ADOLESCENCE

For me I have a pre-teen and a teen. It is a fascinating and challenging time, watching them push boundaries, discover and define themselves and their relationships with others and the world around them.

Over the next few posts I am going to share some insight into what is happening at this age and then some suggestions as to how we, as parents, can deal with issues that present to us.

Adolescence is a time of rapid and dramatic change. With the exception of infancy, the amount and speed of physical growth and change for adolescents is greater than in any other time in a person’s life.

During these years of growth for the child, anytime from 10 years to 20 years of age, parents and/or other adults in the place of providing care for these children find they need to adapt their parenting style to suit the changing needs of adolescents.

Parents and/or care givers experiencing adolescent behaviour often are left feeling some or all of the following:-

Inadequate, unappreciated, unheard, unhelpful, confused, angry, loss of their ‘babies’, lack of control over the situation, left out, uninformed, under valued and concerned for the future of the child.

These feelings can lead to stress or unease within oneself, as well as through the whole family or situation.

Parents may constantly feel their home has turned into a battle ground or a place of unrest instead of a place of harmony.

Being aware of the changes that are happening for the child, and seeking help, support and current information in this specific area, will allow the parent and/or care giver an ability to understand and manage the teenager more effectively.

Children entering adolescence face three big challenges during this developmental stage:-

Biological (physical changes)
Psychological (changes in thinking and feeling)
Social (changes in relationships)

Next blog we will look closer at the biological/physical changes that are happening.

Kirsty - http://www.unity-qld.com.au/