All this sounds a little frightening, but adolescence can also be an exciting period. It is a period when you are learning new things and growing up into an individual with an identity of your own. You are literally moving from one stage of life to another. Whether you are a boy or a girl, you have to go through adolescence before you can reach adulthood. Also remember that while these changes happen to everyone, not everyone reacts in the same way. Some of you may not feel some of the things we have talked about. Another thing to remember is that these changes do not take place at exactly the same age for everyone. So, some of you may have already started experiences changes in your body, others will go through these changes a little later. But we need to understand these changes taking place in the body – only then can we learn how to deal with them.
Here’s a set of letters written by adolescents. Read these letters to understand the problems they are facing. After each letter there is suggested advice given by a wise caring adult who understands the problems of adolescents. Do tell us what you think about it the advice.
Letter 1
My family always visits my aunt’s house on the first Sunday of every month. She is my father’s eldest sister, but is more like a mother to him. It was she who brought up my father after their mother died when he was only two years old. This Sunday there was a football match in our school so I told my father that I did not want to go. Oh God, you should have heard him! As if I had committed a sin. He scolded me and said there would be many more matches to play anyway! Nothing can be more important than family and so on.
I like my aunt. But I really got angry at the fuss my father was making, so I shouted back at him and told him that the Sunday trips were boring and that I was old enough to decide what I wanted to do. Father would have hit me if mumma had not stepped in between and saved me. He kept warning her about my rudeness and how I was getting out of hand : “How dare he talk about his elders like that! He has no respect for our traditions!”
I just wanted to miss this one Sunday. But he doesn’t try to understand me at all. So why should I listen to him? These days we seem to be fighting all the time. I do not know what to do. Can you please help me?
All this sounds a little frightening, but adolescence can also be an exciting period. It is a period when you are learning new things and growing up into an individual with an identity of your own. You are literally moving from one stage of life to another. Whether you are a boy or a girl, you have to go through adolescence before you can reach adulthood. Also remember that while these changes happen to everyone, not everyone reacts in the same way. Some of you may not feel some of the things we have talked about. Another thing to remember is that these changes do not take place at exactly the same age for everyone. So, some of you may have already started experiences changes in your body, others will go through these changes a little later. But we need to understand these changes taking place in the body – only then can we learn how to deal with them.
Here’s a set of letters written by adolescents. Read these letters to understand the problems they are facing. After each letter there is suggested advice given by a wise caring adult who understands the problems of adolescents. Do tell us what you think about it the advice.
Letter 1
My family always visits my aunt’s house on the first Sunday of every month. She is my father’s eldest sister, but is more like a mother to him. It was she who brought up my father after their mother died when he was only two years old. This Sunday there was a football match in our school so I told my father that I did not want to go. Oh God, you should have heard him! As if I had committed a sin. He scolded me and said there would be many more matches to play anyway! Nothing can be more important than family and so on.
I like my aunt. But I really got angry at the fuss my father was making, so I shouted back at him and told him that the Sunday trips were boring and that I was old enough to decide what I wanted to do. Father would have hit me if mumma had not stepped in between and saved me. He kept warning her about my rudeness and how I was getting out of hand : “How dare he talk about his elders like that! He has no respect for our traditions!”
I just wanted to miss this one Sunday. But he doesn’t try to understand me at all. So why should I listen to him? These days we seem to be fighting all the time. I do not know what to do. Can you please help me?