Child Development - The 12 Year Old
12 year-olds *
Physical ►
- very energetic; needs lots of sleep, exercise, and food (including in-school snacks)
- enjoys physical education and sports
- boys and girls have growth spurts
- girls show signs of puberty; most are menstruating
Social-Emotional ►
- adult personality begins to emerge
- capable of self-awareness, insight, and empathy; more reasonable and tolerant than at eleven
- enthusiastic and uninhibited; appears to feel insecure
- cares more about peer opinions than those of teachers and parents
- will initiate their own activities without adult prompting
- benefit immensely from (and want to help plan) ceremonies and rituals to mark turning points on their way to adulthood
- wants to make money from jobs at home or in their neighborhood
Language ►
- understands and enjoys sarcasm, double meanings, word play, and more sophisticated jokes
- enjoys conversation with adults and peers
- values peer vocabulary (slang)
Cognitive ►
- more able to think abstractly
- may begin to excel at a subject (such as Science) or a skill (such as drawing)
- can and will see both sides of an argument
- very interested in civics, history, current events, politics, social justice, and environmental issues, as well as pop culture and the latest cool clothes, watches, etc.
- increasingly able to organize their thoughts and their work
*Yardsticks, by Chip Wood, 3rd Edition