Closer to teenagers than to middle childhood, twelves are tweeners. They have enormous positive energy for independent and group endeavors, whether at school, in sports, or in after-school activities.

Twelves generally demonstrate confidence and friendliness in their approach and responses to adults outside the home. They're eager to grow in their skill competencies, academic or otherwise. They get deeply invested in project-based or ser­vice learning and can develop meaningful relationships with people outside their core peer group. "Gregarious" is a word well-suited to twelves.

In school, twelve-year-olds make wonderful one-to-one tutors for younger children—or helpers in preschool or kindergarten. Even boys at this age are known to let their guard down enough to enjoy spending time with babies and toddlers in social settings, so long as doing so is their idea.

Democracy and responsibility are important to twelve-year-olds. They thrive with their first forays into student government, serving on a social committee, running a school store, helping in the school office, managing daily announcements, producing a TV show for closed-circuit broadcast, taking charge of all-school meetings, serving as peer mediators, being in plays and musical productions, or playing in the band. Many children demonstrate amazing leadership potential at this age.

At home, twelves may revert to younger ways of behaving: moodiness, sullenness, monosyllabic responses or grunts, short tempers, or tears. Remember, home is where the heart is: at this age, it's where twelves take refuge from a world where they are trying to negotiate their unfolding identities.

At home, twelves spend enormous amounts of time in front of the mirror, reflecting on who they are becoming. Every person at home, and the house itself, especially their room or private space, also serves as a metaphoric mirror, reflecting family values, traditions, and culture that they carry with them daily to their expanding horizons.

Twelve is an age of rites of passage. It's the age associated with the transition from childhood to young adulthood in many cultures and religions. Many of the most cherished photos in any family album after baby pictures come from this age, showing twelves at family gatherings, rites of passage, and school events. Keep your camera handy.