How much does your 10-11 year old do for themselves?
Can they:
Turn the shower off and on without you
Shower themselves
Wash their own hair
Brush their own hair
Put their things away properly
Empty their school bag daily
Dress themselves without supervision
Remember where they put things
I'm sure when my older two were 11 they were doing all of these things. I would put DD's hair up every morning for school but she was able to brush it herself every day. My DD2 has problems with all but one of the things on the list. Just wondering whether your 10-11yo's can manage most or all of those things and what else they can or can't do for themselves.
DSD is 11 and has been able to do those things for a long time. I think it would be a good idea to go to your GP and get a referral for a paediatrician and/or psychologist for assessment. It may be there are some strategies that can be advise that could help her learn these things best. You could also ask at school if they have any concerns. Has she been on school camp? Could she do them there? If so, then maybe its just a matter of behaviour management stuff?
Dd1 (nearly 8) can do many of these and the rest when reminded or slightly assisted. I was doing all of those things by myself at 11.
Could she do them previously and has since stopped or has she been resisting doing them completely?
I think it would be a good idea to look into the reasons why though. It may just be her personality or level of developmental maturity or that she is the youngest and wants to stay that way. However there could be other things at play and you may need to use different strategies with her. What does your gut say?
My DD1 will be 11 next April. She can do all the things on the list except she does need a hand with her hair as it is very fine, very thick and down to her butt! She can tie it up before a shower if she's not washing it, but I usually do her hair on on school mornings and usually check that she has washed all the conditioner out before she gets out of the shower when she does wash it.
DD1 can also cook a meal on her own (with assistance to take heavy dishes out of the oven), bake a cake, mix up horse feeds, bath the dogs...
As others have mentioned, I think you need to figure out whether your DD can't do the things on the list or whether she won't do the things on the list. I think I read that she is your youngest and I wonder if that is a factor? Still expecting to be babied? My DD1 is my eldest child and sometimes I think we expect a lot of her! Maybe give it a week of encouraging to do those things for herself and if it appears that she is simply not capable, maybe it's time to have a chat with a paediatrician.
I have always thought that it was because she's the youngest but she just doesn't seem to have the same level of maturity as the other girls in her grade. I have asked her teacher if she is concerned, she basically said she's different but doesn't know whether she needs testing because she is perfectly fine academically. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a dr and asked to be referred to a psych, she chuckled at me and told me to make an appt with one then go back to her and she'll write the referral. When I asked who to make an appt with, she said there's one in <town name>, so I've never been back. There is one dr I could see but I can't get an appointment for 6 weeks.
I have tried and tried to teach her how to use the taps in the shower but she just doesn't get it. She will take her clothes off and just leave them wherever she drops them, then forget where she left them. She has lost several school jumpers doing this, I haven't seen her lunchbox for months, again, she's forgotten where she left it. A few weeks ago, I bought her new clothes, half of them are now 'missing'. I have no idea where they could even be. We did find one top in the car.
Maybe it's laziness? Then I thought, maybe it's just bad parenting on my part? But my other 2 kids were perfectly able to do all of these things and look after their belongings. So I really just don't know.
Though it's not my child, my nephew sounds very similar to your dd. he has been diagnosed with ADD and is medicated. The medication helps alot, but omly when it's working and it doesn't help with thr maturity itms. I have another nephew on the other hand who is MUCH more mature and is 1.5yrs younger, to the point where his maturity has well overtaken the first nephew and he is just alot "older" itms?
I think it's worth looking into something
My middle DD was like this....seriously it did my head in! I felt like the constant nagging mother, forever on her back about something, but if I wasn't telling her to do something then I knew it wouldn't be done. As for losing stuff, well, that was a constant battle. DD#1 was super responsible and never lost anything, #2 well, it was a constant checking of the school bag when picking her up, making her go back to the classroom or the playground and find the lost item and I didn't let it drop, I kept on about it, she eventually got the message. DD#2 did have a lot of assessments done when she was around 10, and a lot of counselling due to other issues, but they found that there was nothing wrong, she was just very absent minded, and that I had to give her information in short bursts, rather than a list of things, because she couldn't cope with lists, she would only remember the top couple. The counselling sessions helped me too, and it is amazing how much of it I am using now with #3.
#3 is such a handful, but she certainly knows how to push everyones buttons, and play the baby of the family. I am trying to get her to take more responsibility for her belongings and so far, so good, but she is also getting more chores, which is making her feel more grown up and like she is an active member of the family.
I was reading the other day about pre teen girls and marshmallow brain phase.
I know it's just one persons view, but there seemed to be a lot of people agreeing.
You know her best. I'm sure you know whether it's just her personality (some kids are fiercely independent, some not so much), or whether things just aren't quite right. Can you pinpoint when things started to get frustrating for you, or has it just been a really slow progression with lack of development? Is she bothered by not being able to do as much as her peers or does she just seem content muddling through.
I hope you can get some sort of help with this for you both.
Lenny I would be keen to hear where/what you were reading re marshmallow brain LOL. I did a quick google & read the first thing I found. I don't think it fully explains DD1's state of being but I think it valuable re emotional insights.
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How much does your 10-11 year old do for themselves?
is hard when you are not sure what is going on.
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