Oh, and she also informed me late last week that she's just plain "Tired of" her dad and I thinking that we are "better than her" just because we are adults. Yeah, she apparently doesn't think that adults should have any right to tell her what to do. Regarding ANYTHING. (Yes, I know. I explained to her that at eleven, she's not exactly self-sufficient yet.
Wow! For the sake of space I won�t quote the whole entry, but you have completely described my DD at that age. She said the same thing. Are you also finding junk-food wrappers stashed in her room? And cereal bowls in drawers?
Now I am really wondering about the numbers we got from our testing, I was told by 3 schools prior to age 11 that my DD tested beyond the 99th percentile across the board so I was totally surprised at her recent test results. But she definitely began a downward spiral at age 11 and it has only just started to get better.
In my DDs case, the school fit was also pretty terrible by that age though (since we had just moved) and she fell into depression. Supposedly the junk food and all night computer use were a sort of self-medication and escape for her.
My DD has now been diagnosed with ADD-inattentive, AS and situational depression (resulting from the frustrations caused by the ADD). So if the dx is right, the ADD did not begin to be a real issue or hinder her performance at school until she hit 7th grade.
...if you don't want to micro-manage her day you might consider giving her a taste of her own medicine by making a little kid reward chart with chores, homework, eating, everything you would have to make a little kid do that you would have to do on your own if you lived by yourself. Cook, eat, dishes, bathe, mop. Use her star chart plus monopoly money to give her $6/week. Charge her $1 for Internet, one dollar for electricity, and $1 for keeping snacks in the house. Take the power cord to the computer (except during homework) or the lightbulbs from her room if she doesn't pay. If she does pay then she's eating, doing homework, and hygiene, then let her be a night owl since she doesn't have a schedule.
Awesome idea LaTexican! I wish I had thought of that!!! My niece just hit 11 and is beginning to follow this path; I think I will suggest that plan to my brother!
