AN Initiation

Towards
Life…..

By Psychologist & School Counselor

Anjali Kaushik Chadha
 Parenting

Rearing of a child

Care
Love
Guidance
 THEN & NOW
Mindboggling change
in the last

25- 30 years
Technology
Less child norm
More money to spend
More facilities
CHILD DEVELOPMENT- AREAS

SOCIAL
EMOTIONAL
MENTAL (Cognitive)
PHYSICAL
 10-11 yr olds
As children reach the age of 10, many will start to
think of themselves as being almost teenagers. But, it's
not always the case. While some will start looking and
acting more mature, others will remain more child-
like, both physically and emotionally
Being 10 is all about change. It is a period of transition
that can offer challenges and delights as children start
to embrace the approach of adolescence.
Milestones
emonstrates improved agility, speed, coordination,
and balance
Begins to show signs of puberty such as oily skin,
increased sweating and hair growth in the genital area
and under the arms
Experiences an increase in small muscle coordination.
Parenting Tip
9-10 hrs of sleep reqd
s she tries to deal with all the physical changes and other shifts in her life. A 10-year-old child may be trying to keep up with ever-more difficult school
Key Milestones
•Admires and imitates older youth
Help your child to learn how
•Beginning to deal with
to question uncomfortable emotions including frustration, anger, disappointment, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and boredom.
authority
•Are accepting of parent/family beliefs
Parenting Tip
Ten-year-olds do feel very close to their parents, siblings, and
extended family. They may have frequent squabbles with siblings,
fighting especially with younger siblings.
Peer pressure can play a big role in social relationships of most 10-
year-olds. At this age, kids will be eager to fit in by wearing the right
clothes, listening to the right music, or liking and disliking the same
things.

Key Social Milestones

Enjoys creating secret codes and passwords with their friends
Identifies with individuals of the same gender
Prefers to work in groups and enjoys cooperative activities
Parenting Tip
Allow your child to have some privacy with friends.
Holding private conversations and sharing secrets is
socially appropriate at this age and it can be important
to your child’s healthy development.  
Cognitive Development
play
Key Milestones
Learning to use good judgment
Shows interest in sports teams or pop culture
Have an increased attention span and can often spend
long periods of time working on activities they enjoy
Parenting Tip
Set your child up for academic success by encouraging
good study habits. Establish a homework time and a
designated homework area. Create rules, such as no TV
during homework time, that will help your child succeed.
Other Milestones
Children this age may also begin to place more
emphasis on physical appearance and may want to fit
in and conform with peers more than they used to.
Body image issues can also develop at this age in some
children—particularly girls.
Be a good role model when it comes to body image.
Avoid making comments that criticize your own body
(such as calling yourself “fat”) and set an example of 
healthy eating habits.
You can expect to see an increased desire for privacy in children this age. Ten-year-
old children are becoming more aware of their bodies and are more likely to want
privacy when bathing and dressing. They are also more likely to pay attention to
things like clothes and hairstyles and what their friends are thinking and wearing.
When to Be Concerned
If your child’s flashes of bad temper are fleeting and only happen occasionally, it’s
probably nothing to worry about. But if your child still becomes aggressive or his
angry outbursts interfere with his relationships, it could be a sign of a bigger
problem.
If you see behavioral or personality changes,(trouble sleeping or eating, or not
wanting to go to school, for example), talk to your child’s pediatrician or teacher.
Children of this age also develop physically at different rates. Early puberty in girls
may lead to an especially high risk for body image issues. It’s important to hold
regular conversations about your child’s changing body and to emphasize the
importance of health over appearance.
How to Support Development

Positive reinforcement- praise/reward/appreciate

Help him express his feelings- through words

Drawing a picture
Pretend play
Be a role model by incorporating physical activity into
family time
If your tween is ready , you can leave him / her alone
for short periods of time
Talk to your child about puberty or sexuality
Look out for signs of bullying
he best nutrition advice to keep your child healthy includes encouraging them to:
Eat a variety of foods
Balance the food you eat with physical activity
Eat plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits
Choose foods low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
Consume sugar and salt in moderation
Consume enough calcium and iron to meet their growing body's requirements
Stock the kitchen with low-calorie and low-fat meals, snacks, and desserts. Only allow your
tween to drink low fat or skim milk. Keep high calorie snacks, such as chips, soft drinks or
ice cream out of the house as much as possible.
Eat dinner together as a family and make mealtimes enjoyable for everyone. Don’t argue
about homework or other issues at the dinner table. Instead, keep the conversation as
enjoyable as possible.
Don’t force your tween to eat anything he doesn’t want. Offer healthy meals for dinner and
if he’s hungry, he’ll eat it.
You don’t need to create a separate meal for your child if he doesn’t like what you’re serving.
Don’t use food to bribe or reward your tween. And
don’t make a big deal out of his eating habits if he’s a
picky eater. Focusing on it too much can make things
worse
Physical Activity
It’s recommended that tweens get at least 60 minutes of physical activityeach day. Since many of
them no longer have recess, it becomes more important than ever to make sure you’re emphasizing
physical activity at home.
Much of their physical activity should include aerobic activity. Playing sports, riding a bike, or
jogging are aerobic activities your tween might enjoy.
Muscle strengthening activities are also important. Some tweens may show an interest in 
lifting weights or performing strength training exercises.
Tweens should also participate in bone building activities. Basketball, jumping rope, or running can
all help build bones.
Incorporate physical activity into your family life. Go for a family walk in the evenings, play a sport
together, or go for long bike rides on the weekends.
Your tween might enjoy playing pass, going to an obstacle course, or kicking a ball around together.
Your child will learn healthy habits by watching you so make sure you are a good role model when it
comes to physical activity.
Body image issues are common during the tween years. So it’s important to emphasize exercising to
stay healthy and to build strong bones, rather than to lose weight or look better.
While they’re still interested in family time, they might be eager to ditch their family plans if a
friend calls.
That doesn’t mean you should give up on family fun nights, however. Your tween will likely enjoy
special time with you. Whether you play board games, participate in physical activities, or you
explore new places, doing activities together can be a good way to bond.
Your tween may also become disrespectful at times. She might insist she knows everything or say
she’ll do her chores according to her terms. Trying to assert herself is her way of gaining some
independence.
You can give her an opportunity to develop autonomy by offering her two choices. Ask, “Do you
want to clean your room before dinner or after?” Just make sure you can live with either choice.
Tweens should have the skills to do most household chores. If you’re going to allow your tween to
use household chemicals or do any cooking, make sure you cover safety precautions.
Appropriate chores could include emptying the dishwasher, washing windows, mopping floors,
vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom.
A chore chart could be a helpful way to remind your tween what you expect of her. It can reduce the
urge to nag her or repeatedly remind her to do her chores.
Offer incentives and rewards when she’s behaving responsibly. You might link her chores to
privileges, such as screen time, or you might offer an allowance.
t’s also important to start talking to your tween about social issues, such as alcohol, drugs,
and sex. While you might assume your child would never engage in such adult activity,
there’s a good chance some of his peers are.
It’s important for tweens to know how to deal with peer pressure and to recognize dangers
when they encounter them.
Technology
Most tweens are comfortable using electronics. But that doesn’t mean they should be allowed
to use them unsupervised.
Many tweens are using social media, have their own smartphones, and regularly use the
internet. And while there are games, websites, and apps that can provide educational
content, digital devices can also present a lot of risks for tweens.
From cyberbullies to online predators, the unfiltered world of the web can be dangerous for
young people. Tweens who surf the web without adult supervision are likely to come across
adult content.
Sexting can also become an issue during the tween years. Whether your tween asks to see
inappropriate photos of someone else, or your child is the one sending nude content, many
young people are using their electronic devices to share photos.
Establish clear rules that will protect your tween’s privacy. Tell your
child that it’s never OK to share her current location, home address (or
anyone else’s address), social security number, or names of family
members.
If you allow your child to use social media, choose a nickname that is
different from her real name. Research the potential risks and benefits
of any social media site before allowing your child to join.
Explain what your child should do if she ever receives messages that
make her feel uncomfortable or if she comes across content that is
offensive. Request that she come to you and tell you what happened.
Make your tween use her digital devices in a common area of the home.
Look over her shoulder sometimes so you know what she’s doing. Use
parental controls to ensure she can only access kid-friendly content.
Social- Emotional growth
 24x7 Role model- YOU
PRACTICE what you PREACH

Talk about feelings- how to cope

How to have positive relationships
Value of sharing
QUANTITY & not just QUALITY time

Talk often , Ask questions & Listen

playing

Fosters brain development

Builds relationships
Value of sharing , empathy , cooperation &
competition
Problem- conflict- solving emerges , thereby Self
control
Promotes health & fitness – less time sitting ,
Sleeps well
Smarter children – high on EQ
Playing
Ingrained into daily life activities
Allow them to assist you in daily chores
putting beads in a string , tying shoe laces
Read out aloud
Give them choices ,
Have clear rules in the house
Urge the child to play in a group
Play with your child – daily
Atleast 20 minutes
Remove distractions :
phone
TV
Screen time

TV,
Tablets & phones
Too much screen time

Overweight & obesity

Poor social emotional skills

Lack of opportunities for creativity to develop

What to do?
Quality Screen time
Educational
Supervised .
towards screen free activities-
active dancing ,
singing to videos –
taking a walk ,
chores ,
 sky gazing

Switch off - out of bedrooms

 It’s a way of expressing ANGER
Anger mangement begins NOW

You are their 24x7 role model

Teach them steps to calm down – by doing it yourself

Teach them how to recognize & label feelings-

through books
Recognize & appreciate when calm
Calmness
Bring friends to you

Better achievers

Handle frustration better

Everyone gets angry sometimes

Teach them self control & not scared when upset

Have A routine

Instills a sense of control and independence

Thereby generates confidence

Less arguments with the child

 Establish & stick to a routine

 How ?
Allow child to go at his/ her own pace
Prepare the night before
Make a Picture- Chart
Remove distractions – books/ toys/ TV
11- 13 hours sleep reqd.
Be consistent & firm
Calming activities before bed
Separation anxiety

Develop good bye rituals

Respect your own feelings- you will be sad
Manage these feelings alone
Do not tell you would be outside just in case
Have faith in your child and nature
Stay in touch with the teacher – send her notes of
appreciation
Spend Quantity time after school
Get a LIFE
 AS a Parent
 2nd most important job

 nurturing a human being – brain is shaping up as

per your interaction

NURTURE YOURSELF
Can you spread Happiness
unless YOU are YOURSELF
overflowing with it ?
A Happy Child
belongs

only to a

Happy Parent
THANK YOU