13-14 years

Milestones

Around 13–14 years old, many teens:

• Social

  • Are better at controlling emotions and behaviors
  • Begin to develop friendships with the opposite sex
  • Show more concern about body image, looks, and clothes
  • Care more about issues of right and wrong

• Communication

  • Understand the difference between figurative and literal language
  • Understand how words can be used in different contexts

• Learning

  • Read different kinds of books and write about their ideas
  • Use a bigger vocabulary to speak about complex ideas
  • Master basic math, including adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division

• Physical Development

  • Are aware of sexuality
  • Use deodorant
  • Show signs of puberty

• Health

  • Have 6 to 10 ounces of grains daily, including whole 1 ounce equals ½ cup oatmeal, ½ cup of rice, 5 whole wheat crackers, 1 slice of whole wheat bread, or ½ cup cooked pasta).
  • Have 2 ½ to 4 cups of vegetables daily (such as 1 cup baby carrots, 1 cup broccoli, ½ avocado, and 1 cup sliced peppers). Fresh, frozen canned or dried all count.
  • Have 1 ½ to 2 ½ cups of fruits daily (such as 1 medium apple, 1 banana, and ½ cup berries). Fresh, frozen canned or dried all count.
  • Have 5 to 7 ounces of protein foods daily (1 ounce equals 1 egg, ¼ cup of beans or lentils, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or ¼ cup tofu). Protein foods include beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, nut butters, poultry, fish, eggs and meat.
  • Have 3 cups of dairy or suitable substitute daily. This includes whole cow’s milk, whole plain yogurt, or unsweetened fortified soy beverage.
  • Drink water at or between meals for thirst.

As your teen transitions into adulthood, look out for signs they may be at risk or troubled, including if they:

• Act Early

  • Extreme mood shifts, like being happy and excited one minute and sad and depressed the next
  • Sleeping more than 10 hours a day or change their sleep pattern
  • Spending too much time alone