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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. 

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