Puberty can be seen from two extreme ends, terrifying and exciting at the same time. It just happens without you knowing that there will be any changes taking place in your body. For the case of girls, their breasts begin to enlarge and experience the broadening of the hips. While for the case of boys, their shoulders broadenand the voice deepens. The moment you are aware of what to expect, it becomes easier for you to understand what they are going through and their needs. For those who have children, this transformation is inevitable. However, the girl and boy child go through it differently.
Smell
For the case of the boy child, when this stage sets in, they suddenly develop a body odor, which may seem as if it took place the night before. If at all your son is not making good use of the deodorant, you will need to sit him down and discuss matters concerning his hygiene. Showering more often and adopting the use of a good deodorant on a daily basis will be crucial. For some, this may not be adequate, you may as well consider the men’s body wash.
Sexual Fantasies
It is a time in the life of a growing child where he or she starts learning about sexual attraction. The child may get attracted to someone of the opposite sex or even same sex. The child will be easily aroused sexually. This may become frequent. For the boy child, he may ran from a room or try hiding his erection. You need to talk to him and inform him that he has now matured and will gradually get control of his sexual arousal and erections.
Emotional swings
A child who has reached this stage normally has emotional swings. You may find that at a particular moment he/she may feel so good and a few moments later he/she may be mopey. The anger may burst out at any time. The child may be your little prince as at now than a few minutes later become irritable. This can at times cause a little confusion but it is important that you understand the stage they are going through in their life, physical or emotion abuse is not acceptable.
Time with Friends
This transition may probably adjust a lot of things in your life. At this point in your child’s life, he or she will want to spend some time with friends. The value of his/her friends and peers begin to increase as they want to feel accepted and fit in. Some alone time with parents doesn’t seem to have the appeal it had before. This time is appropriate to encourage your child to spend time and explore his interests, while also grabbing the chance you get when an opportunity to spend time with them comes up.
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Assurance
As your child grows older, these changes continue to set in. The child’s body changes may make him/her begin to wonder if at all they are normal. This may take place if the child starts puberty much later or earlier than his peers. You need to understand that all this is totally new to the child, hence opening up about it may be difficult for them. Get to reassure your child that the feelings he has are quite normal. Make him/her understand that he/she is only going through a phase in their life, which may start and end at different times for different individuals. Your child also has to know that you love them too.
It is not an Event But a Process
Knowing that your child is at a certain stage in his life where he needs guidance and understanding is crucial. The beginning of this stage often varies depending on several factors. For some, the body will take a longer time for the changes to occur, while for others it may even set in earlier. Some signs may show early and others may take a longer period to show.
Conclusion
For the case of your child’s welfare, getting to understand and appreciate their gradual growth and changes they are undergoing contributes significantly to the positive outcome. Having no one to guide or explain to them what it is they are going through is crucial. Knowing that everything that is happening is normal is a good way to start. Developing the habit of talking to your children regularly about puberty may help them know what they should expect when the stage sets in. This means that you need to start talking about the topic before the phase begins.