They are middlers cannot be counted as toddlers and are not yet adults. Often this group listen all the time that ‘You are grown up now’ but the fact is they still need the guidance and emotional support of their parents. It is seen that focus on parenting is given during to the toddlers and adolescents as that is their formative years towards designing their career, profession and life as a whole. Somehow the preteens are not given that much attention. They can be difficult to parent and even more difficult to live with, but the preteens have lots going on with them so they need your guidance and patience. These few years will help to determine the teen, your preteen will become so, make most of them. This is the transition period which should be well understood by the parents. Children develop their own beliefs and view of things, people and society as a whole.
The parents have to deal with patience, set certain limitations as per the values of the family but at the same time take care that their self esteem is not endangered.
They want to be independent find their own strength but at the same time needs your assistance and guidance. It is difficult for them to accept physical changes they undergo. Both boys and girls have their own challenges. They undergo behavioral changes also they back answer, rebel seek for privacy, friends are above all this is because they are searching for their own identity and feel they too have their voice.
The parents have to deal with patience, set certain limitations as per the values of the family but at the same time take care that their self esteem is not endangered. The thing they worry the most is about bullying, fitting in the peer group and making friends. The most important work the parents have to do is set a sense of belonging to them. It is the most powerful tool that helps them to conquer all odds. Belonging to family and belonging to friends is their biggest need. At times it may seem that belonging to friends is important to them but more important is that they feel the strong belonging in the family.
They feel emotionally secured, which is most required in this roller coaster years. They never feel lonely or depressed when they move out of the family for higher studies as deep in their heart they trust that they belong to their family and the parents are always with him.
Spending time with them, listening to them is most required as they have so much to share, respecting their opinions understanding their challenges helping them to find their own solutions is the key role of parents at this stage. Helping them in dealing with the challenges of growing bodies, change in voice and emotional setbacks is also essential. Nurturing healthy preteens can result in healthy and matured teens. Enjoy parenting preteens.
