Almost Grown Up

Almost Grown Up: Tweens often want to change their style or interests to show off their growing maturity (May 2010) by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer; Scholastic Parent & Child, p. 88.

Hartley-Brewer presents tweens as being in the stage of development where they feel "as if they can do more things than they can't, and they experience a huge boost in confidence". This is a time where they start leaving behind their childhood passions, "in a theatrical show of manufactured maturity".

This short article provides some insights for parents about what to expect from tweens as they change and mature. Tweens will pressure parents for more privacy and space, more freedom in choosing clothes to wear, choosing friends and activities. The author provides suggestions on handling tweens' growing need and desire for independence: grant freedoms gradually, balance the new freedoms with new responsibilities, encourage tween to retain some previous interests, and find something else to change.

The author emphasizes to parents the importance of setting priorities when responding to this time of change, especially when the demands start coming fast, and encouges parents they don't need to respond quickly to these new demands, they can take their time to think through their decisions.

This short article is on point reminding parents of what to expect during this time in their child's life and the suggestions are practical and sensible.