Funny Facts About Puberty

Growing Pains

• According to KidsHealth.org, puberty describes the time before adolescence when the body begins to develop and change as a child moves into adulthood. While in this phase of life, the body grows faster than at any other time, with the exception of infancy. During a one-year growth spurt, boys can gain an average of 4.1 inches in height and girls can grow an average of 3.5 inches. This spurt typically occurs two years earlier for girls than for boys, which makes school dances a tad awkward. With that much possibility of growth in only one year, kids are are also apt to be at their clumsiest. Their clothes tend to be suddenly ill-fitting and their balance may be slightly off. They may be all legs and arms. To add to their grief, feet tend to grow larger just before a growth spurt. It isn't enough just to deal with all the changes on their way into adulthood - they trip their way.

Obvious Development

• Puberty is not a discrete time of life. A child's body is undergoing a wide array of changes, many of which tweens worry over others noticing. Commonly known changes include hair growing in all sorts of places it never grew before, voice changes in his boys -- which would be so much easier for them to live with if the voice just got lower, but before that they never know what is going to come out when they open their mouth. Girls get their first periods and gain weight in the form of fat and breasts. Girls may feel everyone is noticing, and certainly some of the boys are. Boys add weight in the form of muscle, but many boys must also endure a brief period they develop extra breast tissue as well. This of course can be a source of embarrassment, but it is normal and doesn't last long. On top of the hormonal roller-coaster, teens develop an acute sensitivity to how others view them. Feelings of self-consciousness, coupled with uncontrollable and obvious physical changes - that's puberty, and it's all normal.

Excessive Grooming

• If only they could get some control. Their bodies are changing. Their minds are growing. And parents and teachers expect more from them than ever before. In an effort to compensate, children going through puberty often find solace in grooming behaviors. It may be the one aspect of their world that they have some say about. So let them incessantly comb their hair and in moderation, allow creative clothing choices. Don't worry - this is one area that they will definitely laugh about later.

Keep Out

• Well, your friendly son or daughter is now gone and that silent ghost that hides in her room has taken her place. What happened? Puberty is a time of breaking away. The next few years bring big changes. Adulthood is just on their horizon. Don't take this snubbing personally; keep lines of communication open and be accepting of your child's new found independence. Your child may feel far away at times. Despite this, most kids still rely heavily on their parents. Once they do grow into adulthood, you can laugh with them about the trials you are both going through now. In the meantime, be available to talk and to let them know that what they are going through is all part of growing up. If you notice any puberty milestones that seem to arrive too early or aren't happening when they should, schedule a check-up with your pediatrician.