Developmental Stages of Young People: Part One

You may feel as if it wasn’t all that long ago that you yourself were taking that roller-coaster ride through adolescence. If you’re a peer mentor, you still may be going through adolescence yourself. Or maybe you’re an adult mentor with children who have gone through or are currently going through adolescence. No matter what your level of experience is with young people, it helps to understand a little more about typical changes that happen to them as they approach and go through different stages. This helps you identify normal behaviors in your mentee and better equips you to react to them.

Below is a summary of typical developmental experiences of young people at different ages, as well as some tips for helping your mentee thrive during these critical developmental changes.

APPEARANCES AND SELF-IMAGE

By the time young people are between the ages of 10 and 12, they are well into puberty. As they age, they may worry about personal traits that are vital to them, but are hardly noticeable to others.

Young people also go through emotional changes that impact their self-image. By the time they are between the ages of 13 and 16, they will likely experience emotional extremes, from being happy to feeling sad or from thinking they are smart to believing they are dumb. They may want both to fit in with the crowd while at the same time stand out and be special. It is normal to see these kinds of emotional extremes continue well into their teen years as they take on more independence and make more decisions for themselves.

Tips for interacting with your mentee:
·        Be sensitive to how she feels about her body or other issues.
·        Acknowledge feelings, positive traits and abilities, and help him recognize his own genuine worth.
·        Make sure your mentee knows how important she is to you. Don’t assume she knows.
·        Bolster his self-confidence by emphasizing independent choice, encouraging self-respect, and recognizing  positive behavior.
·        Find out what your mentee loves learning about or what she’s interested in studying.

Reprinted with permission from Search Institute®.  From Mentoring for Meaningful Results: Asset-Building Tips, Tools, and Activities for Youth and Adults. Copyright © 2008 Search Institute, Minneapolis, MN; 800-888-7828; www.search-institute.org. All rights reserved.