Understanding Your Young Teen - Chapter Three
WALKING HORMONES [PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT]
Chapter three brought us to one of the most tantamount sections of parenting and guidance we have come to thus yet: “Walking Hormones”. We all know that one kid who reeks of him or herself from lack of a quality shower, or the kid who walks around thinking they’re the stuff because their bodies are ahead of the curve. We know these things to be true. Yet do we talk about the changes young teens experience, and how these changes affect the ministry to a person or a group?
The changes our teens are experiencing are not to be taboo. In fact, the more we openly discuss these changes with sensitivity and an appreciation of who we are communicating with, the better adept we are to be a continual fountain of knowledge and guidance for young teens who don’t know what’s going on. The parent, youth worker or adult of influence who chooses not to discuss the physiological changes a pubescent young teen is going through is the person who loses touch with reality quite quickly. They will no longer hold the high place of esteem they may have once held, but instead be looked at as someone who is afraid to talk with “the new me” (the new changed me).
“The physical changes of early adolescence are truly massive and world changing. And they bring with them universal concern and fear. Every young teen feels abnormal at one point or another.” [p. 61]
- What can you remember about your journey through hormonal changes as a young teen?
- How can we as a youth staff help guide our young teens through this stage in their maturation?
- If you are also a parent, what can you do to best help your own children navigate through these awkward years (awkward to both you and your child)?
