The Pangs of Growing Up

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 06 March 2008 edition

By Dr James Dobson

 

The Pangs of Growing Up

 

I want to talk today about four growth patterns in the early teen years

that have significance for self-confidence.

 

First, there’s the late-maturing boy, who is keenly aware that

all his friends have grown up. He may be interested in sports,

but finds it difficult to compete with the larger, stronger boys.

And he’s actually shorter than most of the girls, for a few years.

It’s a painful period.

 

It isn’t much easier for the late-maturing girl.  She’s flat-chested

and immature long after her friends have begun developing.

 

But the early-maturing girl has her own struggles. Since girls

tend to blossom a year or two before boys, the girl who enters puberty

before her friends is just miles out ahead of everybody, and it’s simply

not acceptable to be boy-crazy at nine or 10 years of age.

 

The only child to have an advantage is the early-maturing boy.

His early development puts him on par with the girls in his class.

He has a social advantage throughout the adolescent years, and

the benefits of that status can be traced even into adulthood.

 

Now, there’s not much that parents can do to change these patterns,

but it does help to understand what your boy or girl is dealing with.