3 ms·
Very true, up till about age 12 or so. At that point, kids start yearning to build their own identities. At least some of the time. They want to make their own
by GCA10 3y ago
Very true, up till about age 12 or so.
At that point, kids start yearning to build their own identities. At least some of the time. They want to make their own friends; find their own obsessions and solve (or create) their own problems. They still check in with parents a lot. The rubber band of independence stretches and snaps, again and again.
You realize that no one is a perfect parent, because the concept of perfection collapses on itself. Part of the way that kids master independence is to be annoyed at their parents -- enough so that they walk home instead of waiting for the ride. If we're too good at parenting, the chaos and casual cruelty of the outside world becomes unbearable and they never get the hang of running their own lives.
- andyjohnson0 3y agoFully agree. At around that age they increasingly don't want your undivided attention, except when they do. Its important to give them space to develop their own identity, with the reassurance that they have safety and support. And that if they need that, you'll be there and fully engaged.
- j0hnyl 3y agoI don't have kids of my own, but I have many younger cousins. I've noticed that by age 9-10 a lot of the charm was gone and their personalities were dominated by pop culture. Some re-emerge as normal in their mid-late teens or early 20s.