Adolescent already?

The years between 9-13 are a nerve-racking time for pre-teens as they compares their physical development with that of everybody else.

I'm not weird... am I?
Your pre-teen desperately wants to be normal but is unsure what normal should be. The girls at school are shooting past the boys in height and everybody's at different developmental stages.

Although your child may be embarrassed to discuss physical changes directly with you, all pre-teens secretly welcome information about puberty. It may be easier for a boy to talk to his father but don't assume that it will be so. Take your lead from your child.

Behind closed doors
Give your pre-teen a book or article to read at leisure - or 'accidentally' leave it lying around. Embarrassment is totally normal. Pre-teens become modest about their bodies and seek privacy. They may also become shy and blush at any attention that they consider unwarranted.

Too much, too young?
If your daughter's going through early puberty, don't forget that her social development may not be keeping pace with her physical growth. Some 12 year-old girls can look almost grown-up but are still children underneath.

She may encounter peer pressure to act older than she feels. She needs your support at this stage to resist peer group pressure to smoke, drink or get a boyfriend. If she tells you what other pre-teens are up to, you may be shocked. Don't get angry, lecture or nag her. That's not what she wants. She needs a listening ear to help her resist peer pressure to do things she knows she's not ready for.

• Development 9-13 Yrs: Girls' Bodies
• Development 9-13 Yrs: Pre-Teen Know-All
• Development 9-13 Yrs: Thinking Ahead