Kids between 8 and 12 are called “tweens” because they are in between children and teenagers.
The "tween years" can be challenging for both children and their parents. Young adolescents are continuing to explore their community and world and beginning to develop unique identities separate from their parents.
The ages 11 through 14 years are often referred to as early adolescence. These years are an exciting time of many varied and rapid changes. Your child grows taller and stronger and also starts to feel and think in more mature ways. You may feel amazed as you watch your child begin to turn into an adult.
Young Teens (12-14 years of age)
While known as preadolescent in psychology, the terms preteen or tween are common in everyday use. A preteen or preteenager is a person ages 12 and under. Generally, the term is restricted to those close to reaching age 13, especially ages 9 to 12.
A tween is a child between the ages of 9 and 12. A tween is no longer a little child, but not quite a teenager. They are in between the two age groups and their behavior and emotions reflect that. Approaching puberty: Big changes are going to start or have already begun to happen to a tween's body.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as, "A human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.” This is ratified by 192 of 194 member countries.
A tween (pre-teen) is a child who's between the stages of childhood and adolescence. It's this “in-between” stage that the name “tween” is derived from. The term was first coined in the late 1980s. Children enter their tween years somewhere around ages 9 to 12 years old.
Generational definitions are most useful when they span a set age range and so allow meaningful comparisons across generations. That is why the generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024.
As children reach the age of 10, many will start to think of themselves as being almost teenagers. While some 10-year-olds will start looking and acting more mature, others will remain more child-like, both physically and emotionally. "Ten-year-olds are emerging adolescents.
11-Year-Old Physical Milestones
“These changes are breast development, axillary and pubic hair, body odor, acne, and growth spurts." Like girls, boys' sweat glands begin to get active at age 11, so you might start to smell unexpected odors from your child around this time.
They're likely to stand somewhere between 4 and 5 feet tall at this age. Their weight will probably be somewhere between 70 and 100 pounds. But at this age, your daughter has likely entered puberty and is at the peak of a growth spurt. They might grow as much as 4 inches a year during this time.
Not sure if an Apple or Android phone is right for them? The Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is a perfect starter device for 11 year olds who are ready to venture into the world of smartphones. Not only does this phone offer the freedom and flexibility that your child will need, but it's incredibly affordable.
Great film, but not for kids under 13
It's very gory and contains adult language.
The pre-teen (sometimes called the cheekier “tween”) adolescent phase starts at age nine and goes until 12. This small sliver of time between childhood and teenage life, typically when puberty starts, warrants its own demographic.
Meet the mini millennials: Generation Alpha, the generation of children born between 2011 and 2025.
The age in which tweens develop romantic interests in other people varies tremendously from child to child. Some kids may start expressing interest in having a boyfriend or girlfriend as early as age 10 while others are 12 or 13 before they show any interest.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child defines a child as "every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier".
Middle Childhood (6-8 years of age)
What defines a big kid? A big kid is a child between kindergarten and second grade (ages 5 to 8), with big kids being considered school age around ages 5 to 6. These years are filled with new milestones, new interests, new social needs, and new academic developments.
Ages 10 to 12
Cheng says parents should place strict limits on phone usage at this age and not give children Internet-enabled mobile devices. “Kids should only be allowed to use phones to call their parents,” he says.
Many children are ready for a phone at an average age of 12 or 13.
As they move toward puberty, their hormones begin to fluctuate, causing emotional instability. 1 Tweens also lack the emotional development to fully control their moods. In other words, they express exactly what they're feeling like they're feeling it.