So you want to be a teenager? Get ready for some changes

You have wished many years to become older and be 'big' and hanging out with your friends and just enjoying life.  Being a teenager just looks so much fun.  But nobody ever told you about the 'ugly word PUBERTY' and what comes with it.

So, you are now a teenager and most of the time it is fun and you feel all 'grown up' and you can make a lot of your own decisions and go with your friends, without your parents always present, but there are also a lot of changes taking place which you do not like so much.

Being a teenager can be confusing and difficult, especially with your moods your having,  that you do not even understand yourself, but you do not need to let these things spoil the joys of being a teenager.  Always remember that everybody goes through puberty and in the same way you feel awkward at times, your friends also do.

Lets look at a few changes that will happen to you....

You put on your favorite jeans and top and suddenly your arms and legs are sticking out?  What is happening?  You also see that you are not the shortest in the class anymore.  Do not worry, you are growing.  

Some kids will grow very slowly and some will go through a 'growth spurt' where it looks like they just got taller over night.  Your feet will maybe start growing first and you will have to buy bigger shoes.  You will feel like a clown with big feet, but before you know it, your body catches up with your feet.

Always remember not to compare yourself with your friends.  Puberty is not the same for everybody and some kids develop faster than others.  There is nothing wrong with you if you are developing slower or faster, it just means we are all different and our bodies and hormones responds differently.

Eeeeek!!!  You have hair growing out in places where there never was hair.  Under your arms, on and between your legs and if your a boy on your face and chest.  Some boys love having a beard and to start shaving but for some it is just an irritation.  Unfortunately this is natural and you will have to decide if and how you want to get rid of the hair.  Are you going to shave, wax or go for threading or just go the natural way and leave the hair.

You have noticed that on hot days or when you do sport you suddenly start sweating more.  This sweating can lead to body odor and it is very important that you shower or bath every day and also use deodorant to keep you smelling fresh.  You will maybe have to try a few types of deodorants before you find a product that works for you, but if you sweat a lot, an antiperspirant is better than just deodorant.

Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with powerful astringents such as aluminum salts so that they can't release sweat. (Note that aluminum can accumulate in the brain.) Deodorants work by neutralizing the smell of the sweat and by antiseptic action against bacteria. 

Your hair and your skin will start to become more oily and you will even start getting some pimples or spots.  Try and refrain from squeezing and picking at you skin.  This will only make it worse.  Buy a good skin wash and make sure you wash your face regularly to get rid of the excess oil.

Another natural thing that will happen to you is that you will start noticing and getting interested in the opposite sex (or even the same one).  Explore your sexuality and embrace it.  Some of us do choose the same sex partners and other the opposite.  Which ever your preference, be true to yourself.  

It can be difficult to accept your sexuality or even be difficult for others, but at the end of the day, you need to make yourself happy and be true to yourself.  Whatever your decision, the ones who accepts you for who you are, they are your real friends.  

Do not be in to much of a hurry to get a boy- or girlfriend.  There is nothing wrong to be single.  The right time for all of this will come and there is no time limit for finding love.

It is normal to get caught up in a roller coaster of emotions.  The one moment you are happy and the next you are sad.   This is all because your brain is going through changes and the part of your brain that is responsible for your feelings and decision making (the 'pre-frontal cortex) is growing, so you brain is currently 'under construction' and this causes a lot of up and down feelings.

Do not be too hard on yourself.  Being a teenager is not always fun, but it is also how you handle it.  If you just accept and go with the changes happening in your body and not let it stop you to enjoy yourself, being a teenager can be one of the most fun and exciting times of your life...

                           

Please consider writing under the steemiteducation tag. Please see their latest post for the new criteria. Please consider telling your friends and help to promote this account. They are looking for good quality educational posts. It is not only for educators, anyone is welcome. Just read the latest post and join their discord server. Make sure to drop your links in the steemiteducation post promotion section on discord.