Eleven Years
Development
Physical
- May experience pubescent growth spurt if female (usually a year or two for males)
- May tire easily and appear lazy (growth spurt drains energy)
- May look out of proportion
- Is preoccupied with and self-conscious about appearance
- May have an appetite that fluctuates sharply
- Enjoys observing or participating in competitive sports
- Is keenly interested in learning about body changes
- May continue to be curious about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco
Emotional
- May be experiencing sudden dramatic emotional changes associated with puberty
- Vacillates between maturity one moment, immaturity the next
- Tends to conceal emotional feelings
- Is hard on self and ultra-sensitive to criticism
Social
- Wants parental assistance, but may resist when offered
- Is critical of parents
- Is concerned with prestige and popularity
- Likes to belong to a group and be like others
- Becomes quite faddish
- Spends about twice as much time on weekends with friends as with parents
- May drift from previous best friend (due to different levels of maturity)
- Is acutely aware of the opposite sex
Mental
- Has an increasing attention and concentration span
- Strives to succeed
- Has strong opinions
- Begins to understand the motives behind the behavior of another
Parenting
- Continue to read to your child every night
- Encourage your child to read independently, as well
- Limit the amount and monitor the quality of television
- Provide a quiet, well-lit place for homework
- Be available for supervision
- Continue to encourage and support outside group activity (soccer team, dance class, Girl Scouts, church group, etc.)
- Get to know your child’s friends and their parents
- Provide supervision for your child after school. This is the best protection against future problems.