Pre-teen issues in Perth

[NearlyAussie]

My eldest daughter is 10, going on 16 (or thinks she is anyway). She's a lovely young lady, and has adjusted very well to life in Perth over the last three and a half years. While she is happy, she is missing out on having an older sister/cousin/friend to do "girly stuff" with. Although my eldest and my youngest daughter (age 7) get on very well together, I am noticing now that the eldest is hitting the pre-teen, early hormonal stage, that she needs a someone.

Back in South Africa, my family is very close, and her girl cousins (ages 14 and 18) are more like sisters/friends than cousins, and share everything, and my daughter feels like she is missing out. Although we have now set her up with her "own" (closely monitored) e-mail address to keep in contact with her cousins, I think she would love to get to know other girls her age or slightly older.

Unfortunately, there are only about 10 girls of her age group in her school, and not all of them have the same values that we have instilled in our girls. We are conservative in many respects (like dress and behaviour), but at the same time, encourage independent thinking and traditional family values. And most of the people we have come to know have children the age of my youngest, leaving the elder one often feeling a little left out. While she does thrive (at times) on being "the big girl" and supervising the littler ones, her social circle could do with an age boost! She is a bookworm, hates sports (which puts her at odds with the Aussies in her class LOL), loves ballet, and has recently become quite image conscious (which I dislike, but I think its part of the age group). SHe's fairly confident and outgoing, but could do with a bigger group of friends.

We live NOR, in the Kingsley area, and would be interested to know if there are any families with girls of a similar age.

[EricaC]

My eldest daughter is 10, going on 16 (or thinks she is anyway). She's a lovely young lady, and has adjusted very well to life in Perth over the last three and a half years. While she is happy, she is missing out on having an older sister/cousin/friend to do "girly stuff" with. Although my eldest and my youngest daughter (age 7) get on very well together, I am noticing now that the eldest is hitting the pre-teen, early hormonal stage, that she needs a someone.

Back in South Africa, my family is very close, and her girl cousins (ages 14 and 18) are more like sisters/friends than cousins, and share everything, and my daughter feels like she is missing out. Although we have now set her up with her "own" (closely monitored) e-mail address to keep in contact with her cousins, I think she would love to get to know other girls her age or slightly older.

Unfortunately, there are only about 10 girls of her age group in her school, and not all of them have the same values that we have instilled in our girls. We are conservative in many respects (like dress and behaviour), but at the same time, encourage independent thinking and traditional family values. And most of the people we have come to know have children the age of my youngest, leaving the elder one often feeling a little left out. While she does thrive (at times) on being "the big girl" and supervising the littler ones, her social circle could do with an age boost! She is a bookworm, hates sports (which puts her at odds with the Aussies in her class LOL), loves ballet, and has recently become quite image conscious (which I dislike, but I think its part of the age group). SHe's fairly confident and outgoing, but could do with a bigger group of friends.

We live NOR, in the Kingsley area, and would be interested to know if there are any families with girls of a similar age.

Pity we did not live closer - we have a 11 going on 18 year old - so the two of them would have been two peas in a pod!!! Our daughter after a couple if months fitted in very well - and thanks TO HER we made so many friends (with the parents) We also come from a extremely close knit family back home and from have 19 cousins to NIL - it was very daunting - you will find that she will make friends of friends - if you know what I mean.....going to braais, outings, those get togthers with other parents and all the other kids - she will come across a little girl with similar interests - it is a matter of time........it does all come together in the end - BELIEVE me!!!! And we do reap the benefits - in the last 10 months the amount of friends we have made is unbelievable!! your local library is also a great for her to meet someone her own age.....especially on a Saturday morning - now in winter it is always busy with kids her age! My daughter too loves reading also hates sport - and thanks to her - I met my best friend Leigh in the Library.....Leigh is also SA and has a 11 year old daughter(our girls are now best mates).....so you see - in the most unlikely of places!!!! Encourage sleep overs - there will always be those 1 or 2 little friends that she can relate to - if she asks them back for another sleepover you know - there are similar intrests....hmmm - in the pre-teen stage - they need their girly friends - sometimes more than mom and dad....ps.....the giggling till past midnight makes one a little.... but sooooo worth it!!!

Hope all goes well.....

Erica

[KathyW]

Oh boy, and do I have the experience in that department, this whole thing is going to drive you insane, we came when my daughter was 12, such a sweet honest little girl, she is now turning 15 next month, but really in the 2 years she has grown from that sweet little innocent daughter to 18 years old, and honestly I sometimes think that this is true there are aliens watching us, because they have swapped my little girl for an Alien.......but I now see there are slight changes, because she has come to realize the friends that I did not like in the beginning are not actually the nice girls she thought they were.....

Let the string loose slightly with her dressing up, but keep a strong hold onto it, it is fitting in with the crowd, our kids went to school when they were in their turning 7th year, here with all the different cultures, most of the kids go when they are 5, so they are still so much more street wise than what our kids are.

Good Luck, pre-teen girl's are my favourite urghhhhhh.........................