Adolescence how long

Early adolescents have concrete, black-and-white thinking. Things are either right or wrong, great or terrible, without much room in between. It is normal at this stage for young people to center their thinking on themselves called "egocentrism". As part of this, preteens and early teens are often self-conscious about their appearance and feel as though they are always being judged by their peers.

Pre-teens feel an increased need for privacy. They may start to explore ways of being independent from their family. In this process, they may push boundaries and may react strongly if parents or guardians reinforce limits. Physical changes from puberty continue during middle adolescence. Most males will have started their growth spurt, and puberty-related changes continue.

They may have some voice cracking, for example, as their voices lower. Some develop acne. Physical changes may be nearly complete for females, and most girls now have regular periods. At this age, many teens become interested in romantic and sexual relationships. Another typical way of exploring sex and sexuality for teens of all genders is self-stimulation, also called masturbation.

Many middle adolescents have more arguments with their parents as they struggle for more independence. They may spend less time with family and more time with friends.

They are very concerned about their appearance , and peer pressure may peak at this age. The brain continues to change and mature in this stage, but there are still many differences in how a normal middle adolescent thinks compared to an adult. The frontal lobes play a big role in coordinating complex decision making, impulse control, and being able to consider multiple options and consequences.

Middle adolescents are more able to think abstractly and consider "the big picture," but they still may lack the ability to apply it in the moment. For example, in certain situations, kids in middle adolescence may find themselves thinking things like:. Do I really have to wear a condom during sex if my girlfriend takes the pill? While they may be able to walk through the logic of avoiding risks outside of these situations, strong emotions often continue to drive their decisions when impulses come into play.

Late adolescents generally have completed physical development and grown to their full adult height. They usually have more impulse control by now and may be better able to gauge risks and rewards accurately. In comparison to middle adolescents, youth in late adolescence might find themselves thinking:.

Teens entering early adulthood have a stronger sense of their own individuality now and can identify their own values. They may become more focused on the future and base decisions on their hopes and ideals. Friendships and romantic relationships become more stable. They become more emotionally and physically separated from their family. However, many reestablish an "adult" relationship with their parents, considering them more an equal from whom to ask advice and discuss mature topics with, rather than an authority figure.

Children and their parents often struggle with changing dynamics of family relationships during adolescence. But parents are still a critical support throughout this time. Help your child anticipate changes in his or her body. Learn about puberty and explain what's ahead. You also might want to discuss how others might perceive them if they look different — help your teen understand how he or she might be viewed.

Teens might act unhappy about the expectations their parents place on them. Still, they usually understand and need to know that their parents care enough about them to expect certain things such as good grades, acceptable behavior, and sticking to the house rules.

If parents have appropriate expectations, teens will likely try to meet them. Without reasonable expectations, your teen may feel you don't care about him or her. The teen years often are a time of experimentation, and sometimes that experimentation includes risky behaviors. Don't avoid the subjects of sex and drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.

Discussing tough topics openly with kids before they're exposed to them actually makes it more likely that they'll act responsibly when the time comes. Share your family values with your teen and talk about what you believe is right and wrong, and why. Know your child's friends — and know their friends' parents. Regular communication between parents can go a long way toward creating a safe environment for all teens in a peer group. Parents can help each other keep track of the kids' activities without making the kids feel that they're being watched.

A certain amount of change is normal during the teen years. But too drastic or long-lasting a switch in personality or behavior may signal real trouble — the kind that needs professional help.

Watch for these warning signs:. Any other inappropriate behavior that lasts for more than 6 weeks can be a sign of underlying trouble, too. Your doctor or a local counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can help you find proper counseling.

Some parents, understandably, have a very hard time with this one. They may feel that anything their kids do is their business.

But to help your teen become a young adult, you'll need to grant some privacy. If you notice warning signs of trouble, then you can invade your child's privacy until you get to the heart of the problem. But otherwise, it's a good idea to back off. In other words, your teenager's room, texts, e-mails, and phone calls should be private. You also shouldn't expect your teen to share all thoughts or activities with you at all times. Of course, for safety reasons, you should always know where teens are going, when they'll be returning, what they're doing, and with whom, but you don't need to know every detail.

And you definitely shouldn't expect to be invited along! Start with trust. Tell your teen that you trust him or her, but if the trust gets broken, he or she will enjoy fewer freedoms until it's rebuilt. TV shows, magazines and books, the Internet — kids have access to tons of information. Be aware of what yours watch and read. Don't be afraid to set limits on the amount of time spent in front of the computer or the TV.

Know what they're learning from the media and who they may be communicating with online. Teens shouldn't have unlimited access to TV or the Internet in private — these should be public activities. Access to technology also should be limited after certain hours for example, 10 p.

It's not unreasonable to have cellphones and computers off limits after a certain time. Bedtime for a teenager should be age appropriate, just as it was when your child was a baby. Teens still need about hours of sleep. Encourage your teen to stick to a sleep schedule that will meet those needs.

Here's a quick look at the changes that happen:. In boys, the first puberty change is the enlargement of the scrotum and testes. At this point, the penis does not enlarge. Then, as the testes and scrotum continue to enlarge, the penis gets longer. Next, the penis will continue to grow in both size and length. In girls, the first puberty change is the development of breast buds.

This is when the breast and nipple elevate. The dark area of skin that surrounds the nipple of the breast the areola gets larger at this time. The breasts then continue to enlarge. Over time, the nipples and the areolas will rise again. They then form another mound on the breasts. When a girl becomes an adult, only the nipple is raised above the rest of the breast tissue. Both boys and girls. Pubic hair development is similar for both girls and boys.

The first growth of hair produces long, soft hair that is only in a small area around the genitals. This hair then becomes darker and coarser as it continues to spread. Over time the pubic hair looks like adult hair, but in a smaller area.