I want to yell at my grumpy daughter Celine but I just can’t do it. She is going through the toughest stretch of her young 12 year old life.
She has nightly three hour rehearsals at West Bloomfield High School for her upcoming musical and it has been grueling. There is school, home work and rehearsals and by the time we get home she is tired, grumpy and crying like a baby. Your first inclination is to tell her to hush and suck it up. But she is going through a lot.
She is also doing it on a bad foot which has kept her out of soccer for five weeks. Now she claims she has a stomach ache which followed two headaches and a threat to throw up. She falls asleep at the drop of a coin and does not want to wake up in the morning. It has been a real joy watching my daughter turn from joyful child into Bride-zilla.
But this is what she wants to do. Celine dropped out of violin because she wants to sing, dance, act and write. She loves theater and is going to New York with her group this spring to see three Broadway plays. She loves to write and has written an unpublished 181 page book about children escaping evil wizards and monsters. I’ve read it and I would not say it is the best book in the world but you get it and it is semi entertaining.
She sometimes goes through a lot with athletics, school and extra work she enjoys doing. Sometimes her little battery runs dry and she is not a joy to be around. My thing is to allow her to have her space. She says and does things she does not mean and after a long nap she bounces up to you and apologizes.
So when she calls me a crusty old monster this week I will simply walk away and wait a couple hours for the apology.
Author Terry Foster an American sports columnist and radio personality in Detroit. He co-hosts Valenti & Foster on WXYT-FM The Ticket, a sports radio station, with Mike Valenti. It can be listened to worldwide on WXYT-FM 97.1 The Ticket's website. Foster recently wrote a book called... 
February 23, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Terry…wow…this one hit home. Just dropped my 12 year old off at school. Going through same thing here…I am “annoying” and she tells me that 10 times a day. Only I don’t get the apology. I have been easy with it but it’s bee testing my patience…thanks for the perspective and free therapy.
February 23, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Read the previous post by Loretta. She might have it down pat. We have to be patient and hopefully it will pass. Hang in there. Remember deep down she loves you
February 23, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Terry , Get use to it, It lasts for some time , sorry to say . I have 3 girls and went through it once already , going through it now and being that I have a 6 year old , I will go through it again . Girls are not easy. As long as there is no disrespect from her , let her have her moments , talk to her , kiss her on the head and believe me , they will pass. Its hard for girls , they go through alot of changes in their teenage years , and remember , a lot of them , they don`t even understand. Hang in there … she will always be your little girl , just a little on the scary side at times. As for the sleeping, they need more sleep then normal when they are in their teenage years. They require it, for their bodys, and their mind .
It gets easier.
February 23, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Yes I heard it goes on for a very long time. She is not the perfect angel but I think this really grumpy stuff will last until after the play.
T Foster