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Behaviour/development

What has happened to my 8 year old?

14 replies

Bomper · 20/11/2005 10:30

My ds used to be a lovely, sweet, helpful, loving child. But just lately he has turned into a little animal. He is rude, naughty, answers back constantly, bad tempered, spiteful to his sisters - I could go on. It's like he's become a teenager 5 years early!!! The thing is, when he goes out with other people he is like his old self again, then he's back home and within half an hour he's horrid again. I am at my wits end, I love him dearly, but at the moment I don't like him very much . Do boys have a hormone surge at 8 or something? And is he likely to calm down again?

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Bomper · 20/11/2005 12:04

Anyone?

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RainbowWalker · 20/11/2005 12:09

Aha.... yep. Mum of three boys here - youngest turned 8 last weekend.

Highly recommend "Raising Boys" by Steve Biddulph it'll tell you all you could ever need to know!!! Trust Me.

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MaryP0p1 · 20/11/2005 12:09

I thought the surge was about 7, perhaps he's a bit late. What's he like at school, is there any problems at school?

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MarsLady · 20/11/2005 12:10

I found they come back for a couple of years at the age of 11.

Not my favourite age 8-11.

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MaryP0p1 · 20/11/2005 12:11

Boys 7- 11 horrors in my experience

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Bomper · 20/11/2005 12:16

I bought a copy of 'Raising Boys' when he was a baby but think I lost it when we moved house. Maybe I should invest in a new copy!! At School, he is actually blooming. He has just moved up to the Juniors and seems to be loving it. He gets invited round to plenty of mates houses and birthday parties etc. So, I don't think the problem is there (although you can never be 100% sure can you?) I know it sounds awful but he had acute tonsilitis recently, and he was lovely when he wasn't feeling great, back to being my little boy again. Almost wished he didn't have to get better!!! (only joking )

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MaryP0p1 · 20/11/2005 12:17

Have you tried perhaps some sport after school, get rid of some of his energy and focus himself on something positive.

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RainbowWalker · 20/11/2005 12:21

I was wondering if my 8 yr old's change of behaviour coincided with getting a gameboy then remembered that my other ds's went like it for a bit too at this age... now 13 and 11 and believe me there's light at the end of that there tunnel - just in time to begin being teenagers!!

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HappyMumof2 · 20/11/2005 20:12

Message withdrawn

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tegan · 20/11/2005 20:21

It must be an age thing because my 7 yr old is the same and most of the kids in her class are like it too

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HappyMumof2 · 20/11/2005 20:33

Message withdrawn

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mandieb · 22/11/2005 11:27

Thank god for that I thought it was just me .Mine is 6 and a half .I am not going down the game boy route or play station I cant face the rows its bad enough with the computer LOL

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mandieb · 22/11/2005 11:32

Just had a thought at 6 he is big for his age this is probably why he is younger.

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shimmy21 · 22/11/2005 11:44

Bomper you could be me except my ds is 9. he has turned overnight into the rudest sulkiest Kevin the teenager you could imagine. His answer to everything is 'I don't care.' he deliberately winds his brother up constantly but now when I ask him to stop he continues with a smirk on his face looking me directly in the eye as if to say 'you can't stop me'. He is going out of his way to be naughty just to wind me up e.g. he wrote on a white rug the other day - something I would have expected from him when he was 2 not 9!
Agghh!

It's a relief to know other boys go through this because I just felt it was our bad parenting and somewhere we'd gone horribly wrong and that maybe we could have lost our real ds for ever

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