Psychological characteristics of children in adolescence

Sixteen-year-old children can bring both joy and disappointment to their parents. For example, there may be so many reasons to be extremely proud of how your son or daughter is growing and achieving goals, but there are bound to be some challenges along the way. It could be academic problems, risky behavior, or outright rudeness, and none of it is easy.

However, you may also enjoy seeing your teen land the lead role in a musical, go to a championship with a sports team, earn a driver's license, or make the honor roll—it's all about balance and remembering both the challenges and the bliss. raising a teenager.

Physical development at 16 years old

The differences between the sexes are never more obvious than around the age of 16. Girls begin to slow down in physical development, and boys are sometimes just starting. 1

If you have a son, expect physical changes to continue, such as rapid growth in height and growth of facial hair. That being said, you may find that your teen—of either gender—sleeps more and eats more to keep up with this growth. Additionally, shifts in their circadian rhythm cause them to stay up late and sleep in the morning.

Major milestones

• He needs more sleep and his bedtime is changing.
• Continues to grow and develop physically, and boys begin to develop facial hair.
• Takes care of appearance and comfort, especially for girls

Advice for parents

Talk about expectations, risks and opportunities without shying away from hot-button topics like drugs, alcohol and sex. 1 Express your position on issues by saying something like: “I expect you to call me to pick you up if there is drinking at the party.”

Feeling of adulthood: how is it characterized?

When adults ask the question: “What age is a teenager?” - then, as a rule, they just want to know when their child will calm down and become sweet, kind and good again. However, teenagers stop being hooligans and being rude not at all when adolescence ends, but at the moment when in their minds the tendency to grow up changes to a feeling. That is, as soon as a teenager gains a sense of adulthood, his behavior changes radically.

How is this feeling characterized? First of all, awareness of responsibility for one’s own actions and words. Secondly, an understanding of the value of things and the meaning of money appears. Teenagers no longer just want to be a hooligan and rebel against existing rules; they are trying to earn extra money and save pocket money to buy something. They are also more consistent in their wishes for holiday gifts to parents.

At what age do children become teenagers with a sense of adulthood, rather than a tendency towards it? There is no answer to this question. Personality development occurs individually and largely depends on the conditions in which the child lives.

Emotional development

A 16-year-old knows that adulthood is around the corner and they will begin to make decisions with that in mind, but it may not always feel right to their parents. If your child makes decisions that concern you, talk to him. Pay attention to changes in behavior, especially if your teen seems sad or depressed, and seek professional help if necessary. 1

Major milestones

• Causes concerns about physical development
• Shows more independence but also has less conflict with parents
• Passes through periods of sadness

Advice for parents

The 16-year-old quickly tells his parents that they are not needed, but this is far from the truth. Continue to strengthen your relationship with your teen by showing interest in his life and praising his achievements. Let your teen fail sometimes, but make sure they have the skills needed to cope with the discomfort that comes with failure.

Periodization of childhood and adolescence

Adolescence and adolescence are complex and important stages in the development of personality. The teenage period lasts from 11-16 to 17-18 years. The boundaries range from 16-17 to 21-25 years. At this time, boys and girls experience serious physiological, psychosexual and intellectual changes. In youth, a worldview is formed and spiritual values ​​are determined. Young people realize their place in adult life and choose the direction of professional development. Teenage uncertainty and doubts are gradually replaced by maturity and awareness of this period.

Social development at 16 years old

Sixteen-year-olds are ingrained in a social world that includes friendships and romantic relationships. They spend less time with their families and more time with their friends or dating interests, or they may choose to spend more time alone than they are used to. 1

Teenagers often have strong sexual desires and may become sexually active. At the same time, they may become more aware of sexual orientation and their preferences.

Major milestones

• Enters deeper platonic or romantic relationships in search of intimacy
• Shows signs of confidence and increased resistance to peer pressure
• Learns about sexual orientation

Advice for parents

Talk to your teen about being forced to have sex 2 regardless of gender. Forbidding romantic relationships or burying your head in the sand around your child's puberty can backfire. Instead, communicate your expectations and have open conversations about sexual desire, sexting, and consent.

6 facts about sexting every teenager should know

Psychological withdrawal

What difficulties do teenagers experience in communication, and why do they come into conflict with the outside world? This is explained by the peculiarities of their worldview. If adults correctly understand the different motives of youthful actions, then it will be easier for them to build behavior with children and find ways to resolve conflicts.

Adolescent self-esteem

Teenagers' opinions about themselves are biased and exaggerated. They are only trying to understand themselves as an individual in the world around them, to determine their place in society and their course of action. The sense of self-awareness is not fully formed and is unstable. Therefore, schoolchildren in adolescence can be overly touchy and react unconstructively to criticism. Unfair remarks from teachers and peers can deeply hurt and leave a mark for the rest of your life.

Internal conflict

Against the background of immature self-esteem, internal conflict arises. The teenager is dissatisfied with his behavior and suffers from the negative opinions of others about himself. But he is often unable to admit mistakes. This is where internal crisis, self-rejection, and depression occur.

Denial of reality

Emotional immaturity, exaggeration of existing problems, conflicts with family and peers often provoke withdrawn behavior in schoolchildren. When children are unable to cope with difficulties on their own and do not find understanding or help from those around them, they often withdraw into their own world, become uncommunicative, depressed, and aggressive. In this state, they deny reality, do not want to participate in public life, and strive for solitude.

Cognitive development

Your child no longer thinks about his life. During adolescence, teenagers begin to think about how the whole world works and how their lives fit into it. They learn abstract thinking—thinking about what is and what could be—and improve their reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Speech and language

Sixteen-year-olds can, for the most part, communicate like adults. At school, they can understand both concrete and abstract ideas, fully understand punctuation and grammatical rules, and write and read complex sentence structures. 3

Play

Teenagers are often overscheduled, which is not necessarily conducive to their development. They need free time to pursue interests, be it art, sports or anything else, as well as time to rest and relax without any expectations. During this time, they may choose to relax by watching TV, reading books, or playing video games.

Major milestones

• Changes language and behavior in school, home and other settings
• Demonstrates certain work habits
• Explains the reason for his thoughts or decisions.

Advice for parents

There is not one future life path that is "best" for every teen, but your 16-year-old may need help exploring all the options before them, including going to college or not going to college, and how the choice will affect their future. . So help your child plan for life after school.

What it is?

At the beginning of the last century, the word “teenager” was almost never used; people usually said “youth.” However, after the revolution, they tried not to utter this word because it reeked of the bygone past. Now “youth” is associated with religion, the speeches of priests, and in everyday life the “teenager” and the English synonym “teenager” are used.

The scientific concept of “adolescence” appeared at the end of the 19th century. This happened largely due to the manifestation of interest in the problems of youth on the part of writers, philosophers, and thinkers of that time. For example, Dostoevsky in his novel “The Adolescent” describes the problems characteristic of youth no worse than psychologists do.

What is it? According to scientific definition, this is a specific age period in a person’s life. It is a transition between childhood and adulthood. Accordingly, it is characterized by many changes occurring both in physiology and in human consciousness.

When to worry

At this age there may be two reasons for concern. First, you may be concerned that your child is not doing well academically. Poor grades may be due to disorganization or lack of participation in the learning process. 5

Additionally, self-confidence in learning may also be a factor. The first step is to discuss your concerns with your teen's teachers, who can offer different perspectives and resources.

Second, around age 16, parents often see warning signs of mental health problems or substance abuse. If this is the case, contact a mental health professional or doctor immediately before the problem gets worse. 6

Word from mentalar

While some 16-year-olds need a few reminders to keep up with their chores, complete homework or save money, others find it difficult to even get out of bed on time. If your teen still needs a lot of help to function well, it's important to remember that you only have a few years before they graduate.

Provide support and guidance, but don't do too much for your child. It is important that they learn valuable life skills while they are still living under your watchful eye. And if the problems you're experiencing are cause for concern, don't hesitate to talk to your pediatrician.

Boys and girls: end of post-puberty

When do teenagers become girls and boys? Adolescence ends at 16-17 years of age. Hormonal and emotional storms gradually subside, and a period of stabilization begins. Adolescence is a new stage with its own characteristics, difficulties and joys. Sudden mood swings, awkwardness in relationships with the opposite sex, conflicts with the older generation are left behind. Confidence and objectivity in assessing your capabilities comes, and the upcoming path of life emerges. New values ​​are a priority. High school students face an important step in life - choosing a profession, defining goals and guidelines for their future life.

Growing Up of a Young Man

Boys become adults by 21-25. By this time, they are fully formed physically, perceive themselves as mature and are emotionally ready for independent life. Until what age the maturation process continues depends on many conditions. Genetic predisposition, the surrounding society, personality and character traits play a role here. Some people, due to circumstances, have to grow up faster. They gain independence early, earn money on their own, live separately from their parents and create their own families. Others remain financially and emotionally dependent for a long time, continuing to live with their parents. There is nothing wrong with this - sooner or later, all boys grow up and become mature, self-sufficient men. Only in exceptional cases does this not happen, but this is already a pathology.

The maturity of men is determined by their attitude towards loved ones. The ability to care for, provide for, and protect others is what separates a mature man from an immature youth. The stereotypes that have developed in society oblige us to learn responsibility for our family.

High school students are puzzled by their choice of profession. Their well-being and moral satisfaction in the future depend on this. Not everyone manages to make the right choice in their teenage years. But this does not prevent purposeful, self-confident men from achieving success in adulthood.

Girl growing up

Adulthood ends at 20-23. Unlike teenage girls, girls realize and accept their role in society, feel harmonious, self-confident and self-sufficient. They already know how to control their feelings, they know what they want to achieve in life. For women, the role assigned to them in society as wife and mother remains important. However, modern young women go far beyond this. They strive to get a good education and succeed in the profession.

Teenage selfishness and harshness in judgment are not characteristic of adolescence. Growing up girls think about the future, become more responsible, and set realistic goals for themselves. An individual style of thinking and acting is formed.

During adolescence, children often experience dark thoughts, apathy, and self-doubt. In youth, on the contrary, talents, self-confidence, and bold dreams are born.

Psychologist's work with teenagers

Considering that all families and upbringing in them are different, but the child must be treated like an adult, it is important for parents not to lose contact with him. And the maturing body learns to interact not only with family members.

During the period of personal maturation, teenagers are “prickly”, taciturn, study worse, begin to forget about hygiene, make a mess in their home, lie and steal. As a result, parents are simply shocked. Moms have hysterics, and dads have one single desire - to subjugate the child at any cost.