place for kids.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Jenn is right. In fact, I would go as far as saying if I had kids I would probably do what they do at work - have a network device that intercepts all internet traffic coming in and going out of the network. That way you don't need to look at their history and you don't care if they delete it.

[doodlebugg 10]

Jenn is right. In fact, I would go as far as saying if I had kids I would probably do what they do at work - have a network device that intercepts all internet traffic coming in and going out of the network. That way you don't need to look at their history and you don't care if they delete it.

I might just look into that. So far she hasn't figured out how to delete anything. It's soooo weird how my kids are less than one year apart and my younger one is sooo far away from this stage!!! She still reads books with me, still plays with webkins and has absolutely no interest in boys and no desire to wear girly clothes or makeup. Her idea of dressing for school is the long athletic boy-shorts (like basketball shorts) with a t-shirt, sneakers and a Red Sox hat. I hope she stays that way!

[brnidokiegurl 0]

yes, now parents need to be aware of so many things so you do have to do a little checking sometimes....and you think this is going to stop when?? did u say college...how about it never ends. Different ages just mean different problems......

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I hope she stays that way!

Why?? Growing up is normal.

[jundp 191]

It's like all of a sudden my oldest went from snuggling with me on the couch while watching tv to eating dinner and going into her room with the door closed. I haven't forbade her to close her door since privacy is important BUT this is getting ridiculous! When I ask questions I get one word grunts. Every now and then, like one night this weekend, I'm blessed to get a few sentences describing just a morsel of what's going on with her life but that's about it.

This is totally normal. You just have to keep doing what you are doing and one day she'll come around. But there will be worse and better in between.

She's fine with my husband. Was a little awkward the first week but seriously she's very comfortable with him. It's not that...she started this before he came. I even sneeked a peak at her internet history (i know...bad mom...baaad mom) and all that told me is that she visits sephora a LOT and looks at yahoo answers on how to apply make up and what shade is best for brown eyes and brown hair. That put my mind at ease a bit but still I don't get why the door has to be closed while she's looking at makeup.

I'll have to go back in my mind and try to remember what it was like. There is a boy but he's shy bigtime. I worked the snackshack this weekend at the softball field and he came up and ordered a popcorn and turned eight shades of purple while doing it. He likes her but he's too shy to talk to her.....thank GOD!!!!!!

I guess life will just be that much more difficult from now until college. I miss when she needed me to kiss her boo boos!!!!!

People will probably bash me for saying this, but I really think you need to watch how far you invade her privacy, both online and off. She needs to know that she has some space where she can be herself and not have to worry about mom reading her stuff. Now, there's a difference between making sure her myspace is private and she keeps personal information off there and monitoring what websites she visits to reading her personal stuff. If she has a myspace or something like that, create one too and make sure she is your friend, that way you can always see what she's posting and who are her friends. I made my son do this when he got his myspace page at 14. I don't read his blogs but his friends all know I'm on his page (and since they know me, they watch their mouths hee hee) and they don't post inappropriate stuff.

Just remember that she needs to be able to grow and to deal with her own changes. Don't worry, it will one day feel better

[Krikit 1,164]

Meanagers don't want you to stop being Mom..... even when they're telling you/yelling at you to leave them alone. Personally, I think this is nature's way of preparing both of you for that magical time when they will leave the nest. Don't worry. As quickly as it started, it will disappear, and they will return to those wonderful loving human beings with all the values and morals you had instilled in them before they lost their minds. It will take a few years, though. To get through it, try to concentrate on not killing them.