Week #5 Terese Cloonan

Some theories mentioned in our "Lifesmart" book chapter 8 about adolescence starting mentions when you being to menstruate, or when you had your first ejaculation. Our book states when you turned 11 years old for a girl, and 12 years old for a boy, however with my experience I was much older. I remember being a lot older when I believe my adolescence kicked in. Some more theories that I read about in our book chapter 8, was when your friends influenced you more than your parents. This theory I really agree with. Being a young girl is such a hard time. Your body is changing and you are trying to fit in with all the other kids. I was a very very late bloomer so I was constantly confused when I was younger on how I was supposed to be looking. I often had that sense on wondering who I was or who I was going to become. I also remember being around the age of 11 and I would be very upset when my birthday came around. I was so sad that I was turning another age older. I think I was upset because my body was not progressing as fast as the other kids. I eventually got over all my insecurities during my adolescence, looking back on it now makes me laugh. Every kid has to suffer these changes and it can be a very long journey.

On page 187, it states, "Change in hormone levels, called hormonal balance, is one of the triggers of puberty, but its beginning is difficult to pinpoint. Measuring skeletal growth, genital growth, pubic hair, breast development, voice change, or a growth spurt requires recording over a period of time." A development in girls that show puberty is in a girls hips. The hips widen. Our book mentions that girls tend to grow faster than most boys. I attended an all girls high school. So from the ages 14-18 I was in classrooms with only females. I believe that because there were no boys around, I coped better with my puberty. I didn't have anyone in school that I was trying to impress. However, being with all girls I did see a lot of eating disorders. Some girls wanted to be skinny and it really took a toll on them. We had great teachers at my school so most cases of eating disorders were caught before they got to bad.

Also in chapter 8, it reminds us that children's brains are also having growth spurts. The parietal and frontal lobes of the brain as well as subcortical regions make changes in a teenagers brain, as it states on page 190. The formal operational stage, which is 11 years old and up is the individuals that can think abstractly, reason logically, exhibit hypothetical thinking, and combine groups of concrete operations. This is a stage from Jean Piaget which our book introduced us to. Culture and gender also influence a child's cognitive development. Being a teenager, your emotions are very up and down. I remember one minute being happy and the next minute I could have started to cry. When you're going through puberty your emotions are very mixed. Just as your body is growing, so is your mind. Looking back, I learned a lot of important life lessons during my own adolescence. I was taught right from wrong. I was also taught that you have to be kind because you never know what someone could be going through. I also learned that life is hard, but you will get through the tough times. There's always tomorrow.