Starting Your Day
Get a good night's rest. From the ages of 9-13, you need about 8-10 hours of sleep every night. For ages above 18, the required hours drop down to 7 to 9. The exact amount varies for each person, but one good rule of thumb is that you'll know you've gotten enough sleep if you wake up on your own feeling refreshed. If someone has to wake you and you feel exhausted and grouchy, you probably didn't get enough sleep. If you have to get up at 6 a.m. for school, you should go to bed no later than 9:30 or 10:00. the night before. Your friends might stay up later, but you do most of your growing and brain development while you sleep, so don't sell yourself short by staying up late. Even though you might be tempted to sleep in on the weekends, try to maintain a consistent routine as much as possible.
Use the bathroom. This one might seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to empty your bladder first thing in the morning, before you move on to other activities. Holding a full bladder too long can cause a bladder infection, which is very painful. Be sure that you wipe thoroughly. Wipe from front to back, never from back to front. This is because the germs from poop are sometimes left behind on your anus, and if you wipe from back to front they can transfer to your vagina and cause an infection.
Wash your face. Some young tweens may not need to wash their faces, but as you get older, your face will start to produce an oily substance called sebum. Sebum can make your face shiny and greasy, and often comes with the development of acne, both of which are caused by changing hormones. This is a normal part of puberty, but requires an extra step in your daily routine to help care for your face. Use a mild facial cleanser. If you have acne, you can use a face wash that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, which can help get rid of your pimples. Use a gentle moisturizer with at least an SPF 30 to protect your skin from sun damage and to replenish the moisture lost when you washed.
Apply deodorant. As you get older, your hormone changes will cause your sweat to become smellier than it was when you were younger. If you feel concerned about the smell, you can apply a deodorant, which masks the smell of sweat, or an antiperspirant, which actually stops you from sweating as much from your armpits. Consider starting with a mild, natural deodorant such as Tom's of Maine, and if that doesn't seem to provide the protection you want, try an antiperspirant.
Get dressed. If you have a school uniform or dress code, abide by that. Otherwise, just make sure your clothes are clean. You can choose clothes that reflect your personality. Sometimes tween girls feel a lot of pressure to dress like their closest friends, or even to dress like older girls. You should wear whatever makes you feel happy and comfortable, and try not to worry about what other people choose to do. Any friends who pressure you to dress a certain way or look a certain way are not good friends. That's called peer pressure, and you don't need those kinds of friends in your life. True friends love you the way you are.
Style your hair. Whatever you like, do it. You can crimp, straighten, or curl. Make sure you like it, and that it makes you feel good and confident. This feeling will radiate off of you and others will feel it too.
Decide if you want to apply make-up. At this age, it is common for many girls to begin experimenting with a little make-up, but you definitely don't need to if you don't want to or if you don't have time. Make-up is just for fun. Talk to your parents before wearing make-up. Many parents prefer for their daughters to wait until a certain age before wearing make-up, and some parents make a rule that tweens shouldn't wear make-up to school. If you do have your parents' OK to wear make-up, just use a little at first. Learning how to properly apply make-up so that it looks natural takes time. Start with one or two things, like lip gloss and blush. After a few weeks, you might add a little skin-toned eye shadow with a bit of shimmer. You don't need to wear a full face of make-up, and besides, using a bunch of foundation and concealer can clog your pores and make your skin break out in a rash. Instead of foundation, use a healthy BB cream.
Eat a healthy breakfast. It is very important to start a school day off with a healthy breakfast, which helps you focus in school and have the energy you need to make it to lunch. A healthy breakfast consists of protein, whole grains, and fruit. Try yogurt with granola and fresh fruit, or whole grain cereal with milk. Do not choose to go for pizza or any particularly fatty and heavy foods.
Brush your teeth. Plaque and food particles from your breakfast will mingle with the bacteria in your mouth and cause bad breath. Brushing also reduces your risk for cavities and keeps your smile fresh and shiny. At your age, you are probably still losing some of your baby teeth, but most of your teeth are permanent adult teeth. It's important to care for these teeth to prevent decay and cavities. Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush. You should spend about 3 minutes total brushing your teeth: be sure to get every surface of every tooth.
Grab your lunch and backpack, and go to school. Give yourself plenty of time to get ready so that you don't have to rush out the door. Be sure to start your day with a good attitude! Having a positive outlook and expecting good things to happen during your day can actually increase the chances that you will have a good day. It's no fun having to do extra homework when you could be hanging out with friends! Get all of your homework done, and turned in before it's due.
Sticking to a Good Routine at School
Get to your classes on time. It's important to get into the habit of being a good student, and that means good study habits and good class attendance and participation. Getting to class on time and with the proper supplies (books, pencils, homework, etc.) takes self-discipline. Your teachers recognize which students do their best to be in class on time, and do their work on time.
Eat a healthy lunch. Some schools offer a wide selection of options, and other schools only have one choice for lunch. Even if you have to bring your own lunch, it's important to choose a lunch that will fuel your body for the rest of the day. Try to include all five food groups: fruits, veggies, protein, whole grains, and dairy. Don't forget to drink water too!
Visit the bathroom. You might not have a lot of time between classes to use the restroom, but you should empty your bladder (and your bowels, if you need to) about once every four hours. Remember, not using the bathroom frequently can cause bladder infections. You could also have an accident if you wait too long to go. You should plan to go at least once during the school day, around lunchtime if possible.
Maintain good friendships. At this age, it's common for girls to have occasional fights with their friends. Be sure that your friends are not actually bullying you or pressuring you to do things you don't want to do. Tween girls are growing and changing, and their personalities and interests change, too. It's not uncommon for tween girls to find that friendships they've had since early childhood are no longer a good fit. Instead of fighting or gossiping, find new friends that you are more compatible with.
Finishing the Day
After school, do all of your homework. It is common during the middle school years for homework to start to get more difficult and time-consuming. You might need to ask your parents or an older sibling for help. Find a quiet place where you can work on your homework every day after school, such as an office, bedroom, or even the city library if your home is too noisy to focus. Keep a planner to record homework assignments and due dates. Even a plain notebook will work. It's important to start developing your organizational skills now, because the amount of homework you have will only increase in the next couple of years.
Get some exercise. It is very important that you plan time in your day that you can be physically active. Exercise is great for your health and also helps to reduce stress. Scheduling time for exercise after school is especially important if you do not have a sport or physical education class during the school day. Try to be active for at least 60 minutes each day. You can pick whatever type of activity fits your personality: swimming, dancing, biking, running, even playing tag in the backyard counts!
Have a healthy dinner. It's important to fuel your body with a variety of foods at every meal. Dinnertime is typically the biggest meal, so be sure that you eat foods that are healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture has made it easy to plan a healthy meal using a plate. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables and the other half should be grains and protein. Have a glass of milk or a serving of cheese or yogurt on the side. Avoid soda and other sugary drinks. Water or milk provide the nutrition you need without unhealthy additives and sugar. Also watch out for salt; most Americans consume way too much of it, and it can be dangerous for your heart. While you don’t need to stress out about calories, keep in mind that if you eat too much or too little food, you will not have the right amount of energy to do the things you love. Consider helping your parents prepare dinner. You are old enough to learn the basics of cooking and meal preparation, and cooking is a very important life skill, plus it gives you bonding time with your parent. If your family has a cookbook, ask your mom or dad if you can choose a few meals and help prepare them each week.
Take a shower. Remember, as you grow you will start to produce more oil and sweat, which can lead to odor. Bacteria thrive on sweat and oil, so you need to bathe or shower regularly to clean it all off. If you participate in sports, be sure to shower or bathe as soon as possible after getting especially sweaty. Be sure to wash your face, especially if you have an oily complexion, if you have done anything to make you sweat, or if you've applied any make-up.
Get into bed by your bedtime. The next morning, wake up and do it all again. As you get used to your daily routine, you may find that some areas need rearranging to work with your schedule or family life. That's OK! Do what works for you in order to stay healthy, clean, and happy.
Dealing with Your Period
Learn about menstruation. At some point during your tween years, you will likely start your period. Your period is a normal part of growing up for girls, but it can take some getting used to as you adjust your daily routine to incorporate menstrual hygiene. Most people start their period around age 12, but some start much sooner or later. Don’t worry if you are the first-- or last-- of your friends to get your period. Some signs that your period will start soon include breast budding (when your breasts first start to fill out and you start needing to wear a bra), armpit hair, and pubic hair. When these things happen, your period will likely follow within a few months. Your period will usually happen once a month and will last 3-7 days, but when you first start to get it, you might miss months in a row or have more than one period in a given month as your body gets used to menstruating.
Plan for your period. When your period happens, you need to use pads in your underwear to absorb the blood. Otherwise, the blood will stain your underwear and pants and might get on your chair. You have to change the pads regularly to avoid leaking and to stay clean and fresh. Some people prefer to use tampons, which are inserted into the vagina to absorb blood. The first day of a period is usually the heaviest, and it is followed by lighter days of bleeding. You might bleed a lot or a little, or even just "spot" or experience little drops of blood, especially for the first few months of your period. How much or how little blood comes out is called your "flow." How often you need to change your pad depends on how heavy your flow is. You might be most comfortable changing it every hour or two until you get used to your flow and know what to expect. The first time you start menstruating, you might not be prepared with a pad. If it happens at school, go see your school nurse or talk to any female teacher or school employee. Otherwise, tell your parent or caregiver, and they will make sure you get the supplies you need.
Stay clean. Be sure that you take extra care to stay clean and fresh during your period. Menstrual blood doesn't really have much of a smell, but if you don't clean it off, it can develop a foul odor as it dries on your skin. In addition to changing your pad every few hours, be sure that you shower daily. Use a mild soap to clean your vulva and bottom, and be sure to rinse it well. You don't need to clean inside your vagina (in fact, doing so can cause an infection).
Be prepared for emotional and physical side-effects. It is very common for people to experience other symptoms during their periods. Don't be surprised if you experience any of the following: Emotional changes, including weepiness or mood swings. Tiredness. Stomach cramps, nausea, or headaches. Talk to your doctor, school nurse, or parents about medication you might take if your symptoms bother you.
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