Top Picks: Child Development — Here’s what you need to know about Emotional Development in Adolescence

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The adolescent brain: Beyond raging hormones: [Harvard University] As long as the brain is still in formation, things can go wrong in many ways, and some of them involve the onset of psychiatric disorders. Stress can retard the growth of the hippocampus, which consolidates memories. According to some theories, the pruning of gray matter or the thickening of the myelin coat in late adolescence allows the early symptoms of schizophrenia to emerge.

Gaining emotional autonomy: [Britannica] The rise in negative emotional experiences during early adolescence emerges in conjunction with the capacity for abstract thinking. Adolescents often experience emotional distress in response to ambiguous and imagined romantic exchanges, and their capacity to experience complex and diverse emotions further promotes the development of abstract thinking. As adolescents grapple with increasingly abstract and complex social problems, they often seek a stable peer group as the context for emotional management. Positive peer relationships emerge from the recognition of equality and the tendency to offer emotional support.

Don’t Feel Responsible For Their Child’s Emotions: [Forbes] It can be tempting to cheer your kids up when they’re sad or calm them down when they’re angry. But, regulating your kids’ emotions for them prevents them from gaining social and emotional skills. Mentally strong parents teach their children how to be responsible for their own emotions so they don’t depend on others to do it for them.

Emotional changes in adolescence: [Raising Children] Your child might show strong feelings and intense emotions, and her moods might seem unpredictable. These emotional ups and downs can lead to increased conflict. They happen partly because your child’s brain is still learning how to control and express emotions in a grown-up way.

Adolescent development: [WHO] All societies recognize that there is a difference between being a child and becoming an adult. How this transition from childhood to adulthood is defined and recognized differs between cultures and over time. In the past it has often been relatively rapid, and in some societies it still is. In many countries, however, this is changing.