Adolescents are divided into 3 stages: early adolescence, middle adolescence, and late adolescence. Early adolescence is the age range of 11-13 years. Each stage has different concerns. Here, we will discuss early adolescence first. During this stage, physical changes are more prominent than in other stages. For example, when physical changes begin, children may feel anxious. Hormones increase, the body grows taller, and some children may feel insecure or think that their arms and legs are long and disproportionate. Their voice may break, they may feel annoyed with themselves, and their mood can be easily irritable and unstable.
What are the emotions like in early adolescence?
Emotions begin to fluctuate due to hormones and the child’s growth, causing anxiety and mood swings. There are also sexual feelings such as wet dreams, interest in the opposite sex, and beginning to masturbate. Some children may become more obsessed with sexual matters or feel irritated and guilty about why they are starting to be more interested in sex.
Regarding friends, children begin to worry about being accepted in their peer group, such as whether their physical changes will be accepted by friends. Some girls who mature early may feel anxious, and boys who feel they mature later than their friends may worry whether their friends will accept them. They fear being seen as different and excluded from the group. These worries affect social development, such as the desire to have friends, join groups, be accepted, and try to follow friends to gain acceptance. If friends are a bad influence, it may lead to inappropriate behavior.
“Friends” are important people for early adolescents
At this stage, children begin to consult friends more and avoid consulting parents because they want to develop into adults, think independently, and start to have more conflicts with parents. They want to experiment with distancing themselves from parents and place more importance on friends.
Psychological and cognitive development of early adolescents
They begin to understand reasons better but cannot foresee long-term consequences. They start to understand what people around them want and what they should do, but they are not yet able to plan far ahead or think flexibly. For example, solving problems in various situations according to ideal people or those they admire. Sometimes children cannot adapt these thoughts to suit themselves. If parents try to explain these ideas but the child still holds their own beliefs and trusts their ideal person, thinking their own ideas are correct, it is because they cannot be flexible in their thinking.
Symptoms or behaviors for which parents should consult a doctor
In early adolescence, parents should observe what worries their child but should not rush to respond, advise, control, or supervise immediately. They should allow the child to talk naturally, for example, about physical changes being natural and that they can consult parents about how to behave. Parents should make children understand that consulting about these matters is not shameful. Parents can give advice on physical changes, including dressing, hygiene, and self-care.
Regarding emotional and mental states, parents must understand that at this age children become more attached to and trust their friends more. Some may argue with parents. Parents should understand that this is a normal developmental stage where children want to become adults and have their own thoughts. Parents should be understanding and attentive, which will reduce their own worries. If the child’s thoughts or choices are inappropriate, parents can help by giving advice and suitable options. If a child becomes increasingly worried about physical changes, feels sad, talks less, is depressed, isolates themselves, is alienated from friends, or their school performance declines, parents should take the child to see a doctor for further guidance.
