04/25/2023
Dear Parent,
This is specifically for those of you that have a 12year old,almost 13 years old and 13 year olds...the swift transformation gets really woozy right? Yeah! I know right 😊😊.....
As your child makes the transition from being a 12-year-old kid to a 13-year-old adolescent, you are bound to see some interesting changes. Not only will your child be making a mental shift as they begin to view themselves as teenagers, some even tend to believe they are adults 🤣🤣🤣 but they also will be experiencing a variety of physical and emotional changes as well......
For instance, your 13-year-old may become sensitive to their changing bodies or take notice of the changes in their peers if they are slower to develop.This realization may cause them to worry that they are different or abnormal in some way,especially if they are not growing body hair or have not hit a growth spurt yet. They also will be experiencing a variety of emotional changes they begin to spend more time with their peers.
As parents, this period can sometimes feel challenging because you may have your own concerns , while also struggling to make sense of your teen's worries...I understand,but be rest assured the teen years do not have to be a tumultuous time and can be some of the most rewarding years of parenting if you know what to expect♥️♥️♥️.
Although 13-year-olds are starting to have a more concrete thinking style, their brains are still developing, so keep this in mind while dealing with them,they are really struggling with these changes, physically, emotionally and socially, this is really a lot for them to handle in their transformation from childhood to another stage, teenage life,they tend to see through their own eyes as mini adults......
Most 13-year-olds have fairly good problem-solving skills, and also have difficulty thinking about the future. They may also struggle to think about the consequences of their behavior before they act. This has to do with different parts of their brains develop at slightly different rates.
They tend to be very self-conscious at this age and have a tendency to believe they are the center of attention. If they have a pimple, then everyone is looking at it.
Thirteen-year-olds are also developing the ability to think abstractly. Instead of only thinking in terms of tangible objects, they begin to understand concepts such as faith and trust. They may also think they are unique or believe that no one understands them. As they mature, they will develop a better understanding of the world and how other people perceive them.
It also is common for 13-year-olds to think they are immune to anything bad happening to them, thus their being very daring ,taking a lot of risks and believing they can get away with a lot of things . If you are going through this, you are not alone, it could be extremely frustrating, because even the " good and gentle" ones tend to change,due to environment or peer pressure.
This is where we as parents need to be careful and tread cautiously ,so we don't get over emotional reacting to their behaviors and get locked out of their lives because they feel Yiu don't understand them nor love them, I should know ,I have one in my house right now,and most of you with older children have definitely gone through this phase as well .
It is a frustrating phase for both children and parents poorly equipped for this phase , but what I will tell you is, be patient, extremely patient, listen to them, they have a lot of emotions bottled up,so allow them share emotions non judgementally, they will have a lot of issues with the opposite s*x at this stage, crushes,and questions about a lot ...now is the perfect time to teach them s*x education, fathers, tell the boys about all they need to know, mothers lecture your daughters, hide nothing from them, because what you don't tell them at home,they already have an idea already or they will learn outside ,when they learn outside ,a lot of untruths and embellishments will definitely lead them astray,but with you, they learn the simple truth!
While we were younger,our parents said to us " when a man/boy touches you, you will get pregnant" !!!! You needed to see how we ran away from boys ,how we refused to sit with boys in class for fear of pregnancy,we cried if by mistake a seatmate's hand just brushed yours slightly, because of the information we got from home! To us we were already pregnant!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Get your teenager ready for this stage,and start teaching and talking to them , right from when they are 11/12 years old,so that by the time they reach the 13th year milestone, it will be very easy for both you and then💛♥️💞.
