Should my 11 year old read teenage magazines?

Q. I have forbidden my daughter to buy teenage girls’ magazines worrying about her growing up too soon. Have I done the right thing? She is only 11 years old.

A. It is very normal for you to be concerned about whether your daughter is growing up too fast but it is also normal for her to be curious about her next stage of development and to be eager to be “grown up”. Girls are growing up more quickly and your daughter will be beginning to experience many changes to her brain and her body with all the range of emotions that these changes bring.

As she experiences the onset of puberty you will need to establish boundaries which will help her keep healthy and safe. It is crucial that you decide which rules you can enforce and which ones are most important – and then stick to them.

With this in mind, reflect on your decision to forbid her buying magazines designed for teenage girls. I suspect she will be able to read her friends’ copies but may not tell you the truth about whether she is reading them outside the home. You may decide that you would rather she brought these magazines home so you can read them and discuss the content with her. Perhaps you could read one or two examples first so you can guide her. You may find yourself surprisingly reassured by how responsible many of the articles are and you can explain to her what your reservations are about others. Guiding children through their teenage years isn’t easy but can be very rewarding and open communication is key to success.