My 7yo just turned into a teenager.

[tmarquez]

Does this happen now? I'm confused. My DD was a nice normal 7yo until a couple of weeks ago...when she turned into a stereotypical teenager.

She rolls her eyes, talks back, has an attitude, gives people the death glare, likes boys, her sleep pattern has changed, she eats non-stop and last night she sleep walked...I don't even know what else.

She's always been a really well behaved kid, it's just bizarre. Nothing at all has changed in her routine or life. Could it be hormonal? Already??

 

[Mrs. Charming]

It's probably 5-10% hormonal, and 90-95% friends, tv/media, etc.

Godspeed, my friend! Godspeed!

 

[tmarquez]

I would say the same thing, but there are no new friends and no new tv/media. If anything I'm afraid she's going to start causing this behavior in her friends as they tend to want to copy each other.

It's probably 5-10% hormonal, and 90-95% friends, tv/media, etc.

Godspeed, my friend! Godspeed!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I would say the same thing, but there are no new friends and no new tv/media. If anything I'm afraid she's going to start causing this behavior in her friends as they tend to want to copy each other.

It could be anything-- it could be a TV commercial for a cereal! I remember being that age and teenagers were the coolest thing in the world.

 

[RMulieri]

My 6 yr old recently picked up similar behavior..I think it is in the water supply Best of luck!

 

[apress]

I can so relate to this. My daughter will be 7 in May and she has such an attitude and back talks that she is driving me crazy. I don't understand it because at school, she is the perfect angel. All her teachers love her and wish they had 20 of her in class. If only she acted this way at home.

 

[frkymcky]

I have the same thing going on with my "DD"7, she has been out of control lately, so much so that I have told her I am not taking her with us to WDW, we leave on 5/1. I believe it is hormonal, my SIL told me years ago she believed her DD was having some hormonal issues or cycling as if she was menstruating. She started to chart it and sure enough it was pretty consistent, my DN must of been about 7/8 when she started this. Well I have been watching my "DD" and sure enough she pretty much starts acting up like this every few weeks. (Around the same time I do!!!)

I fear what she will be like as she gets older....sometimes I don't know for sure that my DD will make it to see her teens, lol!!!

 

[HLDisney]

Hmm, maybe I should start charting my DD8. There are some days when she's very calm, reasonable, sweet.....and then there are some days when she's a wild woman, talking back, refusing to do what I ask her to, having tantrums and meltdowns. I thought it was just her (she's always been a bit strong-willed and stubborn) but now I wonder if it might be hormonal.....

Helen

 

[Tiger926]

It's more than likely hormones - kids start their development at around 7 in terms of hormones. It will only be a few years until she's 10, and some kids already have breasts and have started periods at that time. The whole physical and emotional development stage takes years in kids this age, which is why around this age they start with major sass, sleep disruptions, eating patterns change, etc. Kids develop much more younger nowawadays thanks to the crap we put into our foods and such.

I'm a highschool teacher, so all I can say, when they become teens, it does get worse!

Good luck, Tiger

 

[Daisy'sMama]

I can truly sympathize. We started having challenges with DD8 several months ago. I did find a solution that works for us. NO TV. I started watching shows she liked - Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny With a Chance, Suite Life...and I figured out where she was coming from. The kids in those shows are all teens with attitudes, but the shows are advertised to the 10 and under crowd. Once I got her away from that, her attitude totally changed. Now she can watch Disney animated movies, Veggie Tales, and history channel shows - only with us. Good luck!

 

[Tiger926]

I can truly sympathize. We started having challenges with DD8 several months ago. I did find a solution that works for us. NO TV. I started watching shows she liked - Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny With a Chance, Suite Life...and I figured out where she was coming from. The kids in those shows are all teens with attitudes, but the shows are advertised to the 10 and under crowd. Once I got her away from that, her attitude totally changed. Now she can watch Disney animated movies, Veggie Tales, and history channel shows - only with us. Good luck!

Yup. We don't watch any of those shows - we don't watch much TV, but my soon to be 7 year old would much rather watch Magic School Bus, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or Handy Manny. Kids are all too sassy and rude, as she points out when the Disney shows are on at my niece's house or my parent's house. They really aren't age appropriate anyway - 7 year olds don't date, and don't go out, so most of the subject matter on those shows isn't acceptable as far as we are concerned.

TV does have a lot to do with it, but so does school, the playground and how kids are spoken to at home. But, it all doesn't matter much when hormones are in the mix, as they are in charge!

Good luck to all of us with young kids, Tiger

 

[nmmom95]

I have a DS6 going on 16. He tries to act like his 12 year old brother. It's lots of fun!

 

[redwingfan3991]

WOW! I could have written this about DS7. He was fine until about a week ago, now I want the traveling gypsies to come get him. EVERYTHING is an argument, he talks back, moody, I have no idea why. His environment hasnt changed, nothing wrong at school, or with friends. I dunno.

 

[Tiger926]

WOW! I could have written this about DS7. He was fine until about a week ago, now I want the traveling gypsies to come get him. EVERYTHING is an argument, he talks back, moody, I have no idea why. His environment hasnt changed, nothing wrong at school, or with friends. I dunno.

The gypsies are camped out in our backyard - the 2 year old thinks it's hilarious and wants to go and work with the gypsies!

Tiger

 

[eyor44]

Same thing happening to my DD7. About three months ago I began noticing a pattern. I have learned to difuse the meltdowns with a glass of chocolate milk. So sad, but at 7 she already needs chocolate to calm down. or a trip to her bedroom for a few minutes of alone time. Just depends on the situation. Now back talking or sass.....nope, I don't take that at all.

Thankfully though, she is a perfect angel at school and everyone loves her.

 

[maidenfairy]

Glad to see I'm not the only one with an eye rolling, back talking, attitude infused 8 year old. It's like it just started happening. We no longer watch the tween shows, Hannah, Wizards, etc. And we started taking a penny for every eye roll. For a money motivated kid, this has worked well. If there is a pre puberty phase my DS is so in it.

We also look out the window for the Gypsies. I could always use the magic beans I would get in the trade.

 

[rodeo65]

Same situation around here with DD7 and to a much lesser extend DS8.

Tiger, I'm completely with you on the hormonally charged food supply concern. We had a friend two years ago with a DD who at that time was 7 and showing the teen hormonal stuff. Her pedi told her it absolutely does begin around that age and also put it down to the growth hormones in food.

We started moving more to grain fed and organic at least in the meats and dairy products but sometimes it is so hard to find. The regular supermarket only stocks a very few packages of it and our closest Whole Foods is quite few stops down the QEW - not always too convenient to get to.

We also banned all of the shows mentioned except for Hannah - who she LOVES. We use that show as our currency. Attitude issues get a week long ban from it. For DS it's his DS (ha), although his issues in that area are extremely mild compared to his sister.

 

[Mama_Lee01]

I'm glad to see I don't have the only 7 going on 17 child. My "baby" does the exact thing as the other post but she has always been mature for her age. The one thing I don't deal with much is the attitude, because my attitude is bigger! I think what we have to realize that each generation is different. I don't think it's the food. It's just the times. I work a lot with teenagers and they make me feel like I had a learning disability when I was their age and I'm only 27! It's just the world we're living in. Ask your parents what it was when you were younger. Lord knows my mom happily anticipates my daughters teen years. She calls it "payback" for the "gray hair" years I gave her-lol.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I can truly sympathize. We started having challenges with DD8 several months ago. I did find a solution that works for us. NO TV. I started watching shows she liked - Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sonny With a Chance, Suite Life...and I figured out where she was coming from. The kids in those shows are all teens with attitudes, but the shows are advertised to the 10 and under crowd. Once I got her away from that, her attitude totally changed. Now she can watch Disney animated movies, Veggie Tales, and history channel shows - only with us. Good luck!

I totally agree with this! My DD 8 has a friend with a sister three years older. About two years ago the mom took all these shows away because the girls were bickering and having a bad attitude. She says it helped a lot. I've just never started them. That's not to say she is perfect because she definitely has her moments when she thinks she should be in charge or something is "not fair." For some reason, my boys just don't use that statement like my DD!

 

[thepollaris]

I can so relate to this. My daughter will be 7 in May and she has such an attitude and back talks that she is driving me crazy. I don't understand it because at school, she is the perfect angel. All her teachers love her and wish they had 20 of her in class. If only she acted this way at home.

My daughter is the EXACT same way! She turned 7 in November. We've had two parent/teacher conferences where her teacher has praised her the entire time. My husband and I couldn't figure it out! At home she is "the instigator" - she gets her 5 year old brother to do her dirty work and then get in trouble! She thinks she is entitled to whatever she wants, and the attitude is atrocious! I'm sooo glad to know I'm not the only one dealing with this!