If "tweens" are becoming the new teens, then are teens adults?

Question

I read this article on yahoo somewhere that 10 year olds are at the same maturity level as 13 year olds now. So are 15 year olds mature as 18 year olds?

Answer 1

As long as parents let one child become mature person,the child becomes mature.For example if you haven't let your daughter take important decision for her future and have helped her about everything she had to do alone(saving money,doing homework,washing clothes...) at the age of 18,she won't be more mature than a 12-year-old.And the same is backwards - if you let your 12-year-old take imortant decision,respect her point of view,let her do everything she wants to(and everything she needs to) alone(for example don't mess with her homework and don't wash her clothes all the time),at 12 she might be as mature as a 16-year-old(excluding sexual maturity which comes later,not at 12).
I remember being the second type children.Since I began school,my parents didn't stop going to work,just in order to have someone at home when I come ack from school for the afternoon.That way,I came back at 13:00 o'clock and I was alone until 19:00 when my parents go back from work.Leaving alone at home tought me how to take care of myself - I prepared my lunch(usually made sandwiches or bought something from the store nearby),I decided every morning what to wear for school and my mother just reminded me to go out on the terrace to see what the weather is like and decide better what to wear.My parents never observed my homeworks and never corrected my grammar mistakes and let me correct them alone and then the teacher correct them and that's how I learned how to spell without mistakes at the age of 9,while most of my schoolmates still make grammar mistakes(I'm 9th grade).when I had to continue my education in another school(at the age of 13),my parents let me decide which one I prefer and then supported me in my choice.Another thing was with my hygiene.My parents let me decide(since I was 8 years old) when do I want to take shower and when to wash my clothes and just showed me how to do it alone.I was allowed to travel with the bus alone when I started school(it was far away from home).I was let to stay out(with friends or alone) as long as I want if I had told my parents when I'd be back.And they never supervised me while I was out with friends.Including everything,I learnt how to take care of myself and I can say that at the age of 10 I was more mature then a lot of teenagers over 15).And that didn't affect my childhood either.I was allowed to play as long as I want.That's how I developed harmoniously.
The same is with all children.Let them become mature and they will.Do't let them and they won't.

Answer 2

I here what you're saying.. Now my friends little sister acts like a carbon copy of her sister, carrying the purse around acting all girlly... It drives me nuts and she's 7!!! And her sisters 13..

I have noticed that kids are growing up faster.. Kids start dating in like grade 4???? OMG... My grade started around grade 6 but mostly 7.. Suddenly it's all about the hair, and who do you like instead of playing dolls and dress-up until the last time you should be.. I don't know what it is...

Personally there are people that are just mature, and I hope I'm one of them however some people just put themselves into a mature body but not actually there with the mind..

Like some 15 year olds are actually more mentally mature than 18 year olds, my sister is..

And no the 10 year old thing is not true, I think that kids are rushing there growing up, thinking it's so glamorous to be 13 or 14.. Jeez!!!! I mean enjoy!!

Now I wish I didn't have to worry about all the crap that comes a long with being a teenager.. I wish people wouldn't rush to get hips and breasts because it will come, when you don't want it...

Karina

Answer 3

tweens are just that, no more. Teens are STILL teens, still minor, still considered children. I have yet to find a 15 year old who is mature enough to be consiered an adult...yes there are some who are quite mature but still not responsible enough to take on the thing that adults have to take on. If you are 15 and THINK you're as mature as an 18 year old try getting a full time job, having your own place paying your own bills, as well as go to college fulltime and get decent grades on top of it. Then I'd be willing to discuss how mature you are.

Answer 4

You misread the article.

10 year olds are NOT the same maturity level as 13 year olds. Get that thought out of your head right now. They've simply decided to start acting like the stereotypical 13 year old, due to society being what it is and parents being too lenient on what they allow their children to do. (My children will not be allowed to dress like hoochie mamas as long as they are under my roof.)

10 year olds are not mentally or emotionally on the same level as 13 year olds and could not cope with some of the situations 13 year olds find themselves in. That is why you are not LEGALLY an adult until you are 18, when the government thinks you're at least old enough to realize that you are doing something stupid when you're doing it and stop yourself. The drinking age is 21 because the frontal lobe part of the brain (the part that controls behavior, I believe - I'm rather fuzzy on brain function information) is not fully developed until a person is in their early 20s - this, I believe, is why it's so hard to find a rental car company that will rent to anyone under the age of 25.

10 year olds are simply trying to be older than they are. Trust me, 15 year olds are not as mature as 18 year olds. Until teens are capable of acting like adults, (watch how your parents act for examples), you are not going to be considered adults because you're CHILDREN.

Answer 5

Ha! Maturity is relative, and in the mind of the beholder. I know some teens that act like single-digits. That way danger does lie, the generalizations must go. Besides, I don't think it's an advance of 3 yrs however you put it. Also, being more mature at a young age is not necessarily a good thing...

Answer 6

The term "tweens" is more of a marketing term than an actual sign of maturity. These 11-12 year olds are imitating their older school mates with desires for iPods, music, shoes, clothes, etc. This imitation includes attitudes and information. They learn earlier in how to behave as a teen, including mood swings and interest in the opposite sex. Sexual misinformation is also shared to the younger children. As information is passed to this younger group, it is held from going to younger groups by this new group taking the attitude "you're too young."

What's to blame? In my opinion, FOOTBALL.

In the US, school children were segregated by age. Generally, 6 - 12 year olds were in Elementry School. Even within this group, the 6-9 year olds usually maintained some segregation from the 10-12 year olds.

The 13-15 year olds were in the Junior High Schools and 16-18 year olds were in High School.

There is a lot of "ego" in that if you are in High School, you don't associate with the little kids in Junior High and Junior High does not play with the babies in Elementry School. This tended to help parents keep their daughters playing with Barbie instead of Ken a lot longer :)

High Schools were listed as being A, 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A according to their size. The larger the school the more "A"s you had. And in Texas the bigger the better. Bigger meant more students to pick from for the football team. It would take years to accumulate the student body population growth to move from 3A to 5A. A quick way to make the move? Consolidate. Move the 9th grade students into the High School.

Now a lot of schools that were marginal were in the big time. But what price was paid?

The Junior High 9th graders who were still in the ackward school dance stage are now cheek to cheek at the high school dance. The 6th graders who were playing with Barbie and GI Joe dolls are much more interested in the real life Kens and Barbies.

For the sake of football, we have sacrificed one year of childhood. We are forcing our children into more mature situations without teaching them what those situations are. Do you really want your 15 year old dating an 18 year old? The 18 year old is an adult. There is a big difference between 18 and 15.

Is a bigger football trophy really worth that year we take away from our children?

Answer 7

Those tweens are still children in my mind. I'm 17 and I consider myself a teenager not an adult. I know many 13 year olds who act like they're adults. They drink, have boyfriend/girlfriends, and even do some lewd acts on each other. Whatever happend to living your childhood? Their innocence is wiping out, they're children who are growing too fast.

Answer 8

no not really, cuz u really dont know that. plus 15 year olds are just learning to be adults, and i'm pretty sure 18 year olds have a some experience on life as an adult and 15 year olds pretty much dont.

Answer 9

no, honey-child, they didn't say same maturity level. cuz you ask me tweens & teens & whoever else are going backwards and becoming less mature. but really just the states. the children really don't know how to act, and wanna be so grown so soon. shoot, enjoy your childhood while you can cuz when you finally do become grown you won't be ablwe to enjoy childhood like you could when you were actually a child. just my opinion on things.

Answer 10

I read the same article and wondered the same thing, but I think not. I think they're just saying that the age of teens is getting younger.