David181
Member
I have a granddaughter that seems to have matured on a different schedule than most people. Physically she was with her chronological age group, however, emotionally and mentally she appears to be roughly 4 years behind her peers.
We used to tease and joke to her mother how luckey she was that she was 16 before she started to act like an adolescent. We didn't know what a problem this would be at the time.
At 16 she started to act like a 12/13 year old. This would not be so bad except all her peers/friends were at age level dating/doping/sexing. She went wild not having the normal leadup time and experience that the others did in reaching 16. She made some incredably bad choices in friends both boy and girlfriends resulting in not finishing high school, a pregnancy, running away with an older man.
Recently her "boyfriend" kicked her out and she turned to the only ones that that cared - family. Her mother took her back but although she's 20 she acts like a typical 16 year old - knows it all, throws tantrums, expects to be taken care of and expects to be treated as an adult but does not want to accept the responsibilities. Her mother has a 12 year old at home who now is her first concern. She would not abide by the conditions her mother set so she was told to leave.
She is with us now under a little stricter conditions than her mother had but we are the last of family and after us there's no place to turn. We have her on a month to month contract and have her working on completing high school and after that preferably joining the military, the Peace Corps or Americorps. She will be working as she understands that she will not be here. So far this seems to be working - she has been respectful and is trying.
Unfortunately the frontal lobe affecting judgement is the last organ to develope - usually in the early 20's. It appears she will be in her mid-20's before she matures (We're hoping).
We have two children and based on our own experience she is almost exactly 4 years behind the curve. Is there a name for this phenomenon?
Cheers,
David
We used to tease and joke to her mother how luckey she was that she was 16 before she started to act like an adolescent. We didn't know what a problem this would be at the time.
At 16 she started to act like a 12/13 year old. This would not be so bad except all her peers/friends were at age level dating/doping/sexing. She went wild not having the normal leadup time and experience that the others did in reaching 16. She made some incredably bad choices in friends both boy and girlfriends resulting in not finishing high school, a pregnancy, running away with an older man.
Recently her "boyfriend" kicked her out and she turned to the only ones that that cared - family. Her mother took her back but although she's 20 she acts like a typical 16 year old - knows it all, throws tantrums, expects to be taken care of and expects to be treated as an adult but does not want to accept the responsibilities. Her mother has a 12 year old at home who now is her first concern. She would not abide by the conditions her mother set so she was told to leave.
She is with us now under a little stricter conditions than her mother had but we are the last of family and after us there's no place to turn. We have her on a month to month contract and have her working on completing high school and after that preferably joining the military, the Peace Corps or Americorps. She will be working as she understands that she will not be here. So far this seems to be working - she has been respectful and is trying.
Unfortunately the frontal lobe affecting judgement is the last organ to develope - usually in the early 20's. It appears she will be in her mid-20's before she matures (We're hoping).
We have two children and based on our own experience she is almost exactly 4 years behind the curve. Is there a name for this phenomenon?
Cheers,
David
