Normal Adolescent Development
Learn how your child will change during his teen years.
In this article, you will find:
Middle Adolescence
15-16 years Movement Toward Independence
- Self-involvement, alternating between unrealistically high expectations and poor self-concept
- Complaints that parents interfere with independence
- Extremely concerned with appearance and with one's own body
- Feelings of strangeness about one's self and body
- Lowered opinion of parents, withdrawal from them
- Effort to make new friends
- Strong emphasis on the new peer group
- Periods of sadness as the psychological loss of the parents takes place
- Examination of inner experiences, which may include writing a diary
- Intellectual interests gain importance
- Some sexual and aggressive energies directed into creative and career interests
Sexuality
- Concerns about sexual attractiveness
- Frequently changing relationships
- Movement towards heterosexuality with fears of homosexuality
- Tenderness and fears shown toward opposite sex
- Feelings of love and passion
Ethics and Self-Description
- Development of ideals and selection of role models
- More consistent evidence of conscience
- Greater capacity for setting goals
- Interest in moral reasoning