Mason+Social+Changes

**Social Changes **
The changes 

As you go through your teen years, you and your friends are going to change a lot. Your bodies will change, your minds will change and so will your likes and dislikes. As years go on, you may get closer with some of your friends, but with others you may lose some of the things you shared in common as a kid. Boys and Girls will also start talking to each other more, rather than seperating into Boy groups and Girl groups.

Independence

Teens may start to spend more time with their friends and less with their family. When they are at home, they tend to spend more time in private. Their relationship with you will change as they move from being a dependent child to an independent adult. This is a normal and important stage of development. But the difficulty for many parents is allowing more freedom for them while still offering guidance and direction. Teens may also want more freedom and the ability to make their own decisions, which will probably cause an argument with their parents from time to time. For some parents, this can be a heartbreaking experience.  Some Points about Social change - Feeling awkward - Needing to belong and fit in - Needing to establish a separate identity from parents and family - "Coming of age" rituals or ceremonies celebrated by different cultures - Feeling easily embarrassed - Feeling like everyone else is looking at you - Feeling safe in a group - Wanting to look like peers, sometimes forming a certain look for your group.  Mood Changes Mood swings caused by hormonal changes are also common. Their peer group is becoming more important and they may be feeling pressure to do as their friends are doing or wear what ‘everyone’ is wearing. When parents disagree, they should explain why they have made their decision and what their concerns are.