Growing up and managing behaviour

Every day, your child learns new things. It’s what makes childhood such an exciting time. Your child will learn from you and your example. As a parent, you have an important job in teaching them about your values and beliefs. Start this now and you’ll see all your hard work, pay off in the future.

Childhood is a good time to teach them good behaviour because they respect and want to be close to you. Using positive feedback is a great idea. Give lots of praise to build up your child’s self-esteem by talking about their strengths and not their weaknesses. Your opinion of your child has a huge impact on what they think of themselves, so being too critical can damage confidence.

Growing up can be a challenging time, let them know you are there to support them. Sometimes it can come as a bit of a shock when your child starts to develop and change into a young adult and it can be difficult to ‘let go’. Of course, you are still their parent and they still need you. Be there to support them.

Puberty

Puberty in girls can begin from around the age of nine. Boy’s bodies can start to change from around the age of ten with sexual development soon after.

Your child will be developing into a young man/woman. They will need your support and trust but they will also need some privacy, respect and encouragement.

Toddler tantrums

Keep calm and consider whether your child needs food or rest. Don’t give in, but do try to understand your child’s feelings. Praise your child for calming down afterwards.

Mood swings

Teenagers are especially prone to mood swings. This is often put down to the surge of hormones produced at the start of and during puberty. Therefore it can be perfectly normal to feel happy one minute, and depressed, angry or frustrated the next. Mood swings usually stabilise as they head towards their late teenage years, but if you are worried contact your Doctor.