Children spending too much time in their room is a problem in many families. It usually indicates that there is an issue with the child, parents, or household dynamics. Experts agree that kids who spend a lot of time alone in a room might be displaying symptoms of social anxiety or depression.
There are social, biological, and emotional reasons why teens tend to stay in bed all day. In some cases, anxiety or depression may be the underlying cause. Lifestyle changes can motivate a teen to get out of bed in the morning and start their day.
Emotional/Social Changes
Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes. Focus on themselves; going back and forth between high expectations and lack of confidence. Experience more moodiness. Show more interest in and influence by peer group.
They often goes from happy to sad, kind to rude, feeling smart to feeling short on confidence. They may also feel more stress because schoolwork is getting challenging. That's because their brain is able to handle more complex thinking now. This goes hand in hand with their expanding vocabulary.
Clinical psychologist Dr Vaani Gunaseelan notes that most parents start to allow their typically developing kids to go out on their own when they are between 11 and 13 years old.
Reasons Tweens and Teens Act Out
Even as kids get older they don't necessarily stop acting out. Sometimes they will act out or rebel for the same reasons they did as a child—they are hungry, tired, stressed, or simply want attention.
Teens, Privacy, and Independence
In this particular instance, your teenage daughter is likely in her room as a way to assert more independence and control over her life. Privacy can become even more important as she notices physical changes.
At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.
DEAR CONCERNED: It is not appropriate for parents to co-sleep with adolescent children, partly because adolescents need and deserve some privacy, as they engage in the developmentally important process of figuring out who they are and what they're about.
The preteen years can be challenging for girls because the hormones estrogen and progesterone responsible for puberty in girls can cause them to experience mood swings and seem to have an "attitude," which is normal during this stage.
Typically it's a mental thing, teenagers like to have downtime alone, it's a way of building up energy, you know your daughter well enough to know if she is doing something bad, she is most likely getting rest or watching a movie.
Look for Activities Your Daughter Will Enjoy
Lastly, don't push a singular activity, as you might create more resistance to it. Find activities that your teen enjoys and join in. Need more help with this? What I see most often in young teens is that they behave as though they want less attention from their parents.
Separation anxiety is a phase that almost all children go through. It's a completely normal part of the emotional development of your infant or toddler, and your little one will probably grow out of it when he's about 2 years old.
There are very few expert opinions pinpointing the exact age children should be when go out alone because each child, family and situation has so many variables. The age range falls between age 8 and 12. Under the age of 7, kids are unlikely to be able to care for themselves.
Environment. Is your yard fenced in? If your yard is fenced in, then 5 to 6 years old is an appropriate age to allow your child to play outside alone for a few minutes at a time. If your yard is not fenced in, consider waiting until your child is around 8 years old before you allow them to be totally alone outside.
First crushes may occur at any time, but generally start at around 10-13 years of age. They are an important step in developing normal and healthy romantic relationships, and provide opportunities to learn how to compromise and communicate.
12-Year-Old Life is Hard
Twelve is the age when kids become more aware of who they are. Seeing their own faults and noticing features like their weight, their style, and even their personality begins. They are critical of themselves and, in turn, critical of others.
According to the CDC, the average weight of a 12-year-old female is 92 pounds (lb) , or around 42 kilograms (kg).