Scouts, athletics, and church groups are some ways of meeting that need. Teens need a hero or an adult to look up to at this age. Special people outside the family, as well as relatives, can be helpful. Curiosity about sexual matters begins. Teens begin having new feelings, which are centered around their own bodies, rather than developing sexual relationships with the opposite sex.
Accurate information needs to be made available.
Special athletic, artistic, academic, or musical talents may emerge and should be encouraged and supported as much as possible. This will help the child to develop a good self-image. They deeply need love and acceptance by parents and peers, but they may hide such needs in an effort to be mature. Annoying habits, such as refusal to wash, poor manners, and untidy dress, are normal ways in which children try to become independent. A physical need for extended periods of rest is normal.