6 tips to follow when your child reaches adolescence

Puberty is one of the important stages of life that a person goes through, due to the physiological and psychological changes that occur in both males and females, which require their families to deal with them in a way that suits the mood swings that they may suffer from during this period.

Signs of puberty

Females

Between the ages of 9 and 10, females start to show signs of puberty. Notably:

- The breasts have grown in size, and the size continues to increase until the age of 18 years.

- Increased height.

- Overweight.

- Hair growth in different places on the body.

- The appearance of acne.

- The occurrence of menstruation two years after the appearance of the previous signs.

Male

Puberty begins to appear in males between the ages of 12 and 14, including:

- Increase the size of the genitals.

- Semen discharge during sleep "dreams".

- Roughness of sound.

- The appearance of hair on the face, hands, and chest.

- Increase in height and weight.

- Muscle hypertrophy.

- The appearance of acne.

Mood swings due to puberty

- Feeling afraid and anxious about physical changes in their bodies.

Lack of sleep.

- Being bullied by friends if the puberty process is not complete.

- Aggressive behavior.

- Tendency to isolation and introversion.

-Depression.

- Attempted self-harm.

-Suicide.

Social changes resulting from puberty

Seeking to acquire more social experiences that suit him, whether on the ground or through social networking sites.

Trying to gain more independence, which puts the adolescent in constant conflict with his parents at home and his teacher at school.

Take on more responsibility, whether at home or at school.

- Attraction to the opposite sex, engaging in romantic relationships.

How to deal with adolescents in adulthood

Mothers must change the educational approach and method that they used to follow with their children before adulthood, because it will not fit with the psychological and social changes mentioned above, so the following guidelines must be adhered to:

1. Try to get closer to adolescents and hear the problems they suffer from, while being careful not to reduce them.

2. Adapt to mood changes in adolescents.

3. Try to focus on the positives that adolescents enjoy logically, so that they regain their confidence in himself again.

4- Share with adolescents and their interests, and give them the opportunity to express their point of view.

5- Educating them about some information related to sexual health gradually in line with the age stage.

6- Respect the privacy of adolescents as much as possible and not to violate it, especially with girls.

What is precocious puberty common in females?

Puberty is a very important stage in a girl's life, as it is the time when her femininity is complete and shows signs of physical and emotional maturity and gradually begins to move from childhood to adolescence in preparation for reaching youth, and these changes usually occur at the average age of about 10 years, but in some cases they may occur earlier, and early Puberty in females may indicate a health problem that needs medical advice.

Precocious puberty is one that occurs earlier than expected, meaning that the physical signs associated with a girl's sexual maturity develop very early, including breast growth, pubic hair and voice changes known as secondary sexual characteristics.

Puberty begins on average in girls between the ages of 8 and 13. Puberty is early if it occurs before the age of eight in females, and one in 5,000 females develops precocious puberty.

Puberty generally occurs when the hypothalamus releases chemicals (hormones) that cause the pituitary gland to release hormones called gonadotropin. Gonadotropin stimulates the growth of the sex glands (gonads). Which are the testicles in boys and the ovaries in girls, and in response to ovaries secrete the hormone estrogen, which stimulates the process of puberty. And when this process occurs very early, girls acquire secondary sexual characteristics, such as the growth of breasts, before the age of eight.

A girl with this disorder may experience psychological and social difficulties because she may not be emotionally prepared for the physical changes she is experiencing.

Precocious puberty may be normal, but it requires evaluation by a pediatric endocrinologist (hormone doctor) to make sure the cause isn't a health problem.

What is precocious puberty in males?

Physical changes are similar to those that typically occur in the course of normal puberty for a child of the same sex, except that they occur earlier. Males show an increase in the size of the testicles and an increase in penis length, facial hair, armpits, and pubis, and show masculine muscular features.

Puberty occurs in boys often between the ages of 10 and 14, but it is uncommon for puberty to begin as early as the ninth year or continue until the age of 16.

Finally, parents should deal calmly and cautiously with their children at the beginning of adulthood and adolescence and give them confidence and comfort in talking and calm discussion in order to reach a satisfactory and safe health result that ultimately serves the interest of the entire family of parents and children, whether male or female.