Adolescence is the stage of life that begins at the end of childhood and ends when the body reaches its full development, when adulthood begins. In other words, the period when the child becomes an adult.
Parents of a teenager must realize that they are no longer dealing with a child, and yet they are still not dealing with an adult, but with a special individual, who is changing physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Adolescence begins in girls a couple of years earlier than in boys, and the average is 11 years for girls and 13 for boys, although these ages can vary between different cultures. In some cases it is short-lived, while in others it is longer.
When adolescence begins, it is because of the beginning and producing puberty, which is the phase in which the reproductive system matures, and is associated with drastic changes in height and physical features. The pituitary gland produces a hormone known as gonadotropin, which stimulates the male and female sex organs to produce androgens in the testicles of boys and estrogens in the ovaries of girls.
In men, facial, body and pubic hair appear, the voice takes a serious tone and begins to produce semen. In women, body and pubic hair appear, breasts increase, hips widen, and menstruation begins.
As the boy's or girl's reproductive organs begin to function, new interests in sex are awakened in them and they experience new sensations in the sexual organs. There is a certain interaction and sexual instinct between them.
During adolescence, intellectual and emotional changes also occur but they are not automatically controlled like physical ones. The adolescent as a person who is maturing, new thoughts and feelings assail him, which in turn provoke emotions that he has never experienced before.
Adolescence is the period of time that individuals need to consider themselves autonomous and socially independent. Probably in this period of life the pressure is very intense, and is in conflict with the rules of home and school. Teenagers make and break friendships. Emotional imbalance and mood swings are common at this age.
