Online Learning: What to Expect
Typical behaviours of your early adolescent child.

Curriculum Area: PDHPE
Level: Years 5-8

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Late primary-early secondary is a period of great transition – physically, socially and emotionally - for your child.
During this time the body grows at a very rapid rate and is characterised by physical changes that include the onset of menstruation and the development  of breasts in girls; growth of facial hair and the experience of wet dreams in boys; and weight and height gain, pubic hair, voices changes, body odour and pimples in both sexes.

The emotional and social changes at this time are equally significant and are signs that your child is beginning to address and accomplish the important “tasks” that this stage of life entails.
Tasks include:

• To form a firm and positive identity
• To achieve independence from parents and adult carers
• To establish love objects outside the family (friends, girlfriend/boyfriend, soul mate)
• To adjust to some profound changes

With so many changes and so much to accomplish it is not surprising that your child will exhibit a variety of “typical behaviours” that are specific to this stage of life.                                                                           

image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Presentation 1:
Typical behaviours of your early adolescent child 

Watch the video presentation by Parent Educator, Colleen Zurowski as she outlines some of the typical behaviours that you can expect from your child at this “between”stage.

(NOTE: This presentation is part of a much larger video series on the physical, emotional and social development of the adolescent.
In this clip Ms Zurowski’s occasional mention of such things as “the teenage brain” are references to other videos in the series. You will be able to follow-up on the wider references when the entire presentation series becomes available soon.)

Presentation 2:
Some Tips

Now that you've had an overview of many of the typical behaviours of your early adolescent child, you might find the slide presentation helpful. You can move the slideshow forward and backwards with the arrows.

Additional Resources

Early Adolescence
Getting to Calm: Cool-headed strategies
​for parenting tweens and teens        
Laura S. Kastner & Jennifer Wyatt

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A Guide for Parents: Adolescence.
Michael Carr-Greg & Erin Shale Boys

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Boys

What's Happening to Our Boys
Maggie Hamilton

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Raising Boys
Steve Biddulph

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Girls

Queen Bees & Wannabes
Rosalind Wiseman

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The Butterfly Effect
Danielle Miller

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Parenting Websites

Raising Children Website
www.raisingchildren.net.au

The complete Australian resource for parenting newborns to teens - practical tips and tools, games, activities, videos, articles, checklists and interactive guides on an extensive range of topics.

www.parentline.org.au
www.parentmap.com
www.commonsensemedia.org
www.abcdparenting.org
Mental Health - Youth au.reachout.com
Eating Disorders
www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

Congratulations
You have completed this module in the "Partners in Learning" series.