Are your pre-teens/pre-adolescents unhappy with some of their friendships?

Paul Mitrani, MD, PhD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist explains that it is common for children at this stage of development to desperately want to fit in with their peers. It is a time where they really want to be like their friends. If they cannot be, it can cause them great stress.

This is also the time when their bodies are changing. Naturally they change at different rates with some changing much earlier or later than their peers. When this happens, they can experience upsetting/unkind comments or behavior from each other. 

All this can take a toll on their friendships. Without your parental support, this may affect how they fare academically, socially and emotionally (both at school and at home).