Parenting

Teen Behavior and Daily Routines Ages 13 to 18

Goals to Strive For and Behaviors Parents Can Expect from Teenagers

From Denise Witmer, former About.com Guide

Teens begin to take over the responsibility of their behaviors and routines as they get older and become more independent. It is important for parents to strive to set goals for their teen's everyday behaviors so that teens can learn good habits and routines that will follow them throughout their lives. While teens all assume responsibilities and learn independence at their own rate, there are behaviors that tend to follow along an age pattern. The articles below for each age group uses this pattern. Click through to the article to find out more about a teen's wellness issues like diet, exercise, sleep and stress, plus information on discipline for that particular age.

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 13-Year-Old Teen

13-year-old teen teens thirteen teenagers

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Thirteen-year-old teens are finishing up one phase of life - leaving childhood behind - and entering another one - becoming a teen. This is the basis for their daily behaviors and issues. When parents keep this in mind, it becomes easier to deal with the changes in their "normal behavior."

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 14-Year-Old Teen

Your 14-year-old teen is starting a new school, will have some new friends and is looking more and more like the young adult they are going to become. Parents of fourteen-year-old teens need to help them establish healthy habits, take on responsibilities and grow strong and confident.

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 15-Year-Old Teen

15 Year Old Teen Girl Daily routine behavior

Your 15-year-old teen is making more of their own decisions, they are dating or thinking about dating and they want some more independence. Parents of a fifteen-year-old teen should continue to keep the lines of communication open, have some give and take when it comes to setting up the rules but stick to your guns once the rules are set.

This is a great age to begin showing your teen how to set goals and achieve them in the longer term. While your 15-year-old still likes instant gratification, they are beginning to understand how to earn things over the long term, which will help them learn how to use wellness routines, like taking vitamins, to their advantage.

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 16-Year-Old Teen

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Your 16-year-old teen has got the lay of the land and is mapping their own course much more easily than in the previous year. But they will still stray off the path as they hit some new responsibilities in their sixteenth year, like driving and working at a 'real' job.

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 17-Year-Old Teen

Photo by Emery Co Photo.

A normal 17-year-old teen's life is active. They have jobs, could be dating, might be on a sports team or teams or they are active in a drama club, honor society, etc. They have friends and go out to the movies or school events. If they are involved in student government or any type of club, they will be working on fundraising to help pay for things like proms and club t-shirts. Therefore, all teen issues revolve around your teen's active life.

On a side note: What if your 17-year-old teen isn't active? Then it is time to find some things for your teen to do, immediately. This is a year for teens to learn how to stretch their wings, become involved and get experience dealing with the world around them while they are still young enough to make mistakes that you can help them fix. It is an important step for your teen to be successful in their independence. Or when your child reaches 18 and older, they are going to keep looking to you to fix their lives.

Behavior and Daily Routines for Your 18-Year-Old Teen

Photo by Pecia!

Eighteen-year-old teens are starting a very exciting time in their lives, a time of more freedom and much more responsibility. While teens, like all children, develop at different rates, there are certain behaviors that are standard at certain ages. Here are what goals to strive for and what parents can expect from their 18-year-old teens.

Many real world factors go into forming the routines that 18-year-old teens follow. If they are still in high school, whether or not they go on to college, just to name a few. In this article we start the 18-year-old teen in high school and go on from there.

Quick Links: Social and Emotional Development in Teens Ages 13 - 18 | Ages and Stages

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