Adolescent (from 13-18 Years old)

Know Your Child's Growth

This is the thinking stage. As children enter their preschool years, they know what they like and don't like. Their emotions tend to be more stable and predictable

Physical

• Slow and steady growth

Emotional

• This is the thinking stage. As children enter their preschool years, they know what they like and don't like. Their emotions tend to be more stable and predictable.
• Know better what they're feeling and can name their feelings through words.
• Is afraid of real things (e.g., the dark, animals, and thunderstorms) and imaginary things (e.g., monsters and ghosts).
• Exaggerates the truth.
• Like to talk about body functions.
• Develop a sense of humor.
• Girls like the most the fathers and boys on the other hand like most their mothers.

Learning and Thinking

• Becomes more independent and sees themselves as a separate person.
• Finds bodily functions funny. Uses language that parents and siblings use.
• Is somewhat curious about babies, pregnancy, and the birth process.
• They like to know how their body is shaped or how it works.
• Most of the kids that are in this category of age are always curious about what his/her mother and father do when they are in a private place.

Social

• Likes to play with other children.
• Begins to share.
• Likes to talk.
• He/she likes to do works at home.
• He/she likes to dress or to assist someone who is dressing him/her.
• Enjoys group activities and games.

The Support They Need

The main idea for the kids of this age is not to teach them a lot of things, rather is to protect them from bad information especially from media (radio/television), from technology eg: telephones, from maids or any other source.

Parent/guardian, you should know that at this age you are not discussing with your kids about sexual and reproductive health & rights but the aim here is to create friendship and openness with your kids as early as possible so it can help you in the future when you are going to discuss with your kids about sexual and reproductive health & rights.

Get ready to repeat yourself as they easily forget and sometimes they don't understand you the first time or only hear part of it. And don't forget to ask them what they mean, so that you give them the right answer!

What You Should Teach Your Kids

Children at this age are the easiest to teach, as they are very curious and take in everything they see and hear. Your child will use their imagination to make up their own story if they don't understand the explanation they may have been given. Be ready to answer their questions again and again, as preschoolers don't always understand the first time.

Physical

• Teach your kids the name of their body, when you reach genitals use the basic knowledge like (agapipi) for those who use Kinyarwanda because kids of this age are not yet ready to receive a lot of information.
• Profit the time like when you are washing, putting lotion on her/his skin, wear him/her and then you teach your kid about his/her body parts.