There's Something Wrong With My Daughter

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Okay, this is really freaking me out, ok? About 12 days ago, she was complaining of this really weird tummy ache. Kind of down low. Okay, so no big deal, right? Kids get tummy aches all the time.

So now, since like…Tuesday?..she’s been really edgy. Now, this is a very nice young lady. She’s upbeat and fun, dances around the house, has a delightful sense of humor. She does fun collages of young men with no shirts on and guitars she cuts out of music magazines, and puts the collages up on her walls. Like I said, a great kid, right? Yanno? Sure, you know.

Not any more. Boy, she’s become a tightly wound strand of piano wire. If I even look at her wrong she barks at me. Okay, barks is not fair. She lashes out at me with a level of verbal vitriol that frankly I haven’t really seen since about 26-28 days ago. She just burst into tears because her mother told her that we wouldn’t be buying her any new sweatshirts because it’s only really sweatshirt weather for another month or month and a half and we will just be getting her a bunch of new ones towards the end of the summer and the way she’s been growing, well by gosh she’ll be needing a different size of sweatshirt by the end of the summer and so why buy another one now?

Much flouncing around and angry slamming of doors.

Update: Child missed school bus. " I was in the **bathroom, Dad !!! **. I drive her to school, resplendant in my huge plaid work shirt, maroon sweats with the spackle stains, 3- days beard growth and Super Bowl baseball cap. For reasons I cannot comprehend, the stormclouds have passed and she’s apologetic in the car.

I mean, what is ** up with this??? **

:smiley:

She’s 13. I gave her two Cadbury Eggs with Creme Filling and said, " Trust me. According to reliable sources, chocolate helps. I love you. " She beamed at me, informed me of her love for me and skipped gaily on out of the Cartoonivan, not a care in the world.

2

Take her to the doctor.

3

I think you done been whooshed. I think the OP was referring to a mild case of PMS in a young lady who might not have much experience with that. Oh, and the chocolate was a great idea. it has saved my marriage (and probably my life) a lot of times. :smiley:

4

Sounds a lot like me when I was that age. My poor dad. Chocolate helps, but I’m not sure Cadbury Creme Eggs have enough chocolate. Next time, try some dark chocolate (if she doesn’t eat dark chocolate, it sounds like she’s ready for it).

ME

5

OK, I was whooshed!!! :stuck_out_tongue:

6

Thank Og I had a boy.

7

What? You wouldn’t buy her a new sweatshirt? But she’s going to die* without a new sweatshirt!!! Everyone else has new sweatshirts. How could you do this to her? You are** RUINING HER LIFE**!!!

Bet she needs a cellphone, too…

Good luck, man. I have a 17 year old woman child and an 11 year old woman child. The 11 year old just became a woman child. There will be three of us PMS’ing in one house with one bathroom and one phone line. I’m having chocolate home-delivered daily.

8

Whoosh or not, Cartooniverse (and hello and good to meet you, by the way), when things get tough you might take a gander at this thread, if only to take solace in the fact that you have company: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=276819

Best of luck, and remember two things.

  1. Communication is the most important thing; and

  2. Screaming is a form of communication.

9

Mmmmm, chocolate makes everything better. :slight_smile:

10

Tee hee. I forgot to mention- cause I’m such a nice Dad, and all- as she skipped out of the Cartoonivan, I said, " hey honey, let’s just head down to the mall and watch movies all day, huh? "

Her eyes lit up like twin orbs of fiery shopping delight. Then I delivered the coup de grace.

" Just kidding ! "

She laughed.

MagicEyes, I believe you. I shall put in a call for pure dark chocolate, but not a lot. I mean…what if…uh…–gnaws knuckles in terror-- she * HATES IT AND IT’S THE WORST CRAP IN THE WORLD AND DID I THINK I WAS HELPING THE SITUATION HERE WITH THIS STUFF OR WHAT ??? *. :wink:

They don’t call you Mycroft Holmes for nothing. That is of course what the thread is about. Amongst other things. Like survival. Salem, the girl has a cel phone so exceedingly cool that Lawrence Fishbourne actually visited our home in full Matrix regalia, to sit in silent awe of it.

I already decided to get her one sweatshirt today. :smiley: ( just one. ) ( cause, not like she has me wrapped around her diminutive pinkie or anything but having recently dubbed over home movies from the moment she arrived into our arms and looking at that gorgeous smiling chubby punim, I’m just freshly in love with this wonderful kid. )

I agree. Screaming is a form of communication. My best friend informs me that door-slamming is also acceptable, especially when done over and over as though the child was suddenly channeling Samuel F.B . Morse.

Of course, the winter does draw long and cold. Might be a nice idea to play hookey with my kids for a day, take em to a movie, let em sleep in. Might be a nice idea. Hmmm.

11

King of Soup, that link is great, thank you. What you wrote in there, at least your first post, is just excellent. Thank you more for that.

I’m really not, of course, bereft here. I just needed to share a very loving rant. She is a kind good empathetic funny fast-minded young lady. I could forsee stormy years ahead, but I also know in my heart that she will be an unbelievable adult.

Ten years of bed rest. Yeah… :slight_smile:

12

Ivygirl will be 13 in May.

I’ve already warned Ivylad that when she hits puberty I’m moving to Europe.

Why do boys seem to be easier than girls?

13

Ahh, 13. I do remember being 13, and I admit I was a screaming, hormonal mess most of that time. I’m sure my parents remember that time, too.

14

Ye gads, it’s a freakin’ epidemic.

You’re handling it with more patience than I am, Cartooniverse - but on the other hand, I’ve been going through it for two years more than you have. My daughter is 15 and last night she got in BIG trouble. She was supposed to be doing research online for a biology paper, then doing her algebra homework. After she was two hours on the computer, I headed downstairs to see how she was doing on the biology. She started closing windows so fast I’m surprised she didn’t break her wrist. I happened to catch one window before she closed it - an IM window, in which the text was “Adrian Brody is HOT, too!” Voice shaking so obviously it was almost funny, she said, “I couldn’t find the stuff on biogenesis I needed…”

Said child had no idea I could click ctrl+H and see her online history: Google searches for Jhonen Vasquez, Adrian Brody, Harry Potter and Anne Rice, a couple visits to deviantart, a few trips to Live Journal, some time on NeoPets… Not ONE single search on biogenesis or one single visit to any page pertaining to biology! And she’s getting a D in biology, because she is missing assignments.

I know it’s normal teenage rebellion, hormones and testing the waters, but I’m rapidly losing my sense of humor about this.

15

Hey, the girl’s 15. Nothing out of the ordinary for that age. And Adrien Brody is hot - at least she’s got good taste. :smiley:

16

If I’m lucky I’ve got four more years to go. I am not looking forward to that day.

17

Me no gots kidz. But one thing I’ve seen and heard from sources as varied as news magazines to my Buddy’s wife is to keep the computer in a non private room. Give them IM time like phone use time, but don’t give a child a hidden computer. Seems like pretty good advice.

18

LOL. So, you live up to your namesake, eh? :wink: Actually, I was wooshed at first too. Took me a few minutes.

19

Ah yes, I’ve got about nine years left before my daughter starts driving the emotional Porsche. No wonder so many varieties of Girl Scout Cookies include chocolate.

20

Well, this part:

kind of gave it away. 26-28 days is the usual time for a monthly cycle.