Adolescence is a process in which people prepare for adulthood. Children experience psychological and physiological changes during adolescence. These changes can sometimes lead to a difficult process for children to cope with. Adolescence covers the ages between approximately 12 and 20. Some children may start or end adolescence early or late. The reason for this needs to be examined and followed. Due to the intensity of the changes that occur during adolescence, children have difficulty in resolving them. The first of the changes are physical changes. Since the bodies they are accustomed to are constantly changing, children have difficulty understanding these changes and controlling their body coordination.
If we look at the common characteristics of children in adolescence; Opposition to their parents' thoughts, withdrawing into their own inner world, comparing themselves with their peers, looking for problems with their external appearance and disliking themselves, constant change of their emotions, thoughts about growth and the future, displaying risky behaviors, desire to be liked by the opposite sex, desire to have their own thoughts accepted. .
Stages of Adolescence
1. Early Adolescence Period
It is a period in which intense physiological changes occur. Changes begin to occur in children's height, weight and voice intonation. It is a period in which awareness of sexuality increases and changes in symptoms are observed.
2. Middle Adolescence Period
Most of the physiological development of children has been completed. It is a period when psychological processes change. While children's parents' opinions were important before, now their own thoughts come to the fore during adolescence. They try to apply their own feelings and thoughts to their lives. Sometimes they may have difficulty coping with their own thoughts. The important thing is that you notice teenagers' feelings and thoughts. As a result, adolescents begin to feel their own existence and realize that they are valued. Since they are in a period where their own self is important, they reject every thought that contradicts their thoughts. They reject it.
Adolescents' emotions are constantly changing. While they may laugh at an event at first, they may become angry an hour later. There are sudden emotional ups and downs. What needs to be done is to make adolescents realize that you understand what they feel and that you will be there for them unconditionally. Your child may experience conflict with you during this period. At this point, instead of responding to this conflict, you need to empathize with it and establish effective and healthy communication to prevent the existing conflict. As you empathize with your child, your child will learn to empathize over time and will be able to establish healthier social relationships.
Adolescents generally They may have difficulty resolving the problems in their lives. They may approach existing problems impulsively or overly emotionally. In this context, developing solutions for adolescents and presenting them to them should be left to their own implementation.
3. Late Adolescence
It is a period in which the self is formed and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. During this period, adolescents' concerns about their own lives intensify. Their anxieties are aimed at emotional closeness with the opposite sex, professional choices, planning and shaping their lives, and feeling their presence and uniqueness in their social life. The conflicts they experience with their parents are less than in other homes. In late adolescence, it prepares itself for adulthood and ends adolescence.
Things to Consider When Communicating with Children in Adolescence.
The role of parents is very important in dealing with children in adolescence and in order for adolescents to spend this period healthily. Parents need to recognize the conflicts their children experience and understand what they actually need. Remember that your child is trying to tell you something in every conflict. You need to establish quality communication with them. When you provide quality communication, your child will feel understood by you and will start to get closer to you instead of moving away from you. It is very important for adolescents to feel understood. Listening to them without judging them, paying attention to the subject they are talking about and showing interest in them, not listening. It is necessary not to express your comments or ideas, to stay away from labels, and not to express that what they think or feel is wrong.
A healthy relationship and communication is necessary for your children to easily share the problems they experience with you during this period. In order for healthy communication to occur, communication barriers must be eliminated. These communication barriers consist of a total of 5: judging, giving advice, mind reading, soothing and changing the subject. As a result of communication without these obstacles, your child will feel listened to. Children in adolescence are preparing themselves for adulthood. The healthy passage of this period signals how your children will spend their adulthood and beyond.
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