Birthday is a holiday of childhood, as correctly noted in one old hit, and childhood is the happiest and most carefree time in the life of every person. But today's parents know very well how quietly and imperceptibly this time passes, so they try to make every birthday an unforgettable holiday for their son!
And a real holiday for a boy of any age is, first of all, gifts: necessary, important, original and, of course, chosen with love and care.
At this age, many boys have not yet realized the true value of money and the concept of “expensive” for them is not an obstacle to asking their parents to the point of tears and insanity to give them what they think is a vital thing.
If buying a coveted gift does not make a huge hole in the family budget and you feel that the child deserves it, then this is not pampering, but a simple manifestation of parental love and great happiness for your boy.
It happens that in families it is not customary to make gifts “to order”, or the boy is in for a surprise, in which case parents should consider more different ideas and choose the best option for their son.
At the age of 11, most children have not yet lost interest in toys, although there is nothing to be surprised about: many modern entertainments delight even adults!
Radio controlled models:
- transforming car;
- racing car with lighting effects;
- firefighter ATV;
- infrared controlled aircraft;
- helicopter with gyroscope;
- submarine;
- racing diving boat.
An 11-year-old boy will also be interested in receiving a radio-controlled spider or snake as a gift.
There is no point in saving money: a cheap Chinese toy will most likely quickly become unusable and leave an unpleasant aftertaste and disappointment in the child’s soul. But a high-quality model will last for many years and will remain as a keepsake, especially since at the age of 11 a boy already treats such things with care and there is no need to be afraid that he will use the toy for other purposes: for example, transporting pebbles on a rather fragile model or placing a cat on it.
Constructors
It's hard to imagine a boy indifferent to construction toys! Surely your child received his first Lego set when he was three years old, and the boxes with the remaining simple parts are still collecting dust somewhere on the mezzanine.
What to give to an 11 year old boy? Constructor: "Solar robots". 
For an 11-year-old boy, modern manufacturers offer exceptionally diverse, high-tech construction kits that drive yesterday's primary schoolchildren into wild delight:
- "Solar Robots" solar-powered - an amazing set that the boy is unlikely to get tired of, because every day you can assemble a new moving toy;
- "Hero Fortress"": the designer will be especially interesting to a boy who collects transformers; you can always choose the missing model from the great variety of sets;
- "Space Rail": an amazing puzzle that allows you to create a “perpetual motion machine” from an incredible number of parts - a super track on the rails of which balls can constantly roll;
- "Lego Technic" or "Lego City"- every boy's dream! Realistic models accurately reproduce the most famous car brands, and their quality fully justifies the round sum paid for the set;
- "Lego Star Wars"- a wonderful gift for a boy who is seriously interested not only in Star Wars, but also in the theme of space in general;
- "Lego Super heroes " - one of the sets is perfect for a boy who is a fan of the famous Marvel blockbusters.
Surely a young collector of construction sets has some specific preferences and there is nothing wrong with casually asking a child if something special has appeared in the family of popular construction sets? After 2 seconds, the child will be excited and with sparkling eyes will definitely enlighten you, and then you can go to the store with a pure soul to buy a gift.
Logic board games
In the age of computer technology, it is very important to prevent the moment when the virtual world begins to replace reality for a boy. Modern board games are specially created so that a child can become interested in something other than computer games, and in most cases, manufacturers succeed in this.
Today on the market there are very high-quality, interesting, exciting board games that can truly captivate an 11-year-old boy and his friends:
- "Activity" or " Visual" - exciting games, especially interesting for a cheerful group of children;
- "Jenga Gold"- a game that will especially appeal to a purposeful, focused boy;
- "Lord of the Mind"- a very non-standard game, with the help of which the boy and his friend will become real decryption masters;
- "Load and carry" - popular logic puzzle, a classic German toy somewhat reminiscent of an electronic version of Tetris;
- "Colonizers"- exciting economic strategies presented in a wide variety of options.
Also, an 11 year old boy will be interested in sets of tabletop sports games: football, hockey, basketball, tank biathlon, pinball or curling.
What to give to an 11 year old boy? Game: "Colonizers". 
What will a child like, besides toys? An 11-year-old boy is unlikely to appreciate wardrobe items, even the highest quality and fashionable ones, as a gift; the exception could be something unusual, for example, sneakers with roller skates - the dream of any boy, or just roller skates.
It is not advisable to give expensive gadgets to a boy at this age. At school, and even on the way home, the child may encounter ill-wishers among older schoolchildren, and an expensive accessory will only bring trouble to the child.
Children grow very quickly and on the threshold of the child’s 12th birthday, parents suddenly realize that their boy is no longer interested in toys, and are glad that his circle of interests has expanded with new hobbies.
Gifts for a little athlete
Many boys at this age are already seriously involved in some kind of sport, and attach great importance to various sports accessories: important, useful and ultra-modern, which they can show off to their friends:
- fitness bracelet or sports watch: It’s better to choose not the most advanced model; again, a 12-year-old child is still physically unable to stand up for himself and his things. But inexpensive option with a set of necessary functions, a sporty boy will definitely appreciate it;
- sliding roller skates with a set of protective accessories;
- skateboard: V sports stores you can choose great option for a boy of 12 years old, and no matter how much you would like to give your child a cool longboard, wait a couple of years, it’s still too early to develop prohibitive speed;
- children's dumbbell set with neoprene coating: dumbbells weighing 0.5-1 kg are quite suitable for a 12-year-old boy;
- footbag or sox- sports accessories for great entertainment both at home and on the street;
- diabolo- a fun sports toy for creating various tricks, perfectly developing motor skills and coordination;
- air football- an amazing toy for a boy who dreams of his favorite sport and will be able to kick the ball at any opportune moment, even during recess;
- stuffed bulb or punch trainer: even if parents do not plan a boxing career for their son, such sports attributes will force the child to look away from the computer more often and provide an opportunity for a positive outlet for accumulated energy.
Smart gifts
At the age of 12, a boy already has certain interests very clearly visible; some develop a craving for art, exact sciences, or creative activity. Or perhaps, on the contrary, the child is only interested in the virtual world, in which case it is simply necessary to try to interest the boy in something else:
- set of experiments"Young chemist" or "Young physicist";
- science set"Optical illusions";
- ""Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton"- kit for the future archaeologist;
- "Fascinating anatomy" - Very educational game for the future doctor;
- telescope- great gift for a boy interested in astronomy;
- souvenir chess- a valuable gift for an intellectual child;
- electronic designer: a special gift for a child interested in electromechanics, allowing you to safely create many electrical circuits;
- tabletop World game of Tanks Rush- deck-building version of the popular online games as if she had stepped off the monitor screen;
- 3D puzzle (robot, safe, skull): tricky puzzles will make the boy feel like a real engineer.
At the age of 12, a boy is still very interested in discovering something new for himself, so he is wonderful a universal gift could be the “School of Magic” set - an entertaining educational game consisting of 60 different tricks. This set will especially appeal to fans of the Harry Potter saga.
And parents can’t escape all sorts of gadgets: game consoles, smartphones, tablets, laptops and MP3 players, each of which can be a wonderful gift for a 12-year-old boy.
But you need to act carefully: a gift will be appropriate if the child knows when to stop and does not spend time in the virtual world from morning to night, there are no obvious signs of Internet addiction, and the boy knows how to handle expensive things with care.
What to give a 13 year old boy?
Modern teenagers are now commonly called the fashionable word teenager, derived from the component of the English number “13”. And how to celebrate this glorious date, how to please your teenager, often becomes a real problem for parents.
Perhaps your boy has been asking for a pet for a long time, but you feel that he is not yet ready to become the owner of a four-legged friend. Give him a radio-controlled flying shark - a one and a half meter monster will certainly delight the boy, and even more so his friends!
At this age, it is quite possible to start giving a boy original and inexpensive gifts. As a rule, at the age of 13, teenagers already firmly understand that money does not grow on trees, and parents have to earn it well, if not through hard work. And most boys no longer harass mom and dad with persistent pleas to buy something that is clearly beyond the family budget.
Of course, if possible, you should definitely realize your boyhood dream, be it an iPhone, iPad or a gamepad that costs the same as a plasma TV. Well, if not, a smart boy will understand everything, will not be offended and will definitely wait until his 16th birthday.
Ideas original gifts
Now in stores you can find a great variety of options for original gifts that a 13-year-old teenager will be delighted with:
- 3D printed sweatshirt: there are very bright and fashionable models with stunning three-dimensional images that any teenager would consider wearing as a blessing;
- 3D pen: Surely all your boy's friends will be shocked when he starts drawing various objects and inscriptions... right in the air;
- 3D glasses: give it to your boy total immersion into virtual reality, unless, of course, he abuses this opportunity;
- alarm clock with target: Everyone knows how difficult it is for teenagers to wake up in the morning! With such a bedroom accessory, your boy will jump up when the bell rings in joyful anticipation, because in order to turn off the miracle alarm clock, he will have to shoot it with a laser pistol;
- piggy bank - ATM: an amazing thing with which your boy can safely store personal money for small expenses, parents will be able to regularly replenish his deposit, and the status of the “account” can always be found out using a special plastic card;
- popcorn making machine: a great gift for a boy who likes to set up a branch of the cinema at home with friends;
- home planetarium: If a teenager's interest in space is not limited only to Star Wars, such a gift will allow the boy to explore our Universe while lying on the sofa right under the starry sky.
An excellent and very unusual gift for a boy’s 13th birthday can be a mini video camera - a creative and functional gadget that your child will definitely not get bored with! The main thing is that the boy realizes how exciting and at the same time dangerous the profession of paparazzi can be.
What to give a 13 year old boy? Home planetarium. 
What to give to a 14 year old boy?
Although girls grow up much faster than boys, a 14-year-old teenager is already almost a young man and every parent begins to realize that it’s time to choose appropriate gifts.
Almost adult accessories
Surely your boy already strives to dress in the latest youth fashion, but behaves as if he is the oldest! Then it probably makes sense to give the birthday boy a solid, leather cover for your first passport and one of the real, adult men's accessories:
- wallet: It’s better to give an expensive item. A presentable accessory increases self-esteem and gives the owner significance in the eyes of others;
- watch: your views on this accessory and the opinion of a 14-year-old teenager may differ significantly, and it’s worth casually asking your child what watches are in fashion now. Even if he asks for something that, in your opinion, is ridiculous, give it without doubt, he will be happy;
- decorations: if children undergo a strict dress code at school, on weekends and after classes the boy will be pleased to show off in front of his peers (and especially his peers) with a chain, bracelet or ring, for example, Omnipotence.
Gifts depending on character
At the age of 14, the child continues to develop as a personality, but it already becomes clear what he gravitates towards more, whether he is attracted to sports and an active lifestyle, or a homebody boy focused on his inner world.
For an active boy who is unable to sit still, you can choose something that suits his character and lifestyle:
- new sports equipment;
- touch screen gloves;
- travel equipment;
- selfie monopod;
- fashion backpack;
- camera or video camera;
- a new bike or longboard;
- quest in reality, for example "Hide and Seek in the Dark".
A calm boy, indifferent to hiking and cultural events, will surely like one of these gifts:
- home billiards: oldest board game, and its reduced high-quality copy does not take up much space;
- darts: Throwing darts is a useful activity and a good distraction from the computer;
- inflatable chair: there is very interesting options pear-shaped or soccer ball;
- pen with flash drive: a very useful gadget for those for whom it is important to have time to record and save the necessary information;
- elliptical trainer: You can successfully play sports without leaving home.
And of course, every teenager will be delighted with a new model of smartphone, tablet or laptop, especially if the boy has not been much spoiled with such technology until now.
Another gift option, equally desirable for any teenager. If a child with enviable persistence asks to get a dog year after year, 14 years old, according to experts, is the optimal age for this and a four-legged friend can become the most valuable and long-awaited gift for a teenager.
The main thing is to have an appropriate conversation with the boy in advance and talk about all the possible difficulties so that the teenager realizes the full responsibility of the upcoming step and then you will see how limitless simple childhood happiness can be.
For schoolchildren aged 11-14 years, the content of their activities changes significantly: socially useful activities become the leading ones. Mental processes take place at a new level.
Qualitative new formations appear in the personality, a qualitative shift occurs in the development of self-awareness, as a result of which the teenager develops an idea of himself as an adult. The desire for adulthood and independence, critical attitude towards others, the ability to obey the norms of collective life determine all other abilities of behavior, the direction of activity, etc.
Adolescence is characterized by significant changes in the structure of the body, in the course of physiological processes, and sexual development. Some changes that occur at this age are directly related to the motor activity of a teenager.
The period of puberty, which includes the age of interest to us, is a time of major endocrine transformations in the body of adolescents and the formation of secondary sexual characteristics in them, which in turn greatly affects the properties of nervous activity. The balance of nervous processes is disturbed, the excitatory reaction becomes more powerful, and the increase in the mobility of nervous processes slows down. The activity of the cerebral cortex is weakened, and at the same time the second signaling system. However, in children and adolescents with a certain level of training, the state of the central nervous system is characterized by a great complexity of regulatory influences on somatic and autonomic functions, and an increased ability of analyzers to urgently process verbal information. Such adolescents are characterized by a decrease in the latent period of motor reflexes and a moderate increase in the excitability thresholds of the visual analyzer. Physical exercises lead to increased processes of internal inhibition and more rapid formation of complex motor differentiations.
The age we are considering is considered the most difficult from the point of view of organizing the educational process with them.
And at the same time, this period is extremely important in relation to the mental and physical formation of personality.
An important feature of a teenager’s personality is the rapid development of his self-awareness. It is at this age that personal orientation towards self-esteem first appears. For the first time, precisely at this age, a person begins
engage in self-education. Assessing their characteristics and capabilities in comparison with others, teenagers create a program of self-education, this is most clearly manifested in their ideals. It is the content of the ideal that serves as the teenager’s self-education program. At the age of 12-13, in the process of a child’s communication with others, such an important new formation of his personality is formed as the desire to be and be considered an adult. This is also one of the forms of self-awareness, self-esteem of the child. Based on the child’s (adolescent’s) awareness of significant changes in his physical development, their ability to carry out socially important matters in the family and school, on the basis of awareness of the similarities between themselves and adults, adolescents develop a so-called feeling of “adulthood”, and on this basis - a specific attitude towards themselves. At this age, the child denies that he belongs to children and tries by all means to assert his adulthood.
The desire to be adults is very clearly manifested in relationships with elders. The teenager seeks to expand his rights and limit the rights of adults regarding his personality. He demands that adults take his views and interests into account.
When organizing educational work with children 12-13 years old, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of their emotional sphere. They are distinguished by great passion and temper, which is associated with an inability to restrain themselves, weakness of self-control, and abruptness in behavior. According to A.P. Krapkovsky, in the age period we are considering, 12-13 years old, children began to show stubbornness 6 times more often than at 10 years old.
Flaunting of shortcomings was observed 9 times more often, self-will was 5 times more often, and the number of unmotivated actions increased 42 times. When faced with difficulties, adolescents develop a strong feeling of resistance, which leads to the fact that they may not complete the work they have started, destroy what has already been done, etc.
IN educational activities A teenager, like a child of any age, has its own difficulties and contradictions, as well as its advantages. As research shows, cognitive processes at this age are characterized by a number of features: for example, they cannot always control their attention, in particular, concentrate it on the main thing, and often their attention “sticks” to the secondary. Difficulties arise with stability, as well as with switching attention. Memory processes at the age of 12-13 have not reached their full perfection. Thus, memorization is often of a mechanical nature, such as dividing the text into semantic components, highlighting the main idea, drawing up an outline of the text, comparing the new with the old, relying on various means visibility, etc.
Often at this age children experience difficulties in the thinking process. Some of them cannot provide a complete analysis of the subject; when comparing, they limit themselves to finding differences; they compare and generalize objects based on external, unimportant characteristics; they cannot independently draw up a comparison program.
When analyzing and evaluating their work, they most often use self-monitoring based on the result, ignoring checks along the way.
At the age we are considering, children experience great emotional satisfaction from research activities. At the same time, both the content and the process, methods, and techniques of acquiring knowledge are equally important for adolescents.
A favorable learning situation for them is a situation of success, which provides them with emotional well-being. Fear of failure and illness sometimes leads children to look for other plausible reasons not to go to school for class. At the same time, a teenager always goes to school with great excitement and joy if he is confident that he can cope with any complex tasks and will receive an excellent grade.
Development of cognitive processes and awareness of movements.
An indispensable condition for the correct execution of exercises in the process of mastering it is awareness and understanding of the movements being performed.
Under awareness of movements one should understand the differentiation of sensations, the correctness of perception, clarity of presentation, and the ability to analyze. In this regard, it is necessary to take into account the following features of the cognitive processes of adolescents.
At perception For a teenager, as for younger schoolchildren, the first impression plays an important role. At the same time, the teenager is capable of a subtle analysis of perceived objects. Its perception is more meaningful, consistent, systematic, which makes it possible to form observation, as purposeful and organized perception. Thinking in a teenager, as in a primary school student, it is largely concrete and figurative in nature. When mastering knowledge, a teenager strives to rely on visual material. Therefore, the use of clearly drawn posters and filmograms with the most important elements of exercises when analyzing actions is of great importance.
At the same time, thinking in adolescence becomes more logical, systematic, evidence-based and justified.
The ability to independently analyze, compare, and generalize develops. At this age, the desire to penetrate into the essence of a phenomenon, understand its cause, and establish connections between individual objects and phenomena is clearly manifested. Therefore, in work on physical education It is very important to form a conscious assimilation of movements in adolescents from the very beginning.
For successful mastery of movement technique, it is of great importance performance his. A clear and correct motor representation of an exercise is a criterion of high sportsmanship. When working with young athletes, it is important to develop their ability to train using performances. This skill is especially important during forced breaks in training due to illness or injury. The main means of forming clear ideas in adolescents is the requirement to correctly verbally describe the exercise being performed. The connection of the motor center with the second signaling system is the basis for purposeful, conscious execution of an action.
An important psychological condition for the correct assimilation and implementation of exercises is the organization attention.
The teenager's attention becomes arbitrary. By doing interesting and important things, a teenager can maintain stability and high intensity of attention for a long time. He develops the ability to quickly concentrate and clearly distribute his attention. At the same time, observations show that adolescents’ attention deteriorates significantly compared to younger schoolchildren. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, the living and learning conditions of adolescents are changing. Their world of impressions and experiences expands significantly. The demands placed on them become more serious, and their responsibilities become more multifaceted. As a result, attention sometimes cannot cope with the abundance of impressions and experiences, or focus on one thing. Firstly, often the cause of poor attention can be an imbalance in the processes of excitation and inhibition, especially during monotonous long-term work, which is associated with the process of puberty. Finally, adolescent inattention may be the result of poor attention training in younger age. Therefore, the correct organization of his work is of decisive importance in the education and development of a teenager’s attention: he should have neither the time, nor the desire, nor the opportunity to be distracted.
High lesson density and variety of exercises are one of the main conditions for maintaining attention at an optimal level. Special mindfulness exercises can also be of great benefit. When performing them, it is necessary to emphasize what exactly you need to focus your attention on (on the structure of the exercise, on the efforts used, on the rhythm of execution, etc.).
Emotions and will, their manifestation and development during physical exercises
During adolescence, emotional experiences change qualitatively, as the teenager’s relationship with the outside world also changes. Relationships with adults and peers, especially peers of the opposite sex, become more complex. Teenagers begin to relate to learning activities and themselves in a new way. All this is a source of diverse, complex, and often contradictory experiences. At the same time, despite the generally higher level of development of the emotional sphere during this period, the manifestations of emotions are not stable enough. Adolescence is characterized by increased emotional excitability, impulsiveness, the predominance of excitation over inhibition, rapid mood changes, and a tendency to affect—passionate, harsh, and violent expression of experienced feelings.
Considering these age characteristics, it is necessary to organize classes in physical education lessons and training sessions in such a way that they take place against a general emotional optimal background and bring pleasure to the teenager. Lessons with elements of sports games cause strong emotional arousal, which decreases slowly and can negatively affect the lesson following the physical education lesson. Therefore, at the end of the lesson it is necessary to include 3-4 minutes of psychoregulatory drugs to relax and relieve excitement. It is also recommended to systematically use them when working with young athletes, especially during periods of intense training loads, which can cause a persistent negative attitude towards training.
Volitional manifestations in middle school age differ significantly from these manifestations in younger schoolchildren. Intensive accumulation of knowledge, expansion of cognitive capabilities, experience of communicating with people, a critical attitude towards the world around us, increased personal responsibility for one’s actions - all these factors determine the development of will in adolescents. They highly value the strong-willed qualities in people, can appreciate the demands placed on them, and, having convinced themselves of their fairness, necessity and expediency, readily and even with pleasure obey these demands.
At the same time, teenagers are often undisciplined, deviate from the goal, and do not complete the task. This is usually due to the consistency and inconsistency of demands on the part of adults, the inability to exert high willpower, if adults unreasonably exempt adolescents from difficult and responsible tasks. In addition, when teenagers are highly excited, they exhibit lack of restraint, impatience, and harshness. Some people often experience negativism - a desire to act contrary to the demands of adults, which is a consequence of unfavorable relationships with them.
When activity and independence constantly encounter distrust and prohibition. Due to a lack of knowledge and life experience, adolescents do not always understand the essence of individual volitional qualities, cannot correctly choose the means of their education, and do not always distinguish stubbornness from perseverance, haste from determination, recklessness and mischief from courage.
In physical education and sports classes, it is very important to take into account both positive and negative aspects will of a teenager, especially since physical exercise is an excellent means of developing positive volitional qualities. The age of 11-14 years is very favorable for developing courage, determination, and initiative.
Personal characteristics of adolescents.
In adolescence, interest in one’s own “I” increases sharply, the desire to know oneself, one’s capabilities, strengths, and abilities. Self-awareness involves self-esteem. A teenager’s self-esteem of his own personality begins with studying those around him: he listens to how others evaluate certain actions and qualities of people, and, as it were, overestimates this assessment for himself. However, due to insufficient knowledge and life experience, the self-esteem of children aged 11-15 years is, as a rule, imperfect.
Considering this personality trait of adolescents, it is especially important in sports activities. Their attitude towards their results, victories and failures largely depends on how correctly the coach assesses the capabilities of young athletes. Due to the fact that adolescents tend to overestimate the importance of success or failure, self-confidence, arrogance or constant self-doubt can quickly take hold; at an older age, this can cause significant subjective difficulties that interfere with sports improvement.
The intensive development of self-awareness in adolescence gives rise to the need for self-education. Teenagers strive to become active, strong, courageous, resilient, and courageous. A real opportunity to develop your qualities strong will boys, for example, see wrestling, football, and hockey as activities. That is why at this age the main motive for studying physical culture and sports is an indirect motive - the desire to become physically strong and strong-willed. This motif can be easily used to master diverse and complex motor skills.
An important feature of a teenager’s personality is the desire for self-affirmation, which is expressed in independence of opinions, judgments, decisions, in the desire to take one’s place in society, and, above all, among peers. Therefore, the team in which they study, play sports or do some other activity is of great importance in the lives of adolescents. Teenagers have strong feelings of collectivism, camaraderie, duty and honor. They quickly learn the moral norms and rules of behavior accepted in a group of peers, and value the public opinion of their comrades. In order not to lose himself in their eyes, to win their respect, a teenager is capable of actions that require great mental stress. At the same time, he makes increased demands on the members of his team, not forgiving his comrade for actions that affect the honor of the team.
Teenagers do not always correctly understand the essence of friendship, honor and other moral concepts, which can lead to the protection of a comrade who has committed a bad act, to mutual responsibility, etc. The immaturity of moral consciousness is manifested in the absence of strong moral convictions. Stubbornly defending his moral beliefs, a teenager can easily change them by moving to another team that makes different moral demands on its members.
By various means (conversations, explanations) it is necessary to achieve a correct understanding of moral basic concepts by adolescents, forming on their basis a full-fledged public opinion team. All educational work with teenagers should be carried out through the organization of a cohesive and purposeful team. Skillfully, using his opinion, the teacher can achieve fulfillment of his requirements even from the least disciplined students.
A team of teenagers has a more complex structure than a team of younger schoolchildren. Relations in it are formed according to the principle of “business dependence”, as well as sympathy, antipathy, trust, respect, indifference, etc. The place of each member of the team in this system of relations largely depends on moral and psychological qualities - courage, perseverance, readiness for mutual assistance, support, ability to be good friend etc., and this or that position in the team determines the varying degrees of emotional well-being of each teenager in it. Having been rejected in class, he strives to find his place in another peer group. Often these are the teenagers who come to sports sections, trying to satisfy the acutely felt need for recognition from comrades. These guys are demanding special attention from the coach, need support ("Psychology" by V.M. Melnikov pp. 145-151 M. FiS 1987)
It's very easy to meet guys, just don't be shy. Find some hobbies for yourself. This will definitely help you in the future when communicating with your new friend. It is best to base your acquaintance with guys aged 10-13 years on common interests. After all, as they say, the same hobbies bring people together. First of all, pay attention to the boys who surround you in your everyday life. For example, at school, in the yard, in a circle where you go. By the way, the last one is the most the best way find the boy. Here you go common interests, and see each other almost every day. Moreover, an important advantage in your favor will be the fact that you can always help each other.
Just start by asking yourself: “What kind of guy should a 10-13 year old be? And what fits your definition of “normal guy”?” Here, I think, guys over 15 years old are definitely not suitable for you. If he is older, nothing good will come of it. Boys have completely different views on friendship with a girl, and the older he is, the more difficult it will be for you with him. Don't forget that you are not as old as you think. AND main goal your acquaintance is friendship, communication, walking together and helping each other with anything. So, at this age, it is best to start with a friendly relationship between you and the boy. By the way, even if you are under 10-13 (depending on how old you are at the moment), you shouldn’t look for a guy either. Remember that girls at this age develop much faster than boys. Therefore, you simply will not be interested in communicating, as you will have a completely different perception of the world. So, let's get back to the question you should ask yourself. Let's think together, and so, a normal guy is, first of all, a smart, “cool” (for you and your friends), active and sociable boy and at the same time, definitely modest. You don't need arrogant guys at your age. In general, if your answer is exactly this, then you should look for a friend based on these qualities of his character.
As I said at the beginning, try to look for a guy based on the similarity of interests you share with him. It brings us together and helps us spend time very entertainingly. After all, you have one thing in common, for which you both learn one or another type of hobby. If you do not have the opportunity to attend any clubs. Don't be upset. Direct your search for a guy in a slightly different way - attend school discos and other events that your school lives on as often as possible. This way, you will get to know the guys from your parallel as well as possible, whom you had not even noticed at all before. And as they say: if you don’t know, you won’t understand. So, take a closer look, suddenly your prince will be among them. You just haven’t noticed it at this stage yet. If you are one hundred percent sure that school boys are not your thing at all and your main desire is to find a boy who has nothing to do with your school life. Then you should look for a guy in completely different places. For example, take your girlfriend with you and go for a walk with her to the playground or to the beach. Join the guys to play something (volleyball, tennis, maybe even football) and the conversation will start on its own, you won’t even notice how you have new friend and, moreover, not alone. All you have to do is choose the one that suits your taste. Your boys the same age will definitely appreciate what an active, sociable and cheerful person you are. And most importantly, in this situation, never be afraid to just go and ask the boy what, for example, his name is and whether he can join the game.
You can also use the Internet. By the way, nowadays, the Internet is overflowing with a variety of sites designed specifically for dating, where you can find a guy exactly according to your age category. Also, be sure to remember to register on various social networks (for example, VKontakte). Be sure that there you will meet a lot of lonely guys who will absolutely not mind chatting with you. Exchange phone numbers and don’t forget to make appointments in real life. More guys - more choice. Don't forget this. You want to find yourself best guy. Therefore, do not be afraid to go through the boys, while there is such an opportunity, take advantage of it. Guys, by the way, are more receptive to a girl’s desire to meet her. Therefore, you should not worry about the fact that something may not work out for you. The main thing is to be yourself, behave naturally and openly. Always come to a meeting with a smile and good mood. Remember your age demands it. Tell the guy as much as possible about yourself and ask the guy about him, this will help both of you get to know each other better.
To sum up everything written above, I will say that meeting guys aged 10-13 years is not so problematic, such an acquaintance can even develop into a relationship. The main thing is to be able to show yourself in a positive way so that he becomes interested in you. But here you shouldn’t forget the fact that you still have everything ahead of you. Why rush things before the time given to you. If sooner or later your boyfriend likes you, he will find a reason to get to know you, so don’t rush. Everything has its time. Here I have no doubt that in your question regarding meeting a guy, everyone will advise you to study. And if you study seriously, you will still have time to say goodbye to childhood. You will love and be loved more than once. But no matter what happens and no matter what you decide, I hope that in any case and age, you will find a good boy.
Your son is gradually growing up: externally and internally. You can barely keep up with what's happening to him. A lot is changing: from clothes and habits to worldview and attitude towards girls.
The difficult teenage stage is inherent in nature; it cannot be avoided. For some it happens earlier, for others later, but on average, boys begin to transform from a child into a man at the age of 11-12 years.
Believe me, it's not easy for your son right now. Physical illness is superimposed by unstable mental processes and new views on the world around us. If you understand what is happening in your son’s body and can explain it to him, then this stage will be a little easier.
Let's start with physiological changes.
What happens in the body of adolescents at 11-12 years old?
Cardiovascular system. A teenager’s heart enlarges significantly, this is due to the growth of the heart muscle ─ myocardium. The heart volume of a 10-year-old boy is 130 cubic cm, and that of a 13-year-old boy is already 443 cubic cm. At the same time, blood vessels grow more slowly and the heart needs to make more efforts so that the body does not suffer from a lack of oxygen. The load on the heart increases and pain may appear in it.
Respiratory system. Lung volume also increases. But it is not yet possible to use all the oxygen received, so the brain lacks proper nutrition, which leads to headaches. The larynx begins to grow and the voice changes.
Musculoskeletal system. The tubular bones of the arms and legs and vertebrae grow rapidly. At the same time, the spine remains very mobile, and there is a high probability of its curvature. Large muscles grow faster than small ones, so it is difficult for a boy to work with small objects and he gets tired quickly. Teenagers aged 11-12 years look disproportionate: long arms and legs, big feet.
Leather. The changes that occur in the boy’s body lead to the fact that the sebaceous glands begin to work more actively and irritations, rashes and pustules appear on the skin.
Nervous system. The brain begins to actively develop, especially the anterior sections of both hemispheres. The teenager begins to respond sharply to all comments directed at him. Excitement prevails over inhibition, so teenagers are unbalanced and their mood often changes.
Vegetative work nervous systems s, which connects the spinal cord and brain with the internal organs, is also not fully balanced. The blood vessels are poorly filled with blood, the pulse and breathing become faster, the brain lacks oxygen, dizziness and weakness appear. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a common companion for adolescents.
Endocrine system. In boys aged 11-12 years, the thyroid gland begins to actively grow, which is responsible for the energy balance in the body. The gonads also develop, and the amount of testosterone in the blood of boys increases.
About the effect of testosterone on the body of a man in general and a teenager in particular, watch the video excerpt from the webinar “10 important secrets that mothers should know about boys.”
Behavior of boys in adolescence
Internal changes greatly affect the behavior of boys.
- become very emotional, even those who were previously calm. All this is accompanied by mood swings: one minute, intense joy can be replaced by intense sadness;
- seek “thrills” and take great risks;
- they begin to pay attention to girls and want to please them;
- begin to consciously approach the choice of clothing and care for their skin;
- react painfully to comments and violently express disagreement;
- they don’t finish what they started, and sometimes they don’t even start what they were talking about;
- get tired quickly;
- become irritable;
- They can do something energetically, and after a couple of minutes they fall onto the bed, exhausted.
Relationships with girls at this age are difficult to build, one of the reasons is that at the age of 11-12 years girls are larger and stronger than boys. This affects the self-esteem of the children.
Our free book “” will help you understand and cope with your son’s emotions.
In general, if you look from the outside at what a teenager wants to be and what he really is, then these are almost two parallel worlds. Inside, the boy is strong, handsome, girls like him and everything works out for him. And on the outside he is still clumsy, disproportionate and with a changing voice.
Which boys show more pronounced changes in behavior at the age of 11-12 years?
The visibility of changes in the boy’s behavior and health for him and those around him will also depend on the kind of life he led in childhood and leads in adolescence.
Guys who move a lot, play sports and generally lead an active lifestyle are more able to cope with the difficulties of adolescence. Physically, they develop more harmoniously and they have somewhere to throw out excess energy, and sometimes aggression.
Such active boys make parents and other adults “nervous” even before puberty, so their behavior change at the age of 11-12 is not so noticeable.
Boys who sit at home all the time, do not exercise much and may suffer from excess weight, much more difficult. In them, changes in health and behavior are more pronounced.
Adults who are used to calm child, it can also be difficult to readjust.
For parents who want to understand their children, and especially for mothers who want their sons to maximize their potential for courage, we have created a special training.
Remember: “Forewarned is forearmed”? The useful knowledge and practice that you receive during the training will be a support, a foundation for helping your son pass this difficult age with dignity, calm and confidence.
This course only about boys, features of their physiology and worldview. During the training you will learn:
- how to understand and predict your teenager’s behavior in certain cases;
- about when to let go of the situation, and when, on the contrary, to take control;
- How can a mother-father-son team not turn into a “swan, crayfish and pike”;
- how your fears can poison your son's life.
The training will begin on March 29 and will last 1.5 months. Details about the training program and conditions of participation.
Adolescence is also called transitional age - transition to adult life and responsibility. This stage is difficult for both the boy and the parents. To help your son, you need to listen to him, understand him, and accept the changes that are happening to him. You can't make fun of his appearance and relationships with girls.
Question for mothers of girls: is there a need for an article about physiological and behavioral changes in girls during adolescence?
The period of activity of the dominant center of the cerebral cortex is reduced. As a result, attention becomes short-lived and unstable.
The ability to differentiate deteriorates. This leads to a deterioration in understanding the material presented and assimilation of information. Therefore, during classes it is necessary to give more vivid, understandable examples, use demonstrative material, and so on. As communication progresses, the teacher should constantly check whether the students understood him correctly: ask questions, use questionnaires and games if necessary.
The latent (hidden) period of reflex reactions increases. The reaction slows down, the teenager does not immediately respond to asked question, does not immediately begin to fulfill the teacher’s requirements. In order not to aggravate the situation, children should not be rushed; they should be given time to think and not insulted.
Subcortical processes escape the control of the cerebral cortex. Teenagers are not able to control the manifestations of both positive and negative emotions. Knowing this feature of adolescence, the teacher needs to be more tolerant, treat the manifestation of emotions with understanding, try not to “get infected” with negative emotions, and in conflict situations, switch attention to something else. It is advisable to familiarize children with self-regulation techniques and practice these techniques with them.
The activity of the second signaling system is weakened. Speech becomes short, stereotypical, slow. Teenagers may have difficulty understanding auditory (verbal) information. You shouldn’t rush them, you can give them some hints necessary words, when telling a story, use illustrations, i.e. visually support the information, write down key words, draw. When telling something or providing information, it is advisable to speak emotionally, supporting your speech with vivid examples.
Begins in adolescence sexual development. Boys and girls begin to treat each other differently than before - as representatives of the other sex. For a teenager, it becomes very important how others treat him; he begins to pay great attention to his appearance. There is an identification of oneself with representatives of the same gender. Adolescence is usually characterized as a turning point, transitional, critical, but more often - as the age of puberty.
The teenage crisis occurs between the ages of 12 and 14. It is longer in duration than all other crisis periods.
The teenage crisis is characterized by the fact that at this age the relationships of adolescents with others change. They begin to make increased demands on themselves and on adults and protest against being treated like little ones.
At this stage, the behavior of children changes radically: many of them become rude, uncontrollable, do everything in defiance of their elders, do not obey them, ignore comments (teenage negativism) or, conversely, may withdraw into themselves.
Behavioral changes are manifested in the desire to “experience everything, go through everything”, and there is a tendency to take risks. A teenager is attracted to everything that was previously prohibited. Out of “curiosity,” many try alcohol, drugs, and start smoking. If this is done not out of curiosity, but out of courage, it may arise psychological dependence from drugs, although sometimes curiosity leads to persistent addiction.
At this age, spiritual growth occurs and mental status changes. Reflection, which extends to the surrounding world and oneself, leads to internal contradictions, which are based on the loss of identity with oneself, the discrepancy between previous ideas about oneself and the current image. These contradictions can lead to obsessive states: doubts, fears, depressing thoughts about oneself.
The transition from childhood to adulthood constitutes the main content and specific difference of all aspects of development during this period - physical, mental, moral, social. In all directions, the formation of qualitatively new formations is taking place, elements of adulthood appear as a result of the restructuring of the body, self-awareness, relationships with adults and friends, cognitive and educational activities, the content of moral and ethical standards that mediate behavior, activities and relationships.
The most important factor in the development of a teenager’s personality is his own great social activity, aimed at assimilating certain patterns and values, at building satisfying relationships with adults and friends, and finally at himself.
The problem of the biological factor in the development of a teenager is due to the fact that it is at this age that cardinal changes occur in the child’s body on the way to biological maturity: a new stage of physical development begins and the process of puberty unfolds. Behind all this are the processes of morphological and physiological restructuring of the body.
The restructuring of the body begins with changes in the endocrine system. The activity of hormones causes numerous changes in the body of a teenager, including the most obvious: a jump in growth and puberty. These processes are most intense at 11-13 years old in girls and at 13-15 years old in boys. Currently, when there is an acceleration of physical development and puberty, some girls find themselves at the stage of onset of puberty at 10-11 years old, boys - 12-13 years old.
Body growth in length, weight and circumference chest– specific moments of physical development in adolescence, which are designated by the special term growth spurt. Thanks to this, the appearance of a teenager changes compared to the appearance of a child: the proportions of the body are closer to those characteristic of an adult.
The increase in muscle mass and muscle strength occurs most rapidly at the end of puberty. Muscle development in boys occurs according to male type, and soft tissues in girls are feminine, which imparts to representatives of each sex, respectively, the traits of masculinity or femininity, but the completion of this process is beyond adolescence.
Restructuring of the motor apparatus is often accompanied by a loss of harmony in movements, and an inability to control one’s own body appears.
The growth of various organs and tissues places increased demands on the activity of the heart. It also grows, and faster than blood vessels. This can cause functional disorders in the activity of the cardiovascular system and manifest itself in the form of palpitations, increased blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
In adolescence, drastic changes occur in the internal environment of the body, associated with changes in the system of active endocrine glands, and the hormones of the thyroid and sex glands are, in particular, catalysts of metabolism. Mental or physical fatigue, prolonged nervous tension, affects, strong negative emotional experiences can be the causes of endocrine disorders and functional disorders of the nervous system. They manifest themselves in increased irritability, weakness of inhibitory mechanisms, fatigue, absent-mindedness, decreased productivity at work, and sleep disturbances.
During adolescence, the balance in the activity of the endocrine and nervous systems that existed in childhood is lost, and a new one is just being established. This restructuring affects the internal states, reactions, mood of the teenager and is often the basis of his general imbalance, irritability, agitation, motor activity, periodic apathy, lethargy. The appearance of such conditions is often observed in girls shortly before or during the menstrual cycle.
Puberty and changes in physical development are of no small importance in the emergence of new psychological formations. Firstly, these changes, which are very noticeable for the teenager himself, make him objectively more mature and are one of the sources of the emerging feeling of his own adulthood. Secondly, puberty stimulates the development of interest in the other sex, the emergence of new sensations, feelings, and experiences. The degree of internal employment and concentration of a teenager on new sensations and experiences, their place in his life is determined both by broad social conditions and by specific individual circumstances of the teenager’s life, the characteristics of his upbringing and communication. Books and films intended only for adults can have a negative impact. All this, as well as conversations with friends about problems of love and sex, provoke the development of increased interest in the intimate side of human relationships, erotic tendencies and early sexuality. The norm for teenagers of both sexes is the awakening of their first romantic feelings.
Compared to younger schoolchildren, significant changes occur in emotional sphere teenager If the emotions of younger schoolchildren are relatively calm and can be easily controlled by the teacher, then the emotions of a teenager are very strong and difficult to control. The teenager is very passionate and hot-tempered. This is associated with the inability to restrain oneself, weakness of self-control, and harshness in behavior. According to A.P. Krakovsky, in the 5th grade, students show stubbornness 6 times more often than in the 4th grade, flaunting their shortcomings is observed 9 times more often, and self-will is 5 times more often; the number of unmotivated actions increased 42 times. When faced with difficulties, a teenager develops a strong feeling of resistance, which leads to the fact that the teenager may not complete the work he has started, or destroy what has already been done. At the same time, a teenager can be persistent and self-possessed if the activity evokes strong positive feelings. That is why it is very important to give a teenager feasible tasks, to equip them with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and methods of activity.
A teenager tends to express his feelings violently. If he feels the slightest injustice to himself, he is capable of “exploding,” although he may later regret it. The reaction occurs especially often in a state of fatigue. The affects of teenagers, in contrast to the affects of younger schoolchildren, are stronger and more violent. The emotional excitability of a teenager also manifests itself in passionate arguments, evidence, and expressions of indignation. He reacts passionately to everything. But without having enough life experience and being characterized by increased emotional excitability, teenagers can easily fall under bad influence, since the external effect sometimes has a strong influence on them.
The emotional experiences of a teenager, in contrast to the experiences of younger schoolchildren, acquire greater stability. A teenager, as a rule, does not forget insults to the teacher, who needs to show a lot of effort to restore lost authority.
Often a teenager's feelings are contradictory. Thus, a teenager passionately defends his friend and at the same time knows that he needs to be condemned. A teenager can be both attentive and rude, have a high sense of self-esteem and at the same time cry from undeserved insults, forgetting about your dignity. It is very important that these contradictions are resolved in favor of positive, socially important feelings.
Compared to younger schoolchildren, a teenager is more sensitive to the opinion of the team. He values this opinion, respects it, and is guided by it. If a younger schoolchild is satisfied with the teacher’s praise, then a teenager is more affected by public assessment. He experiences the disapproval of the team more painfully and acutely than the disapproval of the teacher. Therefore, it is very important to have a healthy public opinion in the classroom and be able to rely on it. The teenager does not forgive insults in the presence of classmates or other persons. Therefore, you should not reproach, lecture, or shame a teenager in front of his friends. This can cause intense conflict.
Friendship also takes on a different character compared to elementary school age. If junior schoolchildren are connected by neighborhood, joint games, then the basis of adolescent friendship is a commonality of interests, moral feelings and personality traits. They have quite high demands on friendship. They demand honesty, loyalty and devotion from a friend. But sometimes friendship can take unwanted forms. Adults should know who their child is friends with, what the basis of friendship is, which children influence whom and how. Sometimes you have to break off a friendship, but you need to do this tactfully, you need to help the teenager establish new friendships and keep him busy with interesting things. In adolescents, the sense of camaraderie increases significantly, which is also of great importance in the formation of personality. But, like friendship, this feeling can take the wrong forms. False camaraderie is quite widespread, when there is mutual responsibility in the class and some students hide the actions of others.
