My kid is 11 years old and she acts like shes 16?

Question

She wants to go out alone(to the mall or someplace) and wear makup to...is this normal?

Answer 1

sure it is, and its normal for you to say no. every little girl wants things she is to young for, its your job to keep her young while you can.

Answer 2

Your question makes me sad - but not as sad as all these people answering saying that this is acceptable, normal behavior.

Answer 3

like omg it is normal. she just wants to be independant and do things with herself. im the same way sometimes.

Answer 4

Is this normal? Yes. Should you let her? That depends. I wouldn't. An eleven-year-old does not need make-up (except, perhaps, concealer). I was allowed to be at the mall without a parent by the time I was twelve, but I always had a friend with me, and my mom was well acquainted with this friend. If she wants to hang out at the mall with friends, you should get to know the friends as well as possible and try to determine if she will be safe with them. If you think it's not a good idea, it's perfectly within your rights to keep her home. She will give you a hard time, but at such a young age she can't really do anything about the restrictions you may put on her. Just decide for yourself what you think is appropriate, and be consistent with what you let her do. Hopefully she'll grow out of this phase.

Answer 5

i did the same thing when i was 11 and 12+...lol u could take her to where she wants to go, but tell her that u will be in some part of that store, mall, etc.  most kids do wear makeup when they get to about that age! u could tell her that u think she is to young to start wearing makeup, or teach her how to put it on so she looks nice and not like a hooker! lol but i would say it is pretty much normal!!! good luck!!!

Answer 6

yes this is very normal Im 13 i went to the mall when i was 11 but i had to have a cell phone and transpotation. I was allowed to wear makeup by 11 but not like eyeliner thats a little much for an 11 year old.

Answer 7

dude yea it's absolutely normal but she is growing up...her hormones are changing trust me my daughter is 12 n acts 17,she's been in lik 12 fights in a yr!!!!{:

Answer 8

if you need to ask this you must not be a good mother

Answer 9

She probably likes to make out she's older and independent, which is completely normal for any kid. Wearing make-up is not so surprising, is it? I mean, though this phase normally starts at around 16 or so, some people just mature faster. Of course, being a parent, you might be getting all these ideas about her having a boyfriend or something, but your fears are probably groundless. Just have a talk with her and maybe she'll be frank with you. But it is really normal for her to act like she's older, especially if she has any elder siblings.

Answer 10

No. If you keep on letting her have her way - she will turn in the wrong direction.  You are the parent and should be able to control what her actions will be. You will regret letting her do many things an 11 year old girl shoulnt be doing. - hurry before it is too late.

Answer 11

yes its very normal. with daughters  this is the time parents really have to pay attention to their dress, their friends, even the slang they are starting to use. you even have to check them when they come home from school or friends. they wait til they leave home to put on the make up. its up to you as her parent to keep her grounded and not let her grow up as fast as she would like. shes still a couple of years away from going out alone.  there's just way to many crazy people out there for any 11y/o to be out with out adult supervision.  good luck and stay strong. I'm a mom of 6 grown daughters and grand mother of 6 grand daughters around that age so i really feel your pain..... lol....P.S..... after reading some of the other answers i had to come back on.i see some are saying you are a bad mom for LETTING  your daughter do the things you mentioned.  no where in you question did you say you ALLOWED her to do these things. you simply ask if your daughter WANTING to do these things was normal. im sorry so many did not take the time to  read you question before the smart *** remarks.

Answer 12

im 11 to and i act like im 15.Hehehe pranks.ya its normal dad had,cousin had it

Answer 13

i did aswell. I remember always nagging my mum to let me go out for at least an hour on my own at the shops. i rekon..what you have to do, with she shopping thing, is take her to the mall, and then say, i want you back in 15 minutes. if this is sucessfull, keep moving up the time that she can go out. She'll learn what to do, and what not to do. Dont ever let her go to the shops alone though. like let her SHOP alone, but you have to always be there in the actual mall, so if something happens, she can find you.

and with the makeup thing, i was a tom boy, so that didnt interest me. But i remember my friends doing it when i was that age. so it cant be so bad.

x

Answer 14

I think you know 11 is too young to go anywhere by herself, right? At least I hope so. I think this is about more than just wanting to act older. Ask her why? Not to interrogate her but I mean tell her you need her help to understand. Also, she's probably been trying to tell you but you didn't pick up on it so start paying a little more attention to what she says and how she says it. If this is about wanting more freedom, find ways that she can have more responsibilities without putting her well being at risk e.g. more responsibilities around the house, more choice in what to wear (within reason), more say in family activities etc. These are just ideas since we don't know your specific family situation. This may also have something to do with impressing friends or *gasp* a boy. Don't panic. Just try to pay attention to things that maybe you don't think are that important and maybe to her as super important and find ways to accomodate her without her losing her youthful years. Remember that as she gets older, she's gonna be trying to look younger so this is the best time for her to be young and enjoy her youth coz...she IS young. Good luck!

Answer 15

Yes. My daughter was an only Child for 10 years and I was a single mom for 8 and sound like your daughter. Are you in the same situation? Also, she tend to be friends with older kids.

Answer 16

Yeah, VERY NORMAL. this is actually important uf she didnt di this then you should be worried, i mean like DuH mom! LoL, shell get over when shes 18, lol,

Answer 17

Oh yes! Younger children have always admire the antics of older children. Allow her freedom, but still restrict. If she wants to go to the mall, tell her she can go with a couple of friends and with a cell phone on hand. If she wants to wear make-up, allow only a minimu, like a little lip gloss and mascara.

Answer 18

Of course she does, and of course it is normal for her to be asking these things.  Ever hear of PUBERTY?

Answer 19

She sounds normal to me

She is going thru puberty and seeing changes in herself and wants to see herself as more independent. But you're the one who limits how far she goes

Answer 20

yeah it is normal for her to want to but not for us to say yes. my daughter is almost 12 it wouldn't happen! I think maybe in a few years or so. but not right now. to young and they don't always make wise decisions.

Answer 21

yeah, i was doing that when I was that age, my rents had no probs with it.

Answer 22

Of course this is normal. It's not that she acts like she is 16, she just wants freedom and to grow up from being a little girl!

Answer 23

i am the same as her and all my friends are too. i am 12 and act the same way. my mother says no until i am at least in high school. i get mad sometimes and cry but then i realize its because she doesnt want me to grow up too fast and that by the time i am 16 she doesnt want me to be like jamie lynn spears. so i think that, yes. its normal some of my friends are allowed but they are limited by it.

          so try letting her go to like the mall in a big group of friends and an adult walking far behind but keeping an eye on them. about the makeup im only allowed to wear lip gloss so try letting her wear her makeup on weekends and special occasions for a start. the real thing comes as shes grows and she will get some sort of priviledges so she should be thankful for this now.

          the reason for this though is because your daughter admires an adult maybe you! and she wants to act older.

Answer 24

heh, my daughter is 4 and acts like a teen.  Complete with the *sigh* and *eye roll*.  :)

I think it's normal, especially if she's around older kids a lot.  She wants to feel some independance, you might want to consider giving her more liberties.  Within reason of course, consider how mature she is.

Perhaps you could take her to the mall and give her a 'make-over' and have them teach her how to apply some simple make-up so that she knows how to do it properly.  Teach her how to care for her skin and how to apply make-up so that she looks nice, not gaudy.

Answer 25

Every child develops at a different rate. Mine is thirteen and still not like that but my friend's daughter is eight and is just like that!

Answer 26

I would make a compromise with her, such as "if you want to go to the mall, you need to take a friend with you...I will escort you and your friend there, and allow you to walk around for 1 hour while I do some shopping as well and then you must check in with me." As for the make-up, limit the amount, such as only blush and mascara, or only lipstick, and teach her how to properly do it so she doesn't look like a hoochie...if you compromise with her, you will get a lot farther...also, you could get her a prepaid cell phone or one of those kid's phones like the firefly...that way, you can check on her when you need too and she can call you if she needs something...

Answer 27

Perfectly normal. You have to understand your child is with other kids for the majority of their schools lives more than they are with you. In a world where Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and shows about teenage models run rampant, even if your kids don't watch these shows their friends do and are influenced by the culture. Some 11 year olds act 11 and some act 22...that's at any age. It's more about who they idolize and relate to rather than something you're doing wrong.

Answer 28

it may be to some extent in this day and age,but i wouldn,t allow it.it,s asking for trouble

Answer 29

This sounds like very normal behavior; just remember that adolescents will continually push for more and more freedom. If you can set up good guidelines now it will be alot simpler to "control" (bad-word) her behavior when she gets older.

My suggestion is when you decide she is mature enough to go around "alone"; be there.  If she wants to go to the mall, drive her, if possible, and wait for her in the mall. At sporting events e.g., sit in the stands and let her be with friends. If you can't be there with her, have a check-in system, and stick to it. Maybe give her a cellphone and make her call you every so many hours. Basically, you want her to know that you are always there, it will ease your mind, help to deter improper behavior, and let her know that you care about what she does.  If you allow her to do everything she wants (dress, makeup, freedom) now, it will be easy for her to decide that she can do anything she wants later, that you don't care what she does. Which I am assuming you don't want. Let her be an adolescent; but be there to remind her she is not yet an adult.

Answer 30

Hey!

Yh This is very normal.

You should be letting her.!

x*x

Answer 31

It is quite normal for an 11 year old to want to be 16. Haven't we all been that way? But that doesn't mean that you have to let her.  You and her father ought to talk to her and explain that certain privileges come with age and more experience in life. She may not understand at first, but it's important to stay firm - you know best what is good for your daughter.