Page 8 - (DK) Help Your Kids with Growing Up: A No-Nonsense Guide to Puberty and Adolescence

Foreword

Growing up, the transition from being a child to becoming a young adult, is one
of the most amazing stages in a human’s whole life. The key to this transition is
what is happening in our brains. These changes affect our attitudes and our
thinking. They can alter our likes and dislikes, our moods, sleep patterns, and
temperaments. We start to see the world, and to relate to other people, in new
ways. We want to make our own decisions, we expect independence, we develop
new desires, we may want to take risks, and our hopes and aspirations mature for
our futures as adults. It’s hardly surprising that our emotions may be volatile and
sometimes unpredictable. From the start of puberty as we travel through
adolescence, we’re on a bumpy roller coaster, and the experience is exhilarating,
exciting, and sometimes scary.

One of the most important, puzzling, and challenging aspects of growing up is
our sexual development. Soon after puberty, we produce eggs or sperm. This
means we are capable of reproducing – we can have children of our own. These
hormonal, physical, and sexual changes occur a bit unpredictably and quite
rapidly so most of us feel self-conscious and shy. Suddenly, we develop hair in
private places, our armpits become smelly, and as we worry about our
appearance we might get embarrassing spots. For a girl, having periods can be
embarrassing at first, as well as a bit frightening. As a teenager at my local
swimming pool, I felt threatened by larger, older boys. The changing room was a
place of anxiety as I compared myself and my development to theirs. It’s difficult
not to feel inferior and nervous during such a turbulent time when our bodies
don’t seem our own and our identities are in flux.

Sex and sexuality involve private and profoundly personal emotions. Even
though we’ve had and raised our children, we parents often find it difficult to talk
openly about sex. So we shouldn’t be surprised when our growing children feel
equally awkward. This is one key reason for developing this book. There is, of
course, a vast amount of information about the “facts of life” out there already.

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