Joanna Fortune: My five-year-old is acting like a teenager

'We used to get on well, and she looked to go everywhere with me. But now she only wants to meet her friends'

My five-year-old daughter has changed since she started school. We used to get on well, and she looked to go everywhere with me. But now she only wants to meet her friends. Also, when I ask her to help out around the house, she says ‘no’ and walks away. It’s as if she has become a teenager.

Your daughter has started primary school and with that transition, her world has opened up and become bigger than home, family, and you. She has been exposed to other influences, behaviours, attitudes and experiences, most of which are positive and welcome. Children need these critical learning opportunities to grow and develop.