Growing Up in a Hurry

Growing up is a part of a kid's natural journey toward independence. But child development experts say that physical and behavioral changes that would have been typical of teenagers decades ago are now common among "tweens",kids ages 8 to 12.The shift that's turning tweens into the new teens makes parents worry.They wonder whether kids are ready to handle the issues that come with being a teen. I definitely feel like these kids are growing up faster and I'm not sure it's always a good thing. It seems that they have skipped generations. I think that the world is taking them along its rapid wide span of technology.It seems like now a days everything is fast paced and rapid growing, everything is made to be easy and convinient to those who have less time in there hectic scheduled lives.I think this majorely influences the children around us, it is basically taking them along for the ride. I think the reasons it's happening are both physical and social.Some of them are going on "dates" and talking on their own cell phones. They listen to sexually charged pop music, play mature-rated video games and spend time gossiping on MySpace. And more girls are wearing makeup and clothing that are not their age appropriate. Along with that, even young children are having to deal with peer pressure and other social influences.Kids look and dress older. They struggle to process the images of sex, violence and adult humor, even when their parents try to shield them. And sometimes, parents end up encouraging the behavior by failing to set limits, handing over power to their kids.

It's an old issue. Kids want to fit in and younger kids want to be like older kids.
But as the limits have been pushed, experts say the stakes also have gotten higher with parents and tweens having to deal with very grown-up issues such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Earlier this year, that point was made when a vaccine for HPV was recommended, a common STD that can lead to cervical cancer for girls as young as age 9; thats astonishing.With grown-up influences coming from so many different angles, from peers to the Internet and TV, some parents say the trend is difficult to defeat. All we can hope for is that parents educate their children, and hopefully be open to answer any questions their child may have. It is best if the child asks a mature parent rather than their own peer who is also struggling to fit in. But that can only be possible if the child fels comfortable with the parent and develops that sort of relationship with them.

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