1. How important have your teen’s relationships with peers been to his/her social development, emotional well-being and school achievement from 14-18 years of age?
More than any other aspect I feel as if Liam’s social interactions with his peers have influenced his social development. Around the age of 14 Liam began to interact with his peers more often, talking on the phone, playing video games regularly, choosing to play different sports and interact with different crowds. At 16, Liam become seriously involved with a new girlfriend that became so serious they decided to run off and get matching tattoos. If Liam was not being socially influenced by his peers then he would still display his old habits of wanting to please his father and I at all times. Liam continues to be a role model classmate, consistently achieving beyond the teacher expectations despite his peer influences. He seems to truly care about his academics and will become stressed or upset with himself if he does not achieve. I feel that this is not related strongly to his interactions with his peers, I believe that he has high expectations because he was raised with support and encouragement to do so. I believe that Liam’s peers have influenced his emotional well-being in some ways. They often times goof around and laugh uncontrollably, however, this is just one aspect of emotion.
2. Describe one change in your child’s thinking (e.g., changes in humor, abstract thinking, or theory of mind) and discuss how this might be affecting his or her interactions with you & your responses and his or her interactions with peers.
Over the past couple of years Liam has gained understanding of abstracting thinking, especially when it is about people and their personalities. He often times identifies when his personality characteristics are associated with mine or his fathers. He is also able to see the similarities between his friends and himself, indicating that the reason they get along so well is because of similar interests. I believe Liam’s increased awareness of abstract thinking is allowing our relationship to grow closer because he can see why I am implementing certain rules and setting guidelines for his safety. My response is to continue helping Liam develop this understanding of people and personalities, describe to him the reasoning behind my parenting decisions and allowing him to asses as well as inform me of his thoughts about my decisions. Liam is one of the most popular boys in his class by the time he becomes a senior, which I believe is because he did gain a greater understanding of abstract thinking at a younger age. He was able to understand this concept and it allowed him to make appropriate decision within his social interaction circle. Liam is a great student, not only intelligent but also a role model student and friend.
More than any other aspect I feel as if Liam’s social interactions with his peers have influenced his social development. Around the age of 14 Liam began to interact with his peers more often, talking on the phone, playing video games regularly, choosing to play different sports and interact with different crowds. At 16, Liam become seriously involved with a new girlfriend that became so serious they decided to run off and get matching tattoos. If Liam was not being socially influenced by his peers then he would still display his old habits of wanting to please his father and I at all times. Liam continues to be a role model classmate, consistently achieving beyond the teacher expectations despite his peer influences. He seems to truly care about his academics and will become stressed or upset with himself if he does not achieve. I feel that this is not related strongly to his interactions with his peers, I believe that he has high expectations because he was raised with support and encouragement to do so. I believe that Liam’s peers have influenced his emotional well-being in some ways. They often times goof around and laugh uncontrollably, however, this is just one aspect of emotion.
2. Describe one change in your child’s thinking (e.g., changes in humor, abstract thinking, or theory of mind) and discuss how this might be affecting his or her interactions with you & your responses and his or her interactions with peers.
Over the past couple of years Liam has gained understanding of abstracting thinking, especially when it is about people and their personalities. He often times identifies when his personality characteristics are associated with mine or his fathers. He is also able to see the similarities between his friends and himself, indicating that the reason they get along so well is because of similar interests. I believe Liam’s increased awareness of abstract thinking is allowing our relationship to grow closer because he can see why I am implementing certain rules and setting guidelines for his safety. My response is to continue helping Liam develop this understanding of people and personalities, describe to him the reasoning behind my parenting decisions and allowing him to asses as well as inform me of his thoughts about my decisions. Liam is one of the most popular boys in his class by the time he becomes a senior, which I believe is because he did gain a greater understanding of abstract thinking at a younger age. He was able to understand this concept and it allowed him to make appropriate decision within his social interaction circle. Liam is a great student, not only intelligent but also a role model student and friend.