Customer Reviews

Your Ten- to Fourteen-Year-Old

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've read all the other books in this series. Usually, these books have insightful information about a child's developmental stages. This book tries to do the same; however, I think that the authors grouped too many age groups together. There's a BIG difference between ten-year olds and fourteen-year olds. Much of the information seemed dated (it was from the 1970s).

Information is provided about the common developmental traits of ten to fourteen year olds. This book is intended to be used as a handbook for parents. It is easy to read, not a dry textbook. Your child is changing. (You know this SO well!) What might be next? Areas of development presented include physical, social, emotional, school life, interests, and ethics. I refer to my copy often as a sixth grade teacher and the proud parent of a fourteen year old.

This book gives you both physical and emotional milestones of children in this age group separated by gender. It maps how to read your child's moods and changes. As well as physical changes in devlopment--like the inherent clumsiness of puberty. I read or re-read sections when I get to a new stage with each my 3 children. This book has warned me of danger spots--especially emotionally and calmed my concerns when I could see it was 'just normal'. I've read each book from 1 year to 14 and found them to be fabulous mounds of information.

This book came recommended from our Elementary school counselor. I thought the book had very pertinent information for a parent entering unchartered territory with a pre-teen child. The book offers detailed info for each year so you need to put it in a safe place and reference back each year as a refresher. I think I will read this book again and again!

Habor and Ames, authors of the "Your Child" parenting guides, have an excellent reputation. Unfortunately they originally wrote these books in the 1950s and this one, at least, appears to have not been updated in the last thirty years.

I, like many parents, am seeking ways to understand my children and the changes they're facing at each new age. I purchased this book with high hopes, given the reputation of the authors, and am sorely disappointed at the very outdated, generation-specific information presented. Some information on human development never changes, of course, but the book doesn't stick with this timeless material. When it comes to emotional development, the children reviewed for this study (1950s through 1970s, if I understand it correctly) were simply not facing the same circumstances that children of our decade have to contend with. For example, "Boys ... may love bright plaid shirts or like to concentrante their new love of color and daring in a tie." Um, not any of the twelve-year old boys I know. Even the "good" ones want to wear black. Peer pressure.

Do not buy this book if you hope to gain insight into your children if they are at all engaged with the world as it is today. I've found the John Rosemond books, particularly "Teen Proofing", to be much more helpful.

Good luck on your parenting journey!

As with all of the child rearing books by Louise Bates Ames, this is another easy-to-read, concise and practical book. It is not necessary to read it from start to finish, and it is easy to go directly to the part of the book for help with my current issue, whatever that may be. I have found all her books to be very helpful, with practical advice for coping with the challenges of children of different ages. They also enhance the appreciation of the joys of each age group. Her books have helped smooth out my parenting from infancy to the teens.

I recommend these books (Your ONE Year Old, Your TWO Year Old, Your THREE Year Old, Your FOUR Year Old, Your FIVE Year Old, Your SIX Year Old, Your SEVEN Year Old, Your EIGHT Year Old, Your NINE Year Old, Your TEN-to-FOURTEEN Year Old. These books were writtten by Louise Bates Ames, PhD, Fances L. Ilg, MD and Sidney M. Baker MD of the Gesell Institute of Human Development. They are NOT a "how to" book for parents -- but rather provide a perspective of life from the child's various ages. I found the books to be of such value that I purchase the entire series for new parents. Somehow I forgot to purchase these books for my niece when she started her family. She expressed some concerns about her seven year old son's behavior (that I knew from experience to be that typical of seven year olds). I purchased the books from the series that will help my niece from here on. She LOVES them! I have a feeling she will use them and pass them along to other parents. My original set are part of my permanent library. I highly recommend these books for your permanent library as well!

The book has very valuable information that is timeless so it does not seem dated. THere is limited information which is repeated over and over in different sections so decide how you want to approach the info - eg: by age, by topic, by environment and read that section of the book. All other sections use the same data and provide the same information.

I truly wish I had know about these books a few years ago when my oldest daughter entered puberty. It would have saved us both lots of grief! Although some things change (like style of clothing) or are new (like computers), the basic aspects of child development don't change. Reading this book gave me an idea of what my girls are experiencing at this point in their lives. Now I have an idea of what is normal and what is not and I can relax! This book is written in an older European style, but is also very frank and very "hip" in its own way. I plan on keeping mine and referring to it often as the years progress. Another "Oldie But Goodie"!

Let me start by saying, I wish that I had read the reviews on Amazon before picking up this book at a store. There are two major problems with this book.

First, it is extremely dated. The world in the early 70's is not what it is now. The issues faced by our children, ranging from AIDS to the technology with which they interact, to terrorism, are drastically different.

Second, and perhaps even more importantly, the authors used what I consider to be questionable methodology for writing the book. It is based almost entirely on interviews and surveys of parents and children. It then comes up with global conclusions ("Your ten-year-old will feel . . . ") based on the responses they received. Even if this were a reasonable method of telling me what my 10-year-old will be like -- which I doubt -- the fact that it is based on very old data renders it pretty much meaningless in 2007.

Furthermore, I am not sure how you "distill" all children into such formulaic conclusions. They do distinguish that "X% said this and Y% said that" in some categories, but this means nothing 30 years later. More of it tells you how clean "your 10" will be, how s/he will perceive parents, etc., lumping everyone together. Not realistic.

So, if you are seeking a relevant, timely, resource regarding pre-teen development and expectations, this is not it. If you want a survey on how parents and tweens perceived things 30 years ago, then that is fine.