B R O C HU R E F O R 6 T H G R A D E

PARENTS

Emotional (cont.)
Your young adolescent is having a battle within
themselves, trying to be independent from
adults while frequently requiring and still secretly desiring adult protection and security. (Brighton, 59) Allow your child to figure
things out themselves but still be there when
they need you.
Helping your child develop their self-esteem
plays a major role in the well-being of individuals and directly relates to their success. (Brighton, 63) Helping young adolescents be successful in different areas of their
lives allows them to develop this. You can also
help their self-esteem by listening to your child
and teach them to focus on doing their best
(not being the best).
Here are a few emotional characteristics that
young adolescencents frequently exhibit:
moodiness, fickleness, reaction to criticism,
impulsiveness, need for privacy and stress.
One of the best traits young adolescents exhibit is a sense of humor. Teach your child to
learn to laugh about life. Be sure to teach
your child not to direct their humor at others.

MA D E B Y
B R A ND Y B O R G

Most importantly, support your child and let

them know that you love them. They really
need that security at this age.

Resources
Brighton, Kenneth. Coming of : The
Education & Development of Young
Adolescents. Westerville, OH:
National Middle School
Association. 2007. Print

Understanding
Your Young
Adolescent

Changes During Young Adolescence

As parents, it is important to be
able to understand the social, intellectual,
physical and emotional changes that your
child will be going through. This brochure
will help you be aware of the changes so you
can be prepared and prepare your child.
The physical changes that accompany puberty inevitably produce some anxiety for
young teens, but knowing what to expect as
puberty unfolds is very reassuring. (Brighton, 52)

Young adolescents are very egocentric,

they believe that the world revolves
around them. They cannot see how
their actions affect others. Sometimes
this can get in the way of their peer and
family relationships.
Help your child find a group or activity
to belong to. It will ensure that young
adolescents will meet other teens with
common interests and inclinations. (Brighton, 28) This is important
to help your child feel accepted.
Teach your child about the ramifications
of bullying. Let them know adults that
are safe for them to go to; not just if
they are being bullied, but if they see
bullying.

Intellectual (cont.)

Growth spurts: from

2-4 inches and up to 50
lbs.

Young adolescents tend to be argumentative. Brighton explains, due to their more

advanced intellectual ability, they have
become better at arguing. (P.10) The
best thing to do is to avoid power struggles with them.

It is common to see academic decline in

young adolescents. Brighton informs us,
most middle school students are more
concerned with their social status than
they are academic standing. (p.10) As a
parent, dont panic; most students recover
with time.

Some students at this age have a hard time

being connected with subjects because
they cannot find relevance with the topic.
Ask your student about their class topics
and help your students find real world
applications for the topics.

Endocrine system is
fully turned on and releasing a vast amount of hormones. Oil and sweat glands begin to open
which causes the need for more personal
hygiene. Acne can become a problem.

Social
Peer relationships are
the most important aspect
of your childs life at this
point. Help your child develop positive friend groups.

Physical

Outward physical changes, such as breast

development and voice changes.

Sexual maturation

Bones grow faster than soft tissues

(muscles) and bones are very prone to
breakage. They are not well protected by
soft tissues.

It is very important to make sure your child

understands nutrition and things that are
healthy for them. They will be increasing
their caloric intake. According to Brighton,
Only 20% consume the recommended allotment of five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Emotional

Young adolescents
have a hard time
considering others
because they are
consumed
with
themselves. They believe that everyones
attention is centered on them when they
are in the presence of others. (Brighton,
56)

They often feel that they are completely

different from everyone else and feel that
nobody understands them. Sometimes a
way to support your child during these
times is just to listen to their concerns.

Intellectual

Young adolescents are very literal. It is a

mistake for adults to assume that young
teens will act upon tasks that are simply
implied but not explicity defined. (Brighton,
8) You need to give them detailed and specific instructions.