Disciplining a Tween
Things get a little more complicated as kids enter the tween and teen years. (Okay — they get a lot more complicated!) Your little child who (possibly reluctantly) complied with your requests will seem to have vanished. Rest assured that special need or not, the tween/teen years will be emotional and challenging.
The Age of the Tween
Tweens are going through hormonal changes. They are expressing a new level of independence from their parents. Often they seem to challenge or rebel against everything, from what to wear, to what they say, and who they want to hang out with. Your child will experience many changes in the emotional tween years.
Tween Discipline Plan
Continue to explain your expectations as your child enters this period. Remember that your discipline plan has been changing as your child has grown and matured. Make sure that your tween is very clear on your expectations.
Alert
Your tween will go through the same hormonal changes as his peers, although he may not have the language skills to understand the changes. Make sure to include your expectations concerning interaction with the opposite sex in your discipline plan. Too often, this area is overlooked, and avoidable, socially inappropriate situations arise.
Here are some things that you will want to have in your tween's discipline plan (note that some of them are on the list for younger children as well):
Language
Household chores
Curfew
Acceptable places to go
Cell phone use
Internet use
Boy-girl issues
Smoking and drugs
Keep your discipline consistent. Just like your plan when your child was young, your discipline plan should include reminders, rewards, and consequences.
