puberty

The puberty is the time of a child's sexual maturity when fertility is achieved. Puberty begins around the age of 10 and is completed around the age of 16. During puberty, which begins an average of 2 years earlier in girls, the secondary sexual characteristics first develop.

Physical & psychological changes during puberty

In the puberty The first whiskers grow in boys and the voice breaks. Girls begin their menstrual period and develop their breasts. During puberty there is also accelerated growth in height (height), and the entire body structure changes. The adolescents begin to break away from their parents' home. At the same time, mental and emotional changes take place that last much longer. This is where the great potential for conflict of puberty lies.

The beginning and duration of puberty can vary greatly from person to person, but it has far-reaching effects on the everyday life of young people and their families. Many hormones are responsible for the major changes in the body during puberty.

In boys, puberty begins with the testes growing at 11 or 12 years of age. The penis gets bigger, the first whiskers sprout on the upper lip. The larynx and vocal cords also grow, which we know as a voice break in puberty. Boys get wider shoulders and narrower hips and become more masculine in appearance. Pubic and armpit, leg and chest hair begins to grow.

Female puberty begins with the growth of breasts and the onset of menstruation. The girl's body also changes a lot, the hips get wider and the waist narrower. The pubic and armpit hair grows. With the external also the change of the internal sexual organs goes hand in hand. The uterus grows, eggs mature, and the vaginal wall thickens.

Puberty from the perspective of the pubescent

All hormones that cause the physical change in the puberty cause significant mood swings. Much of what the youngsters hardly noticed before suddenly seems very important. The emotional situation can quickly change from “sky-high” to “sad to death”, which also affects the young people themselves.

The strong emotional fluctuations in puberty are not so easy to cope with. School performance can also drop significantly during puberty, which can lead to recurring conflicts with parents and teachers.

The skin also causes problems for adolescents during puberty. The sex hormones affect sebum production during puberty, which causes pimples and acne. In the sensitive phase of puberty, the perceived lower attractiveness is a further burden.

Parenting problems during puberty

The hormonal change during the puberty causes extreme fluctuations in emotions that everyone involved finds difficult to bear. The psyche also goes through great changes during puberty. Identity problems, questions of meaning, feelings of inferiority and fears of adolescents are now omnipresent.

The most common conflicts that arise between parents and children during puberty are caused by increased aggression on the part of children. Parents often see it as disrespect. Basically, children are just the mirror of adults, who are often mercilessly shown their inadequacy during puberty.

But the demarcation during puberty is part of a healthy development, even if it should get louder. If this does not happen during puberty, the child always remains a dependent, needy person even as an adult.

Even when the nerves are sometimes on edge, parents should react sensitively and understandingly, especially during puberty. The children will thank them later as adults.