As your child enters her teen years, she is likely to desire increased independence from her parents and rely more on friendships. Here’s what you can expect and how you can help your 13 year old form a reliable social network outside of their family:

• Fitting in has never been as big a deal as it is to your child now. Hence, they tend to choose the company of friends over family. 

• Rebellious behavior is quite common among teenagers. They want to question authority figures and may try to shock you with weird hairdos or clothes. 

• Their growing need for independence makes them reject solutions offered by parents. 

• Teens often switch peers groups throughout the teen years as their interests shift.

• Dating and romantic relationships often become important during the early teen years. It’s normal for teens to develop sexual interests.

• Moodiness is common throughout the search for an identity.

• Spending a lot of time on the phone is normal, and a way of developing social skills for adolescents

Here are the things you can do to ensure they have a safe social circle: 

• Keep an eye on social media: Be aware of the websites they visit and explain to them why it is important that they keep you informed about what they are watching. 

• Explain the risks of drug abuse: Children at this age are vulnerable to get involved in drugs, so make sure you tell them the ill-effects of getting into it. 

• Educate them about sex: Sexual interest in normal at this stage. Educate your child about the need to exercise caution and safety. It is better that your child gets the right information from you, than seek it elsewhere. So, do not shy away from having a talk with your child. 

• Choose your battles wisely. Let go of smaller matters like a weird haircut while holding your ground on important matters like drugs. 

It is time for you to transition from a purely parent-child relationship to becoming friends with your child, while still parenting them. This is help them turn to you for support whenever they need to. 

Stay Tuned! Stay Relevant!