Tweens are kids between the age of 9 and 12. As they are between little kids and teenagers, they face several challenges of pre-adolescence and need help from parents.
It is common to see parents preparing themselves for teenage years of their growing kids. But hardly do we find parents trying to help with the challenges of preteens, who struggle silently through a crucial stage of pre-adolescence before reaching teenage.
As tweens depend upon parents for support throughout this phase, it’s imperative that parents work on ways to connect with preteens that could help them navigate this phase with confidence.
Emotional development in tweens
As a parent of a preteen, you’ll see intense mood swings in your child every now and then.
No matter how confident and easy-going a child has been, the journey towards adolescence brings emotional changes, making him/her sensitive to every new experience in life.
They start comparing themselves with others, finding flaws in themselves and feeling upset about failures.
When tweens explain their distressing situations, let them say it all and do not jump in or come to a conclusion quickly.
If you regularly observe serious emotional outbursts in your preteen, seek assistance and do not dismiss your child’s emotions.
Peer Influence
Tweens get easily influenced by friends in their choices and behavior.
Not all peer influences are bad. But most of the time, in the present age, we find young kids getting into negative influences easily, such as addiction, poor academic performance, or breaking rules.
Preteen years are crucial years where one requires parental guidance and support to understand right from wrong, and embrace the new journey better with each passing day.
Help your preteen navigate wisely through peer influences by getting to know them and their friends better and being there to guide them through this phase.
The change
Children go through physical, emotional and cognitive changes during the preteen years.
They mostly need help and support especially from parents during this phase.
Children start focusing on their body image. Physical changes could bring worries and anxiety in kids during this period.
Sometimes preteens may develop eating problems, sleep problems, or get easily stressed.
Do not ignore or brush off their concerns as this is a crucial phase of their life where they look for an identity of their own and try being independent.
Guiding and listening to your child during the tween years will help your preteen grow confidently and make informed choices or decisions in life.
Shift in interests
It’s normal for tweens to have a desire to switch their hobbies, or activities.
It’s common at this phase of growing up, to see kids start moving from being very close to parents, to wanting to be independent.
Certain distractions at this age could reflect in their middle school grades, as the interest in academics may get affected due to loss of focus and easily giving in to distractions.
Adult supervision is crucial at this phase so that your preteen doesn’t get undisciplined and influenced negatively.
A rebellious phase
A desire for independence and peer influence during pre-adolescence leads preteens to question authority, rules, and beliefs.
Strict parenting at this phase could make tweens feel controlled sometimes.
Getting your child to open up often could help you make the right changes in your parenting style at this phase and help your preteen navigate better through the challenges of pre-adolescence.
Your defiant tween could be having bottled up emotions and fears that need your attention. Spending quality time with your child could help him/her open up better and feel heard.
What challenges do you see in tweens of today and how can you help them? Do share in the comments.
This Post Has 2 Comments
I have nephews and nieces who are twins. I should share this post with my cousins. Thank you for sharing.
I’m glad this post will be helpful to your family.