Developmental Milestones

• Movement: Physical skills are fully mature, and they’ll begin to have more control of their body. They have more balance, strength, and speed. Their muscle control will be smoother and will get stronger. At this age, exercise is needed. Improve them by exercising at least 3 times per week and working on their handwriting or art. 

• Brain Development: They’ll be exposed to larger books and more vocabulary. They can gather information that they need on their own and can make their own opinions and thoughts on different subjects. They’ll show more independence on how they organize and work on their homework.  Their personalities are forming on their own, and you will see them develop their own favorite sports teams and favorite shows. They’ll follow and admire different singers, groups, and celebrities. This is the time when they’ll want to spend more time with technology. 

•  Physical: Due to changes that may happen due to puberty, you will see that children will be growing really fast around this age. They will also show the physical signs of puberty like getting oilier skin, sweating more, and having hair under their arms and in their genital areas. Girls may get heavier and have more muscle strength at this age. 

Social-Emotional Milestone 

They’ll begin showing interest in the opposite sex but will not admit it. Children at this age may also experience more mixed emotions. They are also growing more independent, and this requires adjustments. Changes that are happening in their bodies can cause a wide range of emotions from excitement, fear, uncertainty, to embarrassment. Their feelings will also be affected by the hormone changes in their body and will quickly change. Stress from the changes and other factors can also cause mood swings. They have a lot to handle, whether it's balancing schoolwork, friends, and their own bodies changing. Socially, girls may come possessive of their friends or be jealous of one another. Friendships between boys will develop based more on a shared interest. Kids will want to fit in. They want to wear the right clothes, the right music and will want to do what is cool to others. Studies show that eating disorders can start around this age, so make sure to help develop a positive self-image for your kids and show them that they are valued. Body image issues, especially in girls, may develop.

Life Skills: Body Image

Experts agree that women are often never satisfied with how they look and will always try to find ways to look better. Research has suggested that women have slightly lower self-esteem when compared to men. This gender gap increases when it comes to how satisfied they are with body image. Hormone changes and their changing bodies may cause children to be more susceptible to body image issues. Girls will be focused on trying to stay small and skinny at a time when they’ll be naturally growing. Boys will want to grow taller and get more muscles. Since everyone grows at different rates, they may compare themselves to their friends. For adolescent girls, body image issues are all too common. Things like changes in their appearance, natural weight gain, peer pressure, and the media’s influence that thin is beautiful, can lead them to take extreme measures to lose weight.  Even having a parent that is overly concerned about weight and appearance can be mentally damaging to their self-image. This can cause them to feel ashamed. This increases their risk of low self-esteem, depression, and eating disorders.  Some examples of common eating disorders include Anorexia and Bulimia.  Anorexia is when people have an intense fear of gaining weight and looking fat. They will often see themselves as fat, even if they are actually thin. Most will turn to extreme dieting and will be very strict with what they eat. Another eating disorder is known as Bulimia.  People that suffer from Bulimia will overeat and won’t be able to stop eating. This inability to stop is called binge eating. To make up for everything they’ve eaten, they will make themselves throw up on purpose. This forced vomiting is called purging.  Common early warning signs of eating disorders include changes in their diet, frequent bathroom trips before and after meals, and an increased desire to eat alone. Check out our resource page for more information on eating disorders. Remember, if you suspect your child is suffering from eating disorders, talk to your child, and then turn to their physician about the next steps. Prevention is essential in stopping eating disorders.  Some helpful tips to help your daughter go through this difficult transition is to talk to her. Explain how puberty affects them and make a point that each kid will grow differently. Talk to your kids about how social media can change our views on what is beautiful. Finally, monitor how they use the internet. If your teen does feel uncomfortable with how they look and want to take the initiative to get healthier, make sure they safely do this. For example, start by trading in unhealthy sugary snacks for healthy counterparts. Avoid sodas and other sugar-filled carbonated drinks. Make sure that they find fun ways to stay active, like through sports or outdoor activities. Simple things such as staying hydrated, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep are also important steps to healthy living. Make sure when talking about body image, remind them not to compare themselves to others. Remember, think about health, Not weight. And finally, make sure you support them in their journey. Promote healthy family meals where you can share a healthy meal and make sure that your kids are not skipping meals. Finally, make sure you also love your body. Model healthy self-love to your children.  Check out more articles on Body image and healthy ways to help your teen stay healthy.  [Article]

Action Items

• Most 10-year-olds still need a proper amount of sleep. They should be getting 9 to 10 hours of sleep every night. 

• Let your kids spend time with their friends and give them a sense of privacy. Sharing secrets happen more around this age. 

•  Make sure to set boundaries that you will follow through. Let children know how much you love them and help establish ways to help them keep their emotions in check. 

• To help with their homework, make sure that you have set rules during homework time and make sure they have a space to think and work on their own. 

• Help create a sense of responsibility by setting chores for them to do, give them decisions in family plans. 

• Encourage healthy communication in the family where they can be honest.