Puberty is a really, really weird time for a whole lot of people. You’ve suddenly got to deal with all these abrupt changes that no one’s really prepared you for, and that can leave you feeling pretty bloody confused. Whether you’re a young sheila or a budding bloke, everyone goes through these changes and it’s perfectly normal… but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to deal with.
So in order to guide you through this tumultuous time of pubic hair and voice cracking, here are five things I wished someone told ME when I was still knee-high to a grasshopper.
You will get hair, eventually
You might be sprouting a full-on beard or perhaps you’re still waiting for that first chest hair to come through. Whatever the case is, it’s important to remember not to stress about where you’re at in your puberty journey compared to others. At the end of the day, everyone goes through the same changes, it just depends when it happens to you. Take it from a fella who has to shave every second day, enjoy those days of soft smooth skin ‘cos it won’t last forever.
Take a chill pill
The hormones suddenly released during puberty can make for some preeeetty intense mood swings. One minute, you’ll be having a v lovely conversation with your dearest mother and the next minute she’s said something that’s got you angrier than Donald Trump after someone nabs the last bottle of fake tan. It’s not your fault that your emotions are all over the place, but it’s also not your parents. So don’t take it out on them.
Things are about to get…sexual
Aside from being a time of immense personal and physical change, puberty is also when you start to figure out that you’ve got a working set of sexual reproductive organs… and they’re pretty damn great. Honestly, it’s perfectly healthy and normal to explore your sexuality and it’s an important part of growing up. Defs don’t feel ashamed, embarrassed or isolated by any of the feelings you might have. Just, uh, don’t be the person that gets a little too into alone time if ya know what I’m saying.
Remember to leave the house.
Stay hygienic
When your body is working overtime to pump you full of sweet, sweet hormones it’s only natural that you’ll start to sweat. A lot. It’s completely normal, but definitely a sign it’s time to chuck some deodorant on your pits. Fellas, that’s not saying that you need to go around smelling like an explosion at the Lynx factory, but puberty is certainly a time when you need to get into some good hygiene habits.
Show some empathy
Remember how I said that everyone’s pubescent years are different and that you shouldn’t judge others in comparison to yourself? Well, don’t be that person that makes someone else feel super uncomfortable about their body because you’ve said something mean without thinking. Show some empathy to another human being AND LOVE EACH OTHER FOR GODS SAKE.
