Physical Growth

• Slow growth in height but rapid weight gain. May become obese/heavy during this time if not active.
• Posture more similar to an adult’s.
• May start puberty. Body lines in girls soften and round out.
• Rest of adult teeth come in.

Mental/Emotional Growth

• May do work on own around home (chores) and neighborhood.
• Meets own needs or those of other children left briefly in his/her care.
• Cooks, sews, repairs things, cares or pets, and does other “adult” tasks when learns them.
• Washes and fries own hair but may need reminding.
• Starts to do more homework without help from parents.
• Uses phone and computer more often.
• Reads more for pleasure and to learn (magazines, books, and websites).
• Knows more than what is right and wrong. Can explain the morals and values that make something right or wrong.

 

Social Growth

• Lakes family. Family has more meaning.
• Likes mother and wants to please her.
• More comfort with showing affection (hugs) to non-family.
• Adores and looks up to father. (Enjoy it while it lasts!)
• Likes friends and talks about them all the time.
• More “choosey” with friends.
• Starts to like the other sex.
• Is more polite to others, shrewd, and clever.
• Writes short letters and emails to friends and family.

 

Tips to Help Your Child Grow

1. Be ready for a lot of new behavior ahead of the teen years. Friends become more important. Your child might talk back to you more often and test you in other ways. He/she will try to become more independent such as refuse to take part in family events. He/she may be more moody and take new, unsafe risks.

 

2. Role model morals, values, ethics, and behavior. Your child watches you more closely than ever.

3. Help your child’s self-esteem by praising him/her and showing you love him/her.

4. Show and tell your child how important school is. Go to parent-teacher meetings and other school events. Learn about school projects and help with homework because there is more of it and it’s harder.

5. Be fair with what you expect from your child. Challenge your child to set high but fair goals.

6. Promote safe, physical activity and set limits on watching TV and computer use.

7. Share means as a family.

8. Knows your child’s friends and their families.

9. Set aside time just to talk with your child.

10. Discuss and show the value and meaning of money in family and culture. Discuss and allowance, chores, savings, gift giving, charity, etc.

11. Teach your child how to manager anger and resolve conflicts without physical or emotional violence.

 

12th-14th Years

Physical Growth

• Lots of growth in weight and height. Gain in height is rapid for first two years and then slows down.
• Likely to get acne.
• Girls are ahead of boys in growth by about two years.
• Puberty starts early for some and later for others. It might not start until 15 or 16.
• Boys have “wet dreams.”
• Better coordinated, but boys may appear awkward at times. (Look like they need to “grow into their body.”)
• Struggles to master new physical skills.

 

Mental/Emotional Growth

• Starts to thing about culture, politics, religion, death, and other life issues.
• Tries out different roles, and explores “who they are.”
• Becomes more private with being naked (girls in front of dad and boys in front of Mom).
• Better able to do homework without help from parents. May rely more on peers for help with homework.
• Peers’ views of how looks affects view of him/herself (body image).