So tired of being “calm, reasonable - the better person/parent.”

[Anonymous]

I am exhausted, my daughter is an intolerable brat- Somewhat narcissistic 13 year old going in 17. I truly am questioning whether she is bipolar .. I’m tired of being patient and nice. You ever have one of those days? Thanks for letting me vent.

[Anonymous]

I don't think normal parents talk about their child like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think normal parents talk about their child like this.

Huh? I disagree. Every parent gets fed up with their kid sometimes.

I’m sorry it’s hard OP. It could be just teenager stuff, but if you’re concerned about bi polar it might be worth a conversation with her ped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think normal parents talk about their child like this.

Ignore this poster, please. Make sure you have plenty of time away from your teen doing pleasant things, enough that you feel like you are able to relax appreciate that you are doing important work in always striving to be the bigger person. Can you tag team with your spouse? Hang in there!

[Anonymous]

I think that girls are harder than boys as teens. No words of wisdom, just get through it.

[Anonymous]

You need to do your research online and then talk with her pediatrician and a psychiatrist.

Parenting teens can be wild, and it's sometimes very difficult to make out what's typical hormonal chaos from actual mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, body dysmorphism, eating disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, Asperger's, etc...

[Anonymous]

Op, please clear the internet search history on whatever device you’re using. You don’t want your daughter reading the nasty description of her.

[Anonymous]

Mom of an almost 14 year old daughter here:
Your kid is being a brat, and your only response is to be “patient & nice.”

Why must you be the martyr? Yes, patience is needed with teens, but so are boundaries and accountability and consequences.

[Anonymous]

Hang in there, OP. The best is yet to come.

[Anonymous]

Read "Getting to Calm," "Untangled" and "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy."

You are not alone, and just like sleeping through the night, potty training, buckling themselves in the car, etc., this too shall pass. In the meantime, make sure you are taking care of you!

[Anonymous]

Yes please read a book like Untangled, it’s so helpful!

[Anonymous]

OP, I have three boys and two girls. All adults now - thank God. Teenage girls are so difficult! Especially the early teens. You don’t have to like her all the time. It really is ok. It gets better. Slowly. I think all teenage girls act bio-polar at times.

[Anonymous]

Seriously OP this is the most normal thing in the world. I was awful to my mom plenty of times as a teenager despite the fact that I was generally well-behaved and nerdy. We wound up being best friends, starting in my 20s until she died. I have boys so the drama is different, but in my experience it's totally normal for our kids to make us completely crazy at times. Don't beat yourself up and remember this too shall pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think normal parents talk about their child like this.

You must not have a teenage girl yet.

OP--this is normal. As teens are struggling to define their independence they take it out on those they love. Just like they did when they were 5 and were able to hold it together all day at school but would lose it at home. This will eventually pass. In the mean time, I recommend finding some other parents with same age girls and opening a bottle of wine and let the commiseration begin. No one doubts you love your children but sometimes it takes everything we have not to strangle them.

[Anonymous]

I read somewhere that if they don't make you crazy in HS that your empty nest syndrome (or problems in college) will be worse.

I certainly followed that pattern. Not a single problem or any snark in HS. Flunked out of college, twice.