Puberty is the period in life that each of us experienced some time ago or is soon approaching. It's the time our bodies begins to develop and change as we move from a child to an adult.When children reach this first major point in their lives, parents tend to get scared, panic and simply don't have or choose not to answer the blunt line of questioning from their children. Questions typically focus on subject matters like sexuality, period, PMS or TSS.



It's advisable that parents play a major role in educating teens on this stage in their lives. Open dialogue and communication a key factor in having a close relationship with our children prevents them from seeking outside advice, which potentially could be harmful to them. So, parents, start preparing to have that ?talk? with your child and be ready for very direct lines of questioning from them. The following provides an overview about puberty and other related subject matter, to inspire your ?talk?.

Puberty is a period of time when young adults mature physically, sexually, emotionally, intellectually and psychologically. This stage takes place between the ages of 8-16 in girls and 10-17 in boys. Sometimes, these transformations come smoothly in step by step process; and at other times, puberty starts out as a shock. Don't panic, this is totally normal.

During puberty growth hormones are awaken and a teenager's body will experience major growth spurts. Girls typically experience physiological development first. They gain weight and the overall shape of their bodies will change, making them more womanly and rounder, especially in the hip area. They also experience breasts development also known as, ?breast buds? in the beginning stages. Typically, within one to two years after a girl's breasts starts to grow, she will experience her first menstrual period, another change that indicates that puberty is occurring.

In boys, puberty brings a changing voice and a rapid growth, particularly in their shoulders and muscles. Another early sign of puberty is new hair growth in places like the pubic area, under arms and on their cheeks ? mustache and beard. These are the so called secondary sexual characteristics. The growth of axial and pubic hair is pertinent for girls as well. At the end of the puberty period, the genital organs for equally girls and boys reach their maturity stage, which means that they are ready for copulation. In other words, around age of 18, teens are physically ready to have children, but are they mentally prepared?

Puberty comes along with behavioral and mental changes. This is adolescence. Puberty and adolescence start together, but adolescence ends up much later than puberty. Teenagers typically want to stand out. They have a point of view, a personality to show in relationship with adult their adult counterparts, particularly in conflicts with their parents. The new emergent personality signals its presence by sometimes adopting radical ideas or an awkward fashion style and look. Teenagers start to look inside and begin to question themselves some suffer from an identity crisis. They are unsure of their feelings, and don't understand what it is they're experiencing. Fear not this is normal; it's just the insurgence of hormones.

Puberty also brings on new sexual sensations. Sooner or later, teens become aware of the opposite sex; and prefer and look for attention from them. School is no longer the number one priority. This is the age when dating becomes important. They also become obsessed with the way they look, and dress. They feel the need to belong to a group or to have close friends who have common interests, like music and sports; they begin to share their feelings, sensations, worries and desires. Physical attraction can then ultimately lead to a sexual act. Adolescent girls need to be particularly educated with regards to having sexual experiences at a young age due to possibly unprepared pregnancy once they've had their first menstrual period.