My 8 year old daughter seems to get moody an awful lot. I need some wise advice!!!!?

Question

PLEASE no ignorant, wisecracking answers, I am a single mom of 4 and really need advice on how to deal with my daughter. How early an age can a girl be when she atarts her period? Some people say that it is not medically impossible for a girl to start as young as 8 and a half which is how old she is. Any wise advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!!! God bless and thank you!!!

Answer 1

girls can get their period at 8 it has happened.
is she getting enough sleep? enough to eat, drink? is there something going on at home that is causing her stress?

Answer 2

Well...I got my period when I was 9 so it can happen young. She may be at the very beginning of some hormonal shifts. Make sure she is eating right, getting enough exercise and sleep. I think 8 is a hard age, not really a baby anymore but not really a "big" kid either. Maybe you could arrange for some one on one time with her. Go to the movies or something, she might open up to you about how she is feeling ect... Talk to her about her period just in case she gets it early, so at least she is prepared. Take care of yourself too mom! Moody kids are easier to handle if your well rested.:)

Answer 3

My daughter is 8. She is in no way ready to start her period......

however, she does get moody and sometimes has an attitude. I think it is normal for kids these days. I see alot of her attitude reflect what/who she watches on TV.
I dont think she really understands that she is being rude or snotty when she does it. I of course, let her know and require her to rephrase her sentence so she figures out that it is unacceptable for her to do.

She "copies" the attitudes of her favorite stars (Raven, Hanna Montana, etc.) These shows are portrayed as "funny" the way they act is funny, I think she just does it to be funny and doesnt realize that those girls she copies are older teenagers or 20 year olds playing little girls. Or she, at times, thinks she is "older" and allowed to act in such a way.
We simply remind her that she is a little girl and cannot act that way.
We allow her to express herself to an extent. If it hurts others or is just not necessary, we tell her so. If she starts the attitude (which is pretty rare) we tell her she will not be allowed to watch her favorite shows or read her kid magazines or play her video games. Usually she straightens up after that and thinks about what she does and says.
I cannot blame society for her moodiness or attitude, but it is a start. We watch the way we talk around her because she repeats everything STILL. Some of her friends at school act the same if not worse. (that doesn't help either) We are new to this so I don't know how much of a help I could possibly be, I am just sharing what little experience I have and my views on the situation. It probably depends greatly on your child. Whether or not she will listen after just being corrected, or if you must continue to punish with no positive outcome. All I would do is talk to her and try to find out WHY she was acting out. It is hard.....and I am still learning.

Answer 4

My future stepdaughter just turned 8 and I've noticed the same thing. Kids today are maturing faster then they did when I was a kid (I'm almost 30). It is possible to start having periods at 8 but not likely, the other answers asked about sleep and nutrition, my question would be have you talked to her? Ask her how she's feeling, whats going on at school etc. If you already do all that ask yourself if she's spoiled and just acting like a brat, please don't take it as an insult, seems like we all spoil our kids nowadays. If you really can't figure out whats causing it ask the doctor next time she goes, my cousins daughter started having mood swings at 5 and was diagnosed with diabetes but try every other route first, most likely it's NOT a medical problem.

Answer 5

YES, I have an moody 8yr old too! I have read some books, watched Super nanny and spoke with so many other parents that I realize it is probably just her personality, a stage and if you don't react to it, YOU will feel much better! I also started teaching my son "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" ON HIS OWN. Try to teach her to always be polite, praise her for knowing what she wants, might be a sign of a strong character and careful if it is sadness. Sadness is scary but moodiness? The greatest artists in the world were moody with high IQ's. Good for her!

Answer 6

The hormonal changes that occur with puberty can start long before the period does. Sometimes it's more obvious in some girls than others. It's not unheard of for girls to start their periods that young, but if I had to guess I'd say the hormonal aspect is kicking in first! Boys are the same way, though their moodiness starts a little later- or it has in my experience, anyway. Hang in there- it only get's worse!

Answer 7

I have known girls to start as early as 9 and as late as 17, but that may or may not be the reason for her moodiness. Usually the first thing that would enter my mind is, "Is she getting enough rest?" That is the first thing that effects my daughters' disposition. I have three daughters and without rest, they get "ugly", just like their mom! How old were you when you started your period? Most times you can look back on your own personal history and predict things like that. Ask your child's paternal grandmother when she started...or your daughter's paternal aunts if you're in contact with them. A lot of knowledge can be gained from family history. Good luck!

Answer 8

There are many cases where girls your daughters age begin their period. Have you talked to her about this? It can be a frightening experience for someone who doesn't know what's happening and difficult to talk about with a parent.
There may be other underlying problems. How is your relationship with her. Does she consider herself too grown up to be seen with you in public (not being mean) but we have all gone through that stage where we don't want our parents to drive us to school or to the mall etc for fear that one of our friends might see us and think it's not cool.
How does she get along with her classmates? Maybe there is a problem at school that she doesn't wish you to know.
I would give her some space for awhile and see if that helps. Children that age rebel but over time will grow out of it. Be patient and understanding and let her know that you are there for her no matter what. There is no problem to big that can't be resolved.

Answer 9

It may mean that the hormones are starting to get all jacked up and she may start soon u just never know. I do not think that that is to early I was 9 and am 12 now adn am the only one that has started that is my age. I guess it could also be depression, something may be happening at school, lack of sleep, well the other answers are probably better than mine.

Answer 10

First girls can start going through puberty as early as 8 but more than likely she is just trying you. Is she the oldest or fall in the middle. My middle daughter will be 9 in Dec and is a handful, one second she can be the sweetest child and the next she hates us and we aren't her parents. First I took her to the pediatrician to make sure nothing was wrong medically and then we started her with a child psycholgist. It gave her someone that she could talk to and gave us some helpful hints like if she is being rude and disrespectful we just tell her that until she can be nice we aren't listening little things like that. It still isn't easy and I dread when she does start with pms but it is helping.

Answer 11

You say you're a single mom of 4, and I get the impression that you probably work hard for your family. Perhaps your daughter feels she wants attention, which you may or may not be able to give?

Alternatively, maybe these mood swings are dietary related? Is she getting enough sleep, not watching too much TV etc?

Hope this helps, good luck