The toughest time for parents to connect
with their children is probably the young adolescent years from 10 to 15, when
parental support is the most important.
Those are the years when children strive
to develop their identity, listen to their peers, and pay attention to the
latest styles, no matter how strange they may look to adults.
It’s also the time when they can make
decisions that will follow them throughout their lives.
Parents should understand that change at
this time is a natural part of maturing.
Your young adolescent is not the first to
experience doubt, anxiety, or worry.
Remember when it happened to you? And
remember that it will eventually end.
Be sure to fight only the important battles.
There will be a wide range of issues that arise during this time. Your child
may decide to dye his hair and may associate with peers who are experimenting
with drugs.
Clearly the drug issue would have a much
greater impact on his life. It might prove wiser to bite your tongue when
you’re tempted to react to the short-term problem of hair color.
Young adolescents often think they are
the only ones ever to experience what is now occurring. Remind them, by sharing
your own stories, that this is not the case.
