‘Cool’ Kids In Middle School Struggle In Their 20s

This is a fascinating study that every parent needs to read! It suggests that the crowd your teen is hanging out with now really does impact them later in life. Researchers studying 13 year olds found that the kids who engaged in pseudo-mature behavior tended to develop problems with relationships and drugs.

In the study, published in the journal Child Development, Joseph Allen, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and lead author on the study, said young teens who acted old for their age by forming early romantic relationships and who were on the 'fast track' had a 22 percent greater rate of broken relationships, substance use and criminal behavior later in their 20s.

Even though kids gain the appearance of maturity, they're not gaining actual maturity. So, these kids spend so much time trying to gain status, they don't develop the positive social skills needed for meaningful friendships and employment.