Tasks of the age

By age 18 to 21, which is the late adolescence, conflicts between adolescents and their parents are beginning to subside. The major tasks during this period of late adolescence are choosing a career direction and developing more meaningful and lasting emotional relationships.

A few years ago, the general expectation was that older teens would be preparing to go off to college or take a job that would allow them to live independently. Adolescents who chose college then graduate school might stretch their late adolescence years well into their late twenties or early thirties.

More recently, many older teens have either chosen or felt compelled to continue living in their parents; homes. As society and the economy continue to change, the challenges of late adolescence will change, too.

Idealism and innovation

With increased knowledge and independence comes the desire to improve the world, find new methods that will supersede the old, make discoveries, create new art forms, displace tyrants, and right wrongs. A surprising number of scientific advances have been made and masterpieces of art created by individuals on the threshold of adulthood.

They were no smarter than the older people in their fields, and they were certainly less experienced. But they were critical of traditional ways, biased in favor of the new and untried, and willing to take risks. That was enough to do the trick. This is often how the world makes progress.

Finding their way in late adolescence

It sometimes takes youths 5 to 10 years to find their own positive identity. Meanwhile, they may be stalled at a halfway stage, characterized by passive resistance to and withdrawal from mainstream society (which they equate with their parents) or by excessively rebellious radicalism.

They may decline to take an ordinary job as their parents may have done; instead, they adopt unconventional dress, grooming, acquaintances, and residence. To them, these decisions seem like evidence of vigorous independence. But by themselves, these things don’t yet add up to a positive stand on life or a constructive contribution to the world. They are essentially a negative protest against their parents; conventions.

Even when the striving to be independent shows up only in the form of eccentricities of appearance, it should be recognized as an attempted step in the right direction, one that may later lead to a constructive, creative stage. As a matter-of-fact, the young people in their late adolescence who strain so visibly to be free are apt to come from families with unusually strong ties and high ideals.

Other youths, idealistic and altruistic in character, often take a sternly radical or purist view of things for a number of years—in politics, the arts, or other fields. Various tendencies of this age period operate together to draw them into these extreme positions: heightened criticalness, cynicism about hypocrisy, intolerance of compromise, courage, and a willingness to sacrifice in the response to their first awareness of the shocking injustices of the society they live in.

A few years later, having achieved a satisfactory degree of emotional independence from their parents and having found out how to be useful in their chosen field, the individuals in their late adolescence are more tolerant of the frailties of their fellow human beings and readier to make constructive compromises. It’s not that they become complacent conservatives. Many remain progressive, some remain radical. But most become easier to live and work with.

At 15 to 17, middle adolescence have two important tasks. First, they must come to terms with their sexuality and the conflicting emotions aroused as they begin romantic encounters. Second, they must separate emotionally from their parents and find that they can function independently. As a part of this process, the dependence-independence struggles often intensity.

Children in their middle adolescence often complain that their parents don’t allow them enough freedom. It’s natural for children approaching adulthood to insist on their rights, and their parents may need to be reminded that their children are changing. But parents don’t have to take every complaint at face value.

Children in middle adolescence are eager to grow up

At the same time, children in their middle adolescence are afraid of growing up. They are unsure of their capacity to be as knowledgeable, masterful, sophisticated, and charming as they would like to be, but their pride won’t allow them to recognize this doubt.

When they unconsciously doubt their ability to carry off some challenge or adventure, they’re quick to find evidence that it is their parents who are blocking their way, not their own fears. They reproach their parents indignantly or blame them when talking with friends.

You should suspect this unconscious maneuver when your teen suddenly announces a plan for some escapade that is way beyond anything he’s done before. For example, he and some friends—boys and girls—plan to go camping for a weekend without parents.

Teens in their middle adolescence who come up with such schemes may be looking for clear rules and consistency; indeed, they may be asking to be stopped. They are also on the lookout for evidence of hypocrisy in their parents. To the extent that their parents are obviously sincere about their rules and ideals, their children feel obligated to continue to adhere to them.

But if they can uncover hypocrisy in their parents, this relieves them of the moral duty to conform and offers a welcome opportunity to reproach their parents. At the same time, it may undermine their sense of safety.

Jobs and work

Middle adolescence is when many teens first take on serious jobs, beside the occasional babysitting or yard work. In moderation, paid work can build self-esteem, responsibility, and independence. Work also allows teens to widen their social contacts and explore fields that may eventually lead to careers.

Many teens, however, spend so much time on the job that they don’t have time to socialize or do homework and are chronically overtired and cranky. It’s also important to be aware that many jobs carry significant health and safety risks. Patents may need to step in to keep work from getting out of hand.

Sexual experimentation in middle adolescence

Middle adolescence is when many teens experiment with sex or various sorts. Kissing and petting are almost universal; oral-genital sex happens frequently (many teens don’t think of this as real sex); and many experience sexual intercourse. In a large survey from 1983, 55 to 75 percent of 19-year-olds reported that they were non-virgins. Middle teens often date in groups, though some also date one on one.

Romances are often brief, with relationships taking a back seat to attraction and experimentation. This is not to say that all middle-adolescent romances are superficial or of no consequence. The emotions—both joy and misery, elation and dejection—often have an intensity rarely rivaled in later, more settled periods of life.

Realistically, parents are limited in their ability to control their middle adolescence sexual behavior. Educational programs stressing abstinence as the only choice have obvious appeal but have not been shown to reduce teen pregnancy. If teens are intent on sexual experimentation, the rules laid down by parents may not stop them; they may even make the sex seem more exciting and attractive, because it is off limits.

A more effective strategy in dealing with middle adolescence may be for parents to keep communication open, let their children know how they feel about premarital sex, limit opportunities for inappropriate sexual behavior (for ex., no unchaperoned sleepovers), and trust their teens to act responsibility.

Many parents have a hard time talking with their teens about sex. Fortunately, doctors and nurse practitioners are often well trained in having these discussions and can help parents communicate their feelings and concerns in a positive, effective manner.

Homosexuality in middle adolescence

Adolescence is a complex time for any youngster. The pressure of school activities and dating can create a powerful sense of exclusion or differentness in gay and lesbian teens, which may trouble them or make them unhappy. If you think your child is struggling with issues of sexual identity, it’s very important to let him or her feel that there is a place to turn to for help. Sadly, statistics show that a high percentage of teenage suicides and attempted suicides are related to issues of sexual identity.

Heterosexual parents may not know how to begin talking to a teenager about sexual orientation. Remember, it’s likely that your child is as afraid of the subject as you are and may feel threatened if abruptly confronted. To start with, try to make the subject of sexual orientation something that the family can casually discuss.

Introduce books, videos, and music into the family collections that are created by openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual artists or that deal with those themes. (Actually, it’s wise to talk openly about these issues starting from the elementary or middle school years). It’s important to be aware of and critical of homophobia. It’s no help to a gay or lesbian teenager to hear his or her family members tell insulting jokes or tolerate prejudiced comments made by friends or relatives.

For some adolescents who in their middle adolescence, their sexual orientation becomes clear to them quickly, and they embrace it as a strong identity. Other teenagers may go through a phase of experimentation before settling on an identity they feel most comfortable with. Teenagers shouldn’t be pressured into assuming a gay or lesbian identity before they are ready.

If a teenager expresses a sense of alienation, isolation, or deep confusion about his or her sexual orientation, parents should arrange for professional counseling—not to change their teen’s orientation but to help the boy or girl deal with any shame or anxiety that might undermine his or her self-esteem.

The greatest gift a parent can give a child is a sense of pride and dignity. For a gay or lesbian teen, having access to positive role models and the ability to deal with sexual diversity frankly and honestly will go a long way toward building self-esteem.

If you’re raising a gay or lesbian adolescent who is in his or her middle adolescence, you may want to seek support for yourself as well. Organizations such as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, which has chapters across the country, provide information and advice and hold events.

Most cities and large towns have gay and lesbian switchboards or hot lines that can provide useful information, and gay and lesbian community centers have outreach programs for gay and lesbian youths and their parents. These facilities are listed in the classified telephone directory under “Gay and Lesbians” or “Social and Human Services.”

She will instead hold them and scribble to make beautiful pictures. The 16 month old baby learns to play simple games and may spend most of her time in it. She would love to play games like naming parts of the body, peek-a-boo etc as this is interesting for her at this age.

The child is also developing her memory skills. Earlier, the kid had poor memory where she could not remember the instructions given. Now the child will be able to recollect and remember things which even an adult might not remember on that instance.

The kid has definitely learned what the object is used for; however, they are still unaware about the depth of the stairs or maintaining balance while running. The baby might trip over the stairs or may even trip on his own feet while running. This stage will give a lot of trouble to child in form of grazes, cuts and bumps. Hence, it is advisable to keep the first aid box handy.

Life is just not changing for the parents but also the 16 month old baby. The kid is excited and enthusiastic about the changes and challenges around him. He will respond to them with more excitement or sometime may even try to pass the phase by screaming and crying.

Do not stop the baby as this might be a terrible phase for him. The parents have to be more patient with the 16 month baby and have to make sure their presence is felt by the child. The child may need to be with you for comfort or may be just for motivation. The parents have to help the child with what he needs and let the baby get over it himself.

Parents have to take special care of the baby’s teeth. These teeth have to last until the child has permanent teeth. The teeth which come in this age will stay for a longer period. The baby will still not be able to brush his teeth himself and the parents have to make sure they are maintained to make sure they last longer.

The 16 month old baby chooses a lot from the books, pictures, magazines, video CD’s etc. The parents can either show the kid a lot of cartoon stories or picture books that will help him pick up on few things that he might learn by self. The baby will also try to impress the parents by lifting heavy objects or something he cannot do.

The child is very adamant about trying to get appreciation and the parents can encourage the kid by appreciating and applauding so that the child learns to try and succeed with his own motivation.

The child is growing quickly. The baby is walking now and also does a little bit of talking. She will also start using fork and spoon to eat. The growth happens physically and mentally.

The kid will now be able to point fingers at the body parts when asked and will start pointing fingers to tell the parents what she wants. The baby will also learn to place the objects back in place where she picked it from. She will learn to place the objects in containers and remove them out.

The parents will now be able to understand the behavior of the 15 month old baby. The child now starts responding to people and places as per her likes and dislikes. He either mixes up with people easily which shows the adaptive nature of the child might just want to be alone and play alone.

She may also shy away from people, showing that she is not comfortable with lot of people around. The parents can learn the temperament of the 15 month kid this way and understand what she needs. During this period the baby will be dependent on the mother for comfort and she will also try to develop herself.

The food pattern changes for the 15 month old baby. He might be eating everything that is served or may become a choosy eater. If the kid is choosy about what she eats, then the parents might have to worry a bit as the child will not be eating enough food required to maintain a balance diet. The parents can consult the doctor and get a list of balanced diet for the child and serve it as per the child’s requirement.

Traveling is something the 15 month old baby does not prefer at any cost. Hence, the parents have to make sure they carry all the necessary food and toys so that the child does not get disturbed.

In this period, the kid needs to sleep for at least 14 hours during the day. The kid should sleep for minimum 11 and half hours and rest of the 2 and half hours should be covered during the daytime. It is important that the parents make sure the child gets enough sleep to keep him active during the time he is awake.

The 15 month old baby should be given the D-Tap vaccine for immunization. There are few other vaccines as well that needs to be given. Parents can consult the doctor to get a list or a schedule for the vaccines to be given to the child.

The 13 month old baby might take support as well, but it is important he takes the moves by self and not being dependent or waiting for someone to pick her up or push her to move forward. The steps she might take may be unsteady and the parents can encourage the child to walk more.

The 13 old kid achieves a lot during this period. She will be more curious and anxious about everything around her. She will try to explore the world by trying to peek into every single thing. She will move in places where she thinks she wants to find something. The baby will be more curious to know what is in the drawers and what is lying below the table. It’s interesting to watch the little one stand on toes to reach for something which is higher than her hands can reach.

Grasping skills also develop in the 13 month old baby. He will now be able to hold blocks and also understand if she has to place it somewhere or drop it in any container. Some babies also learn to scribble; this shows the development of the grasping skills. You will also notice the child using spoon; however they are not successful yet.

You will notice a change in the eating pattern. During the first year, the baby tends to eat more and puts on more weight. You will also notice an increase of 10 inches in height during the first year. During this period, the child is slow on growing and eats very less food. This is mainly because he starts loosing fat. The 13 month old will eat food she likes and may avoid the food she dislikes and this way the appetite decreases.

This is the right time for the parents to choose the language and words for the 13 month old baby. He has already learned few words and has learned to express her thoughts by actions and by few selective words.

During this time, the baby will learn the language spoken at home and if the parents speak in two languages together the baby will be confused. If the mother speaks one language and the father another, He will learn the same and communicate in the same language.

The parents have to get immunization vaccines for the child. When the baby is 13 month old, she has to be given immunization vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella etc. You can consult the doctor for the list of vaccines.

Parents can now be ready with their camera to shoot the little things that their kid does. The baby will now take her first steps on her own without any support. Some babies might take some more time before they can start walking by self. However, most of the babies take their first steps in this age.

The 12 month old baby will learn to feed herself. She will start helping herself using the spoon and bowl. He also develops the grasping skills and will learn to pick objects using the forefinger and thumb. This can be improved in the baby by helping her with different activities involving toys.

The 12 month old baby still finds crawling easier and would prefer to crawl than to walk. The baby discovers her strength and stamina and believes she can help herself with many more activities.

As per psychologists, the child has a developed brain which can relate the past to present. She will start differentiating the objects based on the color, shape and appearance. She will start giving preferences to the objects she likes.

The 12 month old kid will be more active than any other age as she will be exploring all the objects that come her way. She will try to examine and probe the objects she finds. She will also be able to remember the events and instructions for a longer period and will also learn to solve problems using the trial and error method.

He will now blabber sentences. They will try to make sense out of the words they construct and this might sound an alien language. The baby will be able to respond to simple questions. He also understands and judges her answer by the expression parents give before the baby replies.

It is the right time to teach the 12 month old some discipline and manners. This can be done by helping the child with simple instructions. The baby will also learn to connect with the objects with the help of names and colors.

The 12 month old baby will also have issues with her sleeping. He is too much into playing during this time and this may stand as a hurdle in her sleep. The parents have to spend some extra time on making sure the child gets proper sleep.

Another reason the baby might sleep is because of teething. Parents can consult the doctor to overcome the teething problem. The kid might have issues with the food and this is one of the negativities in this age. He refuses to eat same food each day and she may also insist and demand on self feeding.

Earlier, the parents had to take care of every single thing and now the child helps the mother. The 11 month old baby will help the mother by holding her arm and leg out while getting dressed. The kid will also be able to hold the cup or bottle with both the hands without any problems. However, the kid has to be still fed with hand.

To grab attention, the 11 month old baby might start dropping objects for others to pick it up and start talking to her. The baby’s brain develops and they will be able to use more clear words and during this time, the parents can encourage by responding to the words used by the child. The memory can be increased by helping him play games like peek-a-boo and pat-ta-cake.

The 11 month old will now love to learn through pictures. The parents should get more books with pictures and read it to the child. This way the kid will learn gestures. The baby will try to understand more with the help of pictures and try to clear her doubts by looking at the pictures again and again. She will also have favorite book that she wants to have a look at.

The baby now starts securing herself. She will start engaging herself with her siblings. She might not play with them, but she will be playing around the same place where the siblings are. She will have a favorite blanket, toy etc and that will make her feel that she has security.

It is now time to set limits for the 11 month old baby. He has to be give strict instructions on what is harmful and what the child needs to avoid. He might sometimes forget the instruction, but being a little more stern with the child will make her cautious. The parents can be stern by giving her strict looks and by saying no again and again. It might not be easy for the parent; however, this is the correct age to start setting boundaries for the child.

The child can now be given foods like lactogen and nestle. Lactogen is more preferred by most of the parents. It is also advised that the parents should consult the doctors for the diet chart to help with the appropriate nutrients needed by the child.

The 11 month old baby takes two naps in this age. He sleeps for 2 to two and half hours during the day and takes a nap of 12 hours during the night. He sleeps throughout the night without any feed. It is advisable that the baby should be fed once during the night to have longer hours of sleep.

Psychological Tasks of Adolescence

• Coming to terms with their new physical selves
• Developing a new male or female emotional identity
• Resolving the differences between the norms and values of their peers and those of their parents
• Establishing and expressing their own moral convictions
• Developing a sense of self-responsibility
• Demonstrating the potential for financial self-sufficiency

A central problem for adolescents and young adults is to find out what kind of people they will be, what work they will do, what principles they will live by. This is partly a conscious, partly an unconscious process.

In groping to find this identity, adolescents may try out a variety of roles: dreamer, cosmopolitan, cynic, leader of lost causes, ascetic, and so on. Some adolescents seem to find themselves early and directly: others take a long time and many side roads before they find their paths.

Adolescents have to separate themselves emotionally from their parents in order to find out who they are and what they want to be. Yet they are largely made from their parents—not only because they have inherited their genes from them but also because they have been patterning themselves after them all their lives. They must now pry themselves apart. The eventual outcome will be influenced by the extent of their dependency, the intensity of their rebelliousness and rivalry, and the kind of outside world they live in and what it asks of them.

Adolescence psychology – Taking risks

One way adolescents move toward independence is by taking risks. It’s easy for teens to underestimate risks, because they tend to see themselves as invulnerable. They have always been fine and therefore expect they always will be. Appeals to logic often fall on deaf ears; teens live in the real present, no the hypothetical future.

Not all risks are bad. A teen who bicycles across country or spends hour after hour practicing skateboard jumps is gaining skills, building self-esteem, and learning to exercise judgment. As adults, we are able to calculate risks and weigh benefits because as adolescents we learned, through trial and error, how much risk we were willing to take and what the cost of those risks can be.

Risk-taking, however, also has a dark side. The child who experiments with cigarettes just to be cool is likely to end up addicted to nicotine. Alcohol is an accepted part of adult culture, and it is all too easy for teens to drink. Getting drunk is a form of risk-taking—How much can you hold? Can you keep control?—that can easily end in tragedy when an intoxicated teen gets behind the wheel of a car.

Illegal drug use can progress to abuse and addiction in both troubled teens and in adolescents from good homes. Sexual activity is another way teens tempt fate. Nationally, the number of teen pregnancies is dropping, but the number of unwed teen parents in the United States is still higher than in many other wealthy nations.

The challenge for parents is to help teens take risks sensibly. Education on the dangers of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and irresponsible sex needs to start before the teen years. It’s good that many elementary and middle schools teach these subjects, but parents need to be involved, too.

You need to be very clear about your values, and teach by example as well as by word. It’s also wise to avoid putting your child in situations where the temptations are too great. Allowing a 16-year-old to stay later working on the school newspaper conveys trust and encourages responsibility. Leaving a 14-year-old home alone for a weekend invites unwise risk-taking.

This is precisely why adolescence psychology needs to be understood and dealt with in the best way.

Body odor

One of the earliest changes of adolescence is more profuse and stronger-smelling perspiration in the armpits. Some children (and parents, too) are not aware of the odor, which can cause unpopularity with schoolmates. Hygiene now becomes especially important. Daily washing with soap and perhaps the regular use of a suitable deodorant will control the odor.

Acne

Our understanding of the cause and treatment of pimples (acne) has changed a lot in recent years. The texture of the skin becomes coarser at puberty. The pores enlarge and secrete up to ten times more oil than previously. Some of the pores may become clogged with a combination of oil (sebum) and dead skin cells. (The skin cells that line the pores naturally die and peel off at regular intervals, to be replaced by new ones).

When this plug of cells and oil comes into contact with the air, it oxidizes and turns black. This is how blackheads form. Bacteria that normally live on the skin may get into these enlarged, plugged pores and cause a pimple, which is a small infection. The same basic process that causes the usual acne pimples can also cause a deeper, scarring type of acne, which tends to run in families.

Two misconceptions abut acne have been cleared up by recent research. We now know that the pimples of acne are not caused by dirt, and we have also learned that certain foods, such as chocolate and fried foods, do no affect this skin condition. Pimples occur as a natural part of puberty in nearly all teenagers, whether they have dry or oily skin. Since squeezing a pimple can make the infection worse, teenagers should be encouraged to avoid doing it.

Some adolescents, worried about sex, imagine that their pimples are caused by sexual fantasies or masturbation. They can be assured that this isn’t true.

Children are entitled to all the help they can get with pimples, from their regular doctor, nurse practitioner, or a skin specialist, for the sake of improving their present appearance and spirits and to prevent the permanent scars that sometimes develop.

With modern methods of treatment, great improvement can be made in most cases, and even the deeper, scarring type of acne can be kept under control. In some cases, a physician or nurse practitioner may prescribe an antibiotic, a topical benzoyl peroxide cream, or a medicine related to vitamin A. prescription treatments are often much more effective than over-the-counter ones.

Whatever the specific methods prescribed, there are also general measures that are believed to be helpful. Vigorous daily exercise, fresh air, and direct sunshine (wearing a suitable sunscreen to avoid sunburn) seem to improve many complexions. And it’s generally a good idea to wash the face with a mild soap or soap substitute and warm water in the morning and again at bedtime.

There are soaps and topical medications that contain 5 to 10 percent benzoyl peroxide that can be purchased without a prescription. And there are many water-based cosmetic preparations (oil-based ones should be avoided) available for covering pimples and blemishes while nature takes it courses. After the hormonal surges of puberty die down, acne normally fades away.

Diet in adolescence

After the age of ten to twelve, it may become increasingly difficult to get children to accept a diet that is different from that of their friends and age-mates. Up to then they usually go along with their parents; ideas, especially if the parents are in agreement.

In fact, they don’t think of such meals as a diet; they are just foods that appear regularly at mealtime. But after they have eaten with friends or at school for a few months, they may want to eat more hamburgers, potato chips, French fries, cheese, and ice cream and other sweet and creamy desserts. Other teens restrict their intakes excessively. It’s helpful to remember that teens who are active and growing quickly can eat huge portions and need every calorie.

If your children wonder what would happen if they broke your dietary rules at school, other children’s homes or restaurants, you can point out that they will be increasingly out of your sight and must decide more things for themselves. And you don’t want to snoop or punish them; you only want to serve them the best possible foods.

Certainly the most powerful influence is for both parents to eat, politely, the thoughtful meals that have been prepared. Don’t hold back on the children’s favorite dishes until they have eaten what you consider the most healthful items—that’s always counterproductive.

There is an important reason why it’s sensible to avoid food arguments during adolescence. This is when rebellion against the parents’ diet is apt to be strongest and when the desire to eat the same foods as classmates and friends is strongest.

Parents and nutritionists who have gone through this phase with adolescent children testify that there is a better chance that the children will revert to their parents’ diet in time if no issue is made of the rebellion. When a long, bitter conflict occurs over diet in adolescence, its pattern is more like to persist—for years.

Sleep

Along with the adolescent growth spurt comes an increased need for sleep. The average 10-year-old can get by with 8 or 9 hours a night; the average teen may need 9 or 10. Teens also naturally go to bed later and later and want to get up later and later in the morning.

But of course school interferes, forcing them to get up early, even though they stayed up late. A teen who becomes sleepier (or crankier) through the week then tries to catch up by sleeping 14 hours straight on Saturday is not getting enough sleep. In this way, teens are very much like many adults in our too busy society.

The consequences of too little sleep can include poor school performance, irritability with parents and siblings, even symptoms of depression. It can be very difficult to help a busy teen get enough sleep. But one of the main culprits, late night television, is fairly easy to deal with. Just say no. My own feeling is that television has no place in anyone’s bedroom.

Exercise

With adolescents being as busy as they often are, it may not seem necessary to advise that they get enough exercise. But schools often drop physical education requirements in high school, leading to a decline in physical fitness.

Regular exercise, through competitive sports, dance, martial arts, or other pursuits, helps teens maintain energy, avoid obesity, and perhaps prevent depression. More is not necessarily better, however. Excessive exercise can be a sign of anorexia nervosa.

Timing

The first thing to realize is that there is a wide age range at which puberty begins. The largest number of girls begin their development at around the age of ten and have their first period at about twelve and a half. It’s not abnormal for girls to start at nine; some may start even earlier. Breast development may not begin until as late as twelve or thirteen, in which case the first menstrual period may not come until fourteen of fifteen.

The average boy starts puberty two years later than the average girl, at around twelve; some healthy boys start as late as fourteen or fifteen. Assessment of pubertal development should be a part of the annual checkup for teens. If puberty starts either very early or very late, the doctor or nurse practitioner needs to make sure that there is no medical condition causing the unusual timing.

The earliest changes of puberty occur deep inside the brain. Hormones flow from the brain through the bloodstream to the gonads (testicles or ovaries), switching them into high gear. The gonads in turn produce the main sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, that trigger the rest of puberty. What exactly sets the brain into action in the first place, no one knows for sure.

Heredity, nutrition, and general health all influence the timing of puberty. In the United States, improved (or, at least, increased) nutrition during childhood has lowered the age of puberty by several years, and there is controversy about whether other factors, such as pesticides or hormones in foods, may also play a role.

Puberty development in girls

Let’s trace what happens to the average girl who starts puberty at age ten. When she was seven years old, she was growing two to two and a half inches a year. When she was 8, her rate of growth slowed down to perhaps one and three-quarter inches a year. Nature seemed to be putting on the brakes. Suddenly, at about ten, the brakes let go, and she begins to shoot up at the rate of three to three and a half inches a year for the next two years. Instead of putting on five to eight pounds a year, as she used to, she now gains from ten to twenty pounds a year. Her appetite increases significantly to make this gain possible.

Other things are happening, too

At the beginning of this time, her breasts begin to develop. The first thing noticed is a hard lump under the nipple. This may be frightening to parents because of the fear of breast cancer, but it is the normal onset of breast development. For the first year menstrual period nears, it rounds out into more nearly a hemisphere. Occasionally, one breast begins to develop months before the other. This is fairly common and nothing to worry about. The earlier developing breast tends to stay larger through puberty and may on occasion remain so permanently.

Soon after the breasts begin to develop, pubic hair starts to grow. Later, hair appears in the armpits. The hips widen. The skin texture changes. At twelve and a half, the average girl has her first menstrual period. This event is called menarche. By now her body has begun to look more like a woman’s. From this time on, her growing slows down rapidly.

In the year after her first period she will grow perhaps one and a half inches; in the year after that, perhaps three-quarters of an inch. In many girls menstrual periods are irregular and infrequent for the first year or two. This is not a sign that something is wrong; it only shows that full maturity was not reached at the time of the first period.

There is no one age at which puberty begins; each girl has an individual maturational rate and timetable. That a girl starts puberty much earlier or later than average usually doesn’t mean that her glands aren’t working right. It means only that she is on a faster or slower timetable. This individual timetable seems to be an inborn trait: parents who were early developers and the same holds for late developers. The 13-year-old who has shown no signs of pubertal development can be assured that she will develop, even though it may take her longer to do so.

There are other variations besides the age at which puberty development begins. In some girls, pubic hair appears months before the breasts start to develop. And once in a while, hair in the armpits is the earliest sign of change instead of a late one. The length of time between the first signs of puberty development and the coming of the first period is usually about two and a half years. If a girl has been fully mature for over two years or is over sixteen and has not had her first period, she should be evaluated by her physician.

It can be upsetting if the onset of puberty is later or earlier than average. The girl who begins puberty at eight may feel awkward and self-conscious when she finds herself the only girl in her class who’s shooting upward and acquiring the shape of a woman. The responses of teachers, parents, and peers can also be confusing. Also bothered is the girl who’s on a slow timetable. The 13-year-old who has shown no signs of puberty development may think she’s abnormal. Reassurance from her doctor may be helpful.

Puberty development in boys

The average boy begins two years later than the average girl, at 12 in contrast to her ten. The earlier developers among boys begin as early as 10, a few younger still. Plenty of slow developers start as late as 14, and there are a few who wait longer.

Pubic hair begins to grow first, then the testicles grow, and finally the penis begins to increase, first in length, then in diameter. All these events before the growth spurt, and may be known only to boy himself (in contrast to a girl’s development, where the first sign of puberty, breast development, is obvious to others).

During puberty, a boy may grow in height at double the rate as before. Height often increases first, along with arm length and shoe size, giving the early adolescent boy a gangly, uncoordinated look. The muscles fill in later, creating more of a manly shape.

At about the same time, the hair in the armpits and on the face grows thicker and longer. Then the voice cracks and deepens. In some boys, a small area under the breast nipples enlarges and may become tender; this is normal. In a few, the breasts enlarge enough to cause embarrassment and worry. This occurs more often in boys who are overweight. Medical reassurance can be helpful.

After about two years, the boy’s body has pretty much completed its transition. In the following few years he will continue to grow more slowly, finally stopping at around eighteen. Some later-developing boys will continue to grow even into their early twenties. Early pubertal development in boys is seldom upsetting; for a couple of years, an early-developing boy may be the tallest and strongest in the class (though very early development, before about age ten, should be evaluated medically).

Late development, on the other hand, can be very upsetting. The boy who is on a slow timetable of development, who is still a “shrimp” at 14 when most of his friends have turned almost into grown men, usually needs reassurance, and sometimes counseling, to help him cope. Size, physique, and athletic ability count for a lot at this age.

Some parents, instead of reassuring their son that he will develop in time and grow 8 or 9 inches in the process, take him on a hunt for a doctor who will give him growth hormone treatment. This only convinces him that something is really wrong with him. True, there are hormone preparations that bring on the signs of puberty at whatever age they are given.

However, there is no evidence that long-term psychological benefits will follow, and these treatments may cause a boy to end up shorter than he normally would be by prematurely stopping his bone growth. For the rare occasion when there may be too little or too much growth hormone production, a pediatric endocrinologist (hormone specialist) should be consulted before any decision is made about giving hormones.