The Teenage Years 

I have lived a few years and looking back at life, I have often wondered what were the toughest years to live and for me it’s a no brainer. The teenage years were easily the hardest as they are for a massive percentage of young people. We all have changes in our lives, but more often than not, we are matured and experienced enough to be able to deal with a lot of  issues and changes that are put in front of us.

When you are 13 years old or there about whichever gender you are, be it a boy or girl. The road to adulthood starts and from my memory it is not easy. Not easy at all! After all just a few weeks ago you were a child with basically not a worry in the world. Running around the local park playing football or using the swings or slides. Then like a lightening bolt! The body and mind change and somehow you have to evolve and deal with these changes.

Slowly but very steadily the moods that hormones create, arrive and teenagers become full of angst, anger, emotional outbursts and of course you believe you are completely mis-understood by your parents and the world is out to get you and that’s just for starters. So it’s no great surprise to me that some teenagers go off the rails and generally do things that are unacceptable. Here is a selection of things that change about you once you are a teenager.

1. Your a 13 year old girl and menustration arrives. Let’s be fair you can be prepared by your mum and dad forever for this event but nothing can prepare you for stomach cramps, bloated stomach and bleeding and it will last around five days, but wait this will go on for approximately the next 35 years every month. Truly frightening for a 13 year old girl.

2. Around 13 years old boys have to endure a phisycal change that is also a tough one to work out. Their testicles drop and then they turn from soprano to baritone almost overnight. The most embarrassing part I remember was a lot of boys lined up outside the school nurses office, including me to check that our balls had dropped. A lot of red faced boys that day in school. Total embarrassment. Thankfully this doesn’t happen nowadays.

3. Hormones are starting to go on the rampage in boys and girls, and we all know what hormones bring on mood swings that are on a comparison to a bubbling volcano just ticking away ready to explode. Then mum or dad politely asked them to clean up their room the anger explodes. Because hormones control these mood swings and omg! Don’t those moods swing.

4. Another tough thing to deal with as a teenager is that age old problem acne. Of course it doesn’t help when mum and dad say every teenager goes through it. It will go in time. Really have you seen my face it’s a mess! I’m ugly. This of course is a totally misplaced reflection of yourself, but an understandable one. You then spend every bit of cash you have on creams etc from the chemist, and of course none of them really work.

5. Of course the latest trends are a must have, and as a teenager you have just got to have them because otherwise you simply don’t fit in with your friends. The peer pressure is very difficult to deal with because quite often your parents can’t afford the latest trainers or clothes that all your mates are wearing.  I remember one particular occasion with my two oldest daughters had to have these particular school trousers and only one shop in the town centre sold them and they would only last a few months and they cost £16 a pair. The owner of the shop must have made a fortune, he certainly did off me. But of course it’s about being part of the crowd and in your mind you don’t look the odd one out and of course teenagers are quick to alienate you if you don’t have the latest designer gear.

6. Around 14 or 15 years of age, sex becomes an issue no doubt about that, and boys as well as girls are very conscious of their bodies and are very aware of the opposite sexes appearance with an eye for something more than just looking. The pressure on teenagers to have sex when in truth they are probably not emotionally equipped to have sex is incredible. Amazingly the more a teenage boy has sex he becomes the STUD! Whereas a teenage girl does that and she is instantly branded easy or a slapper. That was the case when I was a teenager and I don’t think it’s changed to this day. This of course is totally unacceptable, but we as a society allow it to happen.

7. Finally when I was teenager there was no social media or the internet and if I’m honest I am so thankful that there wasn’t. Especially when I see what goes on today and how cyber-bullying is out of control. Teenagers today can make other teenagers lives a nightmare and of course nowadays everybody can be in their homes making one persons life very difficult via the internet . It could be just bullying by a group on one teenager pushing them to the limits and teenagers being unable to confide in an adult who ends up suffering in silence which as we all know can lead to terrible consequences.

8. Through all of this we expect our teenagers to achieve good results and pass their exams with flying colours and hopefully if it’s what they want go on to university. The pressure to achieve that is mind boggling.

These are just a few examples of how difficult being a teenager is. The teenage years are very tough. They always have been, teenagers have anger, moods, body changes and so much more to deal with it’s always been the same.

Unfortunately in 2017 it’s worse than ever keeping up with friends and trying to fit in with society and your friends. Whilst trying to grow into adulthood that is tough. It’s a minefield because every step of the way it could simply blow up in your face. Just because our children are beginning to look like and behave like adults a bit they are still ultimately children in the growing process this world we live in is taking away the innocence of childhood earlier than ever. That in my opinion is a little bit sad.

I have five children, one has left the teenage years, two are still teenagers and of course I have five year old twins. What I noticed with my three oldest children is that they all dealt with the teenage years completely differently. Thankfully it’s a while away yet, but it will be interesting to see how the twins deal with those awkward years.

How were your teenage years. Would love to hear your thoughts.