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Having a Preteen

Coping with Change

By Jlynn SheaksPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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I think that having a preteen is harder than what most people would think that it is. I know in my experience having a preteen can be quite a challenge at first, especially if you have other children who are younger, but after a while a parent gets used to the changes. My oldest daughter is going through the early stages of puberty, so she is still not sure what to expect and is often upset or confused by all these changes. I am thankful that she has me to talk to about these changes that are going on with her and that I can guide her through the process. I know that at the beginning stages of puberty, there is a lot of confusion, a lot of questions, and a lot of extra things that have to be purchased in order to help your child through it all. It was an eye opener for me when I started having to buy my oldest daughter face wash for her acne, deodorant for her stronger body odor, and training bras. It is a long process of dealing with changes, not just for the child going through it, but for the parent as well.

Preteens have a lot of different things they are going through and these changes often lead to emotional or behavioral outbursts. The changes that a preteen goes through are physical but the changes can also be emotional and mental. The physical changes are the obvious changes where a child starts going through changes with their body. These changes can include physical pain as they are feeling growing pains from their body adjusting to the growth spurts of their bones and muscles. Another physical change that often occurs is that the child will start to sweat more, have increased body odor, and will often start breaking out with acne on their face, mostly near their forehead. Some other physical changes include the changing of the voice and its pitch, growing at a fast rate, increased hunger, a decrease in sleep patterns, certain physical developments, and an increased growth of hair. Physical changes can differ with each child and boys and girls often go through some similar physical changes, but also go through different changes.

The emotional changes that occur during puberty are often not as noticeable, as the child may resort to silence as their way of coping. They can also get angry easy, cry easier and longer, and often resort to wanting to spend more time alone to try and figure things out. The mental changes that can happen are when a child gets so angry and upset about the changes going through their body that they start taking it out on others or themselves. They can also become destructive, have a lack of energy, have trouble sleeping, or have more intense nightmares. One thing to remember the most is that this is something everyone has to go through and it is only a phase. I think that puberty can have the outcome of getting worse through the entire phase, or getting better. I think that it depends on the child going through it, how they handle all the changes, and how good they feel about what is happening to their bodies. In conclusion, puberty is something we all go through, and we all go through it differently, but it is important to be patient and understanding.

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About the Creator

Jlynn Sheaks

I am a single mother of three beautiful daughters. I often think too much and sometimes ideas just come to me. Joined this to get my ideas, stories, and poems out there.

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