Issu Viking: How to Raise an Adolescent

VIKING How To Raise An Adolescent: An Assessment of One of Berk’s Foremost Teens Written by Christine Burns

Meet the Family Hiccup of Berk is part of a single-parent household.

As an infant, he was attack by a dragon and his mother died defending him. His father is the Chief of Berk, Stoick the Vast. The chief, used to being obeyed, has an authoritarian parenting style. Hiccup often feels pressured to meet his father’s high expectations. Hiccup describes his father’s ideal son as “an extra large boy with big beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side.” Hiccup, in contrast, refers to himself as a “talking fishbone.”

Hiccup’s family is currently in the stage of families with adolescents (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco & Hanson, 2015). During this stage, adolescents are attempting to establish their own identities, thinking about their futures, and taking on more responsibilities within the family. For the adolescents of Berk, this includes surviving dragon training, deciding how they can contribute to the preservation of the village, and taking over for their parents as Chief Stoick has recently decided to lead the majority of Berk’s Vikings on one last hunt for the dragons’ nest before winter sets in. With most of the adult population away, it will be up to these inexperienced youths to ensure their parents have a village to return to after the hunt.

Despite his negative self-perception, Hiccup’s physical development is right on track for his tender fifteen years. While he may appear thin compared to some of the other adolescent Vikings, he’s not malnourished. His clothing, a long sleeved shirt, pants, fur vest, and boots are appropriate attire for faring Berk’s autumn months. While his hair is a bit unkempt, overall, Hiccup appears to be a physically healthy, hygienic adolescent Viking.

Outside of the home, Hiccup works for Gobber, Berk’s blacksmith. It’s one of the few places Hiccup feels he can be himself. Hiccup has a talent for engineering new pieces of equipment and weaponry, though the entire village will testify to the fact he needs more practice using them. Recently, Hiccup and the other teenage Vikings have begun their dragon training, learning how to kill dragons and protect their village from the vicious beasts.

As he began his training, Hiccup also developed an interest in dragons and has been spending a good deal of time studying the Book of Dragons. In his spare moments, Hiccup enjoys sketching, cartography, and taking long hikes through the forest surrounding Berk.

Unfortunately, none of these hobbies are shared by the other five adolescents in Berk. Combined with a long history of creating accidents which have earned him the reputation of “the worst Viking Berk’s ever had,” Hiccup is not popular and has no friends in his peer group.

Hello, Hiccup !

Growth and Development A physical examination of Hiccup reveals he is 5’ 11” tall and weighs 135 lbs.

(Avannak, 2016). His BMI is 18.8, which is considered healthy (Taylor, Lillis, LeMone & Lynn, 2011). Hiccup is active, like all young Vikings. He is actively participating in his dragon training and, despite the exhaustion which normally follows, explores the forests surrounding the village following his daily training. He states it is his desire to build his stamina and physical strength by pushing himself even after he’s finished training; however, he also takes the time to sketch and improve his cartography skills as he maps the island and learns to navigate the woods.

While his exploration and quest to improve himself is admirable, Hiccup is making this endeavor alone. Despite being seen as an outcast, on the occasion one of the other teen Vikings attempts to join him on his hikes, he shuts them out. He admits to running into Astrid, one of his peers, during a hike and avoiding her despite her attempt to join him. This is abnormal behavior for a youth as the adolescent years are a time of establishing positive relationships with peers (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015).

Adolescence is also a time when youths seek to separate from their parents (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015). In this, Hiccup is succeeding, though not by his own power. His father’s occupation as Chief has always taken his attention away from his son. Hiccup has simply adjusted to having the amount of independence allowed him. In reality, Hiccup’s motivation to improve his physicality likely stems from his desire to be acknowledged by his father and accepted by the village. As Hiccup confessed at one point during the interview, “I just want to be one of them… instead of a hiccup.”

In order to be accepted by the community, Hiccup feels he must excel in his dragon training. While he doesn’t have the physical ability of his peers, his instructor has mentioned Hiccup “has a way with the beasts.” Slowly, through his efforts, Hiccup is beginning to gain positive recognition in the village and among his peers. When his father returns, he may be surprised to know his son is on track to winning the honor of slaying his first dragon in front of the village. Though Hiccup says he’ll just be happy to survive his training.

Fine Motor Skills At this stage in Hiccup’s development, he is expected to manipulate complicated objects, have good finger dexterity for writing and other intricate tasks, and have precise hand-eye coordination (Ward, 2014). However, some lack of coordination can still be expected during periods of growth (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015).

Despite bouts of clumsiness, Hiccup displays adequate fine motor skills as he writes, sketches, and works at his apprenticeship designing intricate pieces of weaponry.

Gross Motor Skills Adolescents begin developing endurance, increase their speed and coordination, and place their focus on skills an areas of interest (Ward, 2014).

Hiccup is slightly behind the other Viking adolescents in his coordination. During dragon training he often stumbles and gets in the way of the other students. He is not yet capable with any weapons, unheard of for a young Viking, much less the son of a chief.

However, he has been improving over the last few weeks, according to his instructor, and is expected to survive dragon training.

According to the Experts Piaget According to Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, Hiccup is in the Formal Operational stage of his cognitive development. In this stage he is, “able to think abstractly about objects or concepts and consider different alternatives or outcomes” (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015). For Hiccup, this is displayed in the way he speaks about the dragons plaguing the island. Though he was unwilling to talk about it in front of anyone else, he did mention he believes the dragons may not be attacking the island and it’s inhabitants, but, rather, defending themselves. While not a popular opinion, he shows an ability to view his home’s problem from an alternative perspective.

Hiccup has an adult-like understanding of death (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015).

Erickson Hiccup’s unwillingness to discuss his opinion on Berk’s dragon issue coincides with Ericson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development. According to Ericson, during adolescence (age 12-18 years) a new sense of identity is being established (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015). Adolescents evaluate themselves, peers, family, the community and redefine their role in each of them. Those who are unable to establish their identity become confused about their role. Unfortunately, Hiccup is experiencing role confusion because despite his efforts to fit in with his family, peers, and community, their ways conflict with his opinions. Hiccup wants to be a Viking, but he isn’t comfortable conforming to Berk’s definition of “Viking.” He understands his identity differs from those of his father and community, but has yet to find the courage to establish himself in that identity.

Kohlberg Kohlberg’s theoretical framework focuses on expected moral development. Adolescents should fall into the postconventional stage, which demonstrates the youth has a set of internalized ethical standards on which to base decisions. Along with this, adolescents recognize their social responsibilities and are able to acknowledge the value of two differing moral approaches and make a decision (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015).

Hiccup has been raised to follow the rules of the village, which were set by his father.

He acknowledges it is his responsibility to protect the community, even at the cost of his life. As his father has told him all of his life, for a Viking, death is an occupational hazard. His mother embodied this in her death as she gave her life to preserve Hiccup’s.

However, as previously discussed, Hiccup’s opinion on how to protect the village differs from those around him. He believes killing dragons may be unnecessary. If killing them is unnecessary for Viking survival, then he views their deaths as wrong.

He even hints at the possibility of coexisting with the creatures. If coexisting with the dragons is possible, then Hiccup has a decision to make between two differing moral approaches. To the community, the general attitude towards dragons is “kill or be killed.” The goal of both moral viewpoints is to save Viking lives, but the value placed on the lives of dragons significantly differ.

Perhaps, in addressing moral conflict, Hiccup would be able to establish an identity and end his role confused state.

Nutrition While food can be scarce on Berk, an island where it snows nine months out of the year, is constantly under threat of attack by dragons, and is isolated from most trade, Chief Stoick does well providing for the nutritional needs of the village. If anything, the majority of the adult population has an excessive BMI. As Hiccup puts it, “The village could do with a little less feeding.”

As previously discussed, Hiccup’s height and weight are within normal limits and he has a healthy BMI. He’s within the 75th percentile for growth and 50th percentile for weight (Center for Disease Control, 2001) Everything Hiccup eats is organic. Fish, poultry, and lamb are often on the menu and, while they are difficult to cultivate, Berk has an abundance of wild fruits and vegetables which often find their place on the plate.

Farmers are able to grow white carrots, cabbages, beans, peas, and endives. Wild apples and berries are available and are a common, delectable dessert (Butler, 2014). Hiccup’s diet coincides with recommended nutrition guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture (2016).

Suggestions for Hiccup’s Family While Hiccup does have a mostly healthy diet, there are some pitfalls to traditional Viking nutrition. The first of which is food is often undercooked, leaving Vikings susceptible to worms (Butler, 2014). Also, fruits gathered can be poisonous (Butler, 2014). Hiccup should not pick berries or other foods if he is uncertain of their safety.

Also, in the case of Hiccup and Stoick, meals are rarely shared. While adequate nutrition is important, sharing meals as a family several times a week enhances quality food intake (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015).

Hiccup also had some questions regarding mead. As Vikings age, it becomes socially acceptable for young Vikings to take part in drinking mead at social events; however, the appropriate age differs according to the customs of each family. It was suggested Hiccup discuss this with his father, over dinner, upon Stoick’s return.

Feelings

OREM

Hiccup has difficulty discussing his emotions. When Hiccup tries to openly and honestly communicate his emotions and opinions to his father, he is often shut down or ignored. “Conversations,” Hiccup reveals, “feel very one-sided.” In order to be heard, Hiccup often loads his comments with sarcasm and satirical wit. While this can be amusing and is often well received by the other Vikings, it belies the fact he is unable to express his emotions freely. Instead, they must be veiled in order to be heard.

Friends & Family As previously discussed, Hiccup is an outcast among his peer group. The other teen Vikings mock him for his clumsiness, past accidents, and claims that he has already slain a dragon. This is troubling given Hiccup should be creating strong bonds with his peers during this stage of his life.

Again, while Stoick is a good provider, both for the village and his son, he doesn’t know how to build a relationship with Hiccup. This is a time when Hiccup should be seeking independence from his family in an attempt to establish his identity. Instead, Hiccup is trying to conform himself to fit the image of his father’s ideal son and gain his approval.

Sex, Sexuality & Body Image Hiccup was very unwilling to go into a deep discussion on this topic. He stated he does have an interest in one particular female Viking, however, he doesn’t have the confidence to talk to her currently. Since Hiccup doesn’t think highly of his physical appearance, he doesn’t expect others to find him attractive. Furthermore, he believes there is a relationship between his desirability as a life partner and his ability to kill dragons. He mentioned at one point, “Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend.”

Other attractive qualities, according to Hiccup’s account of the opinions of the other teen Vikings, include scars, burns, and other evidence of mauling. These marks are supposedly indicative of a Viking’s mettle and ability to survive. Qualities both male and female Vikings look for in a partner. Hiccup admits, he has no desire to earn such battle scars. He, “likes his limbs intact.”

Hiccups denies being sexually active.

Drugs & Alcohol Use Hiccup denies use of any drugs or alcohol, though he admits to being somewhat curious towards the latter.

Discussion Points Nutrition Hiccup and Stoick need to make time to share meals as a family. One study found families who prioritize sharing meals had better relationships and the adolescents expressed less negative and more positive thoughts and emotions (Utter et al., 2013).

Meals can also provide a few minutes of honest communication between the father and son. Stoick can listen to his son’s concerns and offer his experiences when facing issues such as alcohol and drugs, sex, peer pressure, depression or anxiety, while supporting Hiccup’s quest for independence and role discovery (Ward, 2014). To begin this process, Hiccup and Stoick can start sharing meals 3-4 times a week.

Physical Development Hiccup has unrealistic expectations for himself physically and has a poor body image.

It’s important to remind him middle adolescence is still a period of growth and each person’s body develops differently (Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2015). Hiccup is physically active and his body will continue to grow and develop to accommodate his activities. If Hiccup’s goal is to gain muscle or set work-out goals for himself, Stoick should encourage him to do so, but may want to suggest involving the other teen Vikings in his activities, if possible. However, if Hiccup continues to be dissatisfied with his appearance, Stoick may want to consider counselling for his son as his body image issues may have a more complex origin.

Social Development In order to establish his identity, Hiccup needs to find a way to bridge the gap between himself and his peers. His isolation from the other teen Vikings is not healthy and is hindering his development. A good first step to take towards establishing peer relationships would be inviting one of the other adolescent Vikings with him during a hike. Astrid would be a good candidate for such an offer as she has already attempted to join him. Stoick should receive guidance on the importance of establishing peer relationships during the adolescent stage and how the peers Hiccup chooses to build relationships with will influence his identity.

Safety Overall, Hiccup is not apparently engaged in risky behaviors such as drinking, drugs, or unsafe sex. Also, being a Viking, death is considered to be an occupational hazard, especially when dragons are involved. However, Hiccup’s solo exploits into the forest are disconcerting as he does not communicate what he is doing during those periods of time and does not check-in with anyone regarding when he comes or goes. Berk can be dangerous and any number of accident could potentially befall Hiccup, ranging from a fall to a dragon attack. If Hiccup does not feel comfortable having another person along with him during these excursions, he needs to communicate where he his going and when he should be expected to return to at least one person in the village. Stoick should be made aware adolescents seek independence during this age; however, this does not mean safety concerns can be ignored. Stoick can encourage his son to make good decisions related to personal safety by requiring either Hiccup go into the forest with a group or that he tell someone about his plans before wandering off (Ward, 2014).

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