My 16 year old daughter is extremely immature

[Anonymous]

I have a daughter like this. She’s almost 18. She's extremely immature for her age, also obsessed with toys and plays with them for hours, likes to play even on playgrounds, and often acts more like a 10-year-old. I've wondered if it's anxiety or some kind of developmental delay, but she doesn't really fit other symptoms. She does have friends though, and she does have a job this summer which is a step forward. The baby voice is especially frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take her to go see a therapist. This isn’t typical teenage behavior. It’s abnormal and odd. My cousin had a daughter like this. She was 15 and still played outside regularly and would climb into her parents bed at night. My cousin didn’t seek help for her daughter, and thought it was just a phase/sweet, and now her daughter is in her late 20s, and lives at home, and does nothing all day but eat, sleep, watch tv, play with stuffed animals.

This sounds very sad. Why doesn’t your cousin seek help for her now?

[Anonymous]

Maybe don't do things FOR her? Have you ever thought of that? She can't learn to be independent if you don't give her a chance.

[Anonymous]

Can she get a job? Maybe babysitting. Then she can buy the toys herself. Get her a nice bike to get to the job and stores.

Many adults are into toys these days too. It's not that weird. My friend is 30 and child free and she loves going to parks or whatever with my kids and playing. Times have changed, let her enjoy childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think all the replies accusing OP of parentifying the daughter are way off base. OP says she "can " trust the daughter to babysit her younger siblings, not that she does it all the time.

Agree. Parentified eldest daughters are typically EXTREMELY competent and independent, almost to a fault. I dont think that's what's happening here and think the PP above is on the right track.

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a daughter like this. She’s almost 18. She's extremely immature for her age, also obsessed with toys and plays with them for hours, likes to play even on playgrounds, and often acts more like a 10-year-old. I've wondered if it's anxiety or some kind of developmental delay, but she doesn't really fit other symptoms. She does have friends though, and she does have a job this summer which is a step forward. The baby voice is especially frustrating.

The baby voice is going to be the hot spot for being teased or bullied, first and foremost.