Adolescence in boys: signs, problems, advice for parents

The child grows, develops and soon enters puberty. You begin to notice how a kind, calm boy becomes angry, aggressive and even withdrawn. You shouldn’t be surprised, because your child’s body begins to change very quickly. And along with him, his worldview, attitude towards others and towards himself changes. At this stage of life, a teenage boy has problems with his parents. And that’s why it is very important for parents to help their child reconfigure the body. This article contains tips and recommendations for parents whose child is entering or is already in this transitional age.

Symptoms of adolescence

Indicators of maturation are:

The first and most important thing is behavior. The difficulty for parents of teenagers is that the child begins to behave strangely. Dissatisfaction, tantrums for no apparent reason and isolation are caused by changes in the child’s inner world.
Physiological features. The teenager's appearance begins to change. Sharp growth, changes in weight, skin problems and a breaking voice are all signs of adolescence.
Character changes. The transition period is a crucial time for character formation. At this time, teenagers are intensely looking for “their” surroundings, experimenting with companies - ranging from informal movements or gamers to athletes or fantasy lovers.

What is puberty and when does it begin?

Puberty is a period of time during which the child’s body changes, as a result he becomes an adult and is capable of procreation. The child develops the individual characteristics of an adult organism. On average, puberty in boys begins from 11 years of age to 17 years of age. But full maturation of the body occurs only at the age of 23-25. Don't worry if your child's adolescence started a little later or ended a little earlier. This is fine. The beginning of this period occurs differently for everyone and depends on many factors:

Living conditions;
Level of physical activity;
Emotional state;
Heredity;
Nationalities.

How does adolescence manifest itself in boys?

Adolescence is the years of psychological and physiological maturation. From this stage, a person begins to realize himself as an individual, he develops stable character traits and life principles. Changes begin at 10-12 years of age. The end is around the age of 17, when the boys’ testicles and penis become larger, and hair grows in the intimate area (if this does not happen, treatment is required).

How do changes manifest themselves?

Physiological. Males increase their height significantly, their muscles develop, and their bone tissue increases. Particular changes occur in the shoulders, which become significantly wider. Male hormones awaken, which affects the voice. For some time the guy speaks in falsetto, that is, very subtly. The skin suffers from pimples and blackheads. Hair growth increases in the armpits, chest and groin areas. The same can be said about the beard and mustache. Sweat secretions are activated.
Psychological. A growing guy is distinguished by unreasonable aggression and expressed protest against his environment.

Parental behavior patterns

For the entire period of adolescence, parents simply need to be patient and understanding. Indeed, in order to achieve prudent behavior from a boy during this period, it is simply necessary to form in advance the correct model of parental behavior, which will become an example for the boy at the stage of his entry into adulthood. Also, do not forget about the role of the father in the behavior of a teenage boy.

Experts identify only three main models:

1. Mutual understanding This model assumes difficult work on the part of each parent. Moreover, previously, parents could tell about all the changes occurring in the body only in words. Now you can turn to literature, lectures, and videos on the topic of adolescence in boys and its signs. If the child is simply embarrassed to have a frank discussion of all the features of adolescence, then he can be invited to study the materials collected by his parents himself. It is advisable for the father to tell his son how to shave properly, and also tell him about all the subtleties in the structure of the male body. If a boy grows up in a single-parent family, then a similar responsibility may be assigned to a grandfather or even an uncle. The main thing is that a trusting relationship is formed with the child from early childhood, since during adolescence it is much more difficult to form them.

2. Healthy In order to help your son overcome all the difficulties of adolescence, he should be provided with the most useful leisure time, as well as nutritious nutrition and exercise. All these components will painlessly help the boy master the role of an adult. There will simply be no time left for smoking and alcohol, which inhibit development.

3. Comparison Parents may well remember themselves at the age of their child. What were the desires and feelings of that time? The main thing at this time is for parents to help their son try on the role of an adult, then he will realize the full weight of responsibility that his parents bear for him. If a boy strives for freedom, let him feel it, but only within reasonable limits. Parents should try to be not a conservative and an enemy, but a comrade-in-arms and advisor in adult matters.

What are the symptoms of adolescence in girls?

A teenage girl during her growing up period has the following characteristics:

Physiology. Unlike boys, a future girl can begin to “mature” from the age of 8. You can divide all the features of changes in the body into age categories:
9-10 years - hair growth in the genital area and armpits increases.
10-11 years – the beginning of breast growth.
11-12 years - the appearance of menstruation, although similar processes are possible at 13-14. This age is the most painful. The skin of the face becomes covered with pimples and acne.
15-16 years – a regular menstrual cycle is established.
Emotional disruptions. Girls develop pronounced egocentrism. They often become depressed, girls have angry attacks, they are dissatisfied with themselves and try with all their might to correct this. Hence the wearing of frilly clothes and bright makeup. The emotionality of a growing girl may be associated with a change in the hormonal system.

At this time, it is important for mom and dad to make it clear that their daughter is loved by everyone, that her appearance is the most attractive, and she does not need to prove anything to others.

Psychological characteristics of teenagers

Puberty is not easy for boys. Many people don’t want to show photos at this time. The teenager looks clumsy, with excessively long limbs, disproportionate. Often guys start slouching to avoid attention to themselves. More confident teenagers begin to look for their own style in order to please the opposite sex. Often at this time a teenager becomes sexually active. Until this point, it would be useful to jointly discuss all the consequences of promiscuity.

The most difficult period on the path to adulthood is puberty for boys. Psychology describes the extremely unstable nervous system of adolescents. A teenager is accompanied by frequent mood swings; he can plunge into depression over a trifle, or he can react aggressively to a seemingly harmless joke. Teenagers are categorical in their opinions, they tend to act thoughtlessly, following the will of emotions. Physical and mental illness is expressed in frequent whims and pugnacity. Boys can simultaneously experience hatred for the world around them and for themselves. Added to the contradictory state is an attraction to forbidden actions. Puberty in boys is accompanied by feelings of loneliness and misunderstanding. Parents need to adhere to a special line of behavior in times of crisis, since one careless word can lead to unpleasant consequences.

The intellectual development of puberty boys is actively aimed at finding their place in society. The teenager strives for independence and criticizes many topics. During this period, the formation of character, perception of the surrounding world, one’s image and line of behavior occurs. The teenager is already able to abstract mental operations from objects; thinking reaches the phase of formal operations, so he often begins to reach for general formulas and theories. The teenager thinks about his own theories of happiness, politics, and philosophy. During puberty, a boy begins to perceive the world from the point of view of ways of changing it. He is trying to formulate his life program, depending on his chosen goal in the future. With her, the teenager enters the adult world, encountering obstacles along the way, and gradually socializes.

Puberty in boys includes active development of imagination. Teenagers carefully guard their fantasies. There is a development of self-awareness. The boy begins to look for the reasons for his behavior and analyzes the further development of his actions. This neoplasm promotes understanding not only of oneself, but also of other people during puberty in boys.

Useful tips for parents

Parents should not criticize their children or reproach them for inappropriate behavior. It is important to give the child more personal space, to help him feel important and self-sufficient (for example, give him the opportunity to play games like PAW Patrol (racing) or GTA 5). It is important to always thank your teenager, this will allow him to increase his self-esteem.

During the period of active growth, a child needs more food, so do not be surprised that a 12-year-old son eats more than his adult father. If at the same time normal physique and activity are maintained, then the need for such a volume of food is normal.

And most importantly, do not ignore the child. As a rule, problem behavior is a consequence of misunderstanding or lack of attention on the part of parents. A teenager should have personal space, and at the same time he should always know that you need him.

How to behave as parents: tips

If you want to help your boy go through puberty easier, then you need to work hard. First of all, you should stock up on patience and endurance. You also need to follow the following recommendations.

Become a friend to your child. You need to try to enter a circle of people that your child can trust. He will talk about his problems, and you can help and support him. Do you remember yourself at this age? You probably also thought that adults didn’t understand you. Develop his beliefs. Have a heart-to-heart talk with him, tell stories from your life.
Don't limit freedom. Remember, the child should have his own personal space. It is advisable that he have his own room. Never rummage through your child's things. You should not control his every step, do not eavesdrop on telephone conversations. This way you will only turn him against you. You yourself should learn to trust him, find compromises with him and communicate.
Criticism. Remember, it should be constructive, and should also be aimed not at the child’s appearance, but at his behavior, mistakes, actions, etc. Try to express your criticism gently, without harsh words.
Please be patient. Was the child rude? Control yourself. Responding to his rudeness with rudeness will only provoke a scandal. It’s better to separate, calm down and then talk calmly.
Don't forget to praise. You should praise him even for small achievements. A teenage boy will have a desire to achieve more, develop and improve himself.

It will not be possible to avoid adolescence. But if parents approach this very responsibly, then it will be easier for the child to survive this period in his life. And they will also be able to maintain a good relationship with their child.

What goes on in the soul of a teenager

During the period of teenage crisis, boys undergo a rethinking of their personality. All the emotions and sensations of a 14-year-old boy are intensified many times over. He becomes irritable, absent-minded, and angry for no apparent reason.

At this time, due to changes in appearance and physiology, he develops many complexes. With all his behavior, he strives to prove that he is no longer a little boy, but a “real kid.” But behind all this, self-doubt, fear and depression are most often hidden, because the desire to be an adult is there, but the teenager does not yet know how to show his adulthood. He feels anxious. Often, it seems that adults do not understand him at all. The desire to prove their worth often pushes boys to rash actions that are fraught with serious consequences.