Teenagers are in such a tough position in their lives. They want to be treated as adults, they want more responsibility and freedom. Unfortunately, their brain development is not ready for this. But since they vocally state that they want to be treated as an adult, this is how they tend to get treated. And it doesn't help that often times they physically look like adults. I have a sister in law who is over 6 feet tall and has been since she was 13. She always gets treated as if she is older than that. I even have to remind myself sometimes that she is still a teenager and really just not that mature yet even though she looks older.
I think this is something that can be applied to all age levels. Some kids look older or younger than they really are. You can't base behavior and punishments on how you think a child should act based on their appearance. It is important to be aware of how old a child is and where their development really is at that point in their life.
Age can be really tricky, but it is important to be aware of development. Even some kids who seem to "develop early" really need to be treated at their age and development level.
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