Why do my feelings change so much, and who can I talk to?
Your guess
Pick one before you read on. It is fine to be wrong.
By the end you can
Explain that changing moods and feelings in puberty are normal
Name trusted adults you can ask about growing up
Puberty changes how you feel, as well as how you look. Your mood is how you feel inside at one time. In puberty, moods can change quickly. You may feel happy, then cross, then sad, all in one day. This is normal.
Draw it first
Draw the feelings puberty can bring
1 Write puberty in the middle. Add quick moods and new worries.
2 Add crushes and wanting privacy.
3 Add feeling shy. Every one of these is normal.
The pituitary gland is a small gland under the brain. Puberty starts when it sends a hormone in the blood to the ovaries or the testes. They then make more hormones.
Part of the reason is hormones. The same chemical messengers that change your body also act on your brain. Other reasons are new worries, new friends, and wanting more say in your own life.
The pituitary gland starts it. Hormones from the ovaries or the testes travel in the blood. They reach the body and the brain, and can change how you feel.
Many people start to have strong feelings for someone. This is a crush. Some people have a crush on a boy, some on a girl, and some on nobody. All of these are normal. A crush is a feeling. You choose what, if anything, to do about it.
You may want more privacy: time and space to be on your own. That is fine. Other people want it too, so knock before you go into a room.
Most hard feelings pass. Sleep, food, exercise and talking all help.
Sometimes sad or worried feelings do not pass. They may last for weeks, or stop you sleeping, eating or enjoying things. You may think about hurting yourself. Then tell a trusted adult or a health worker now. If one adult does not help, ask another.
You do not have to work out growing up alone. A trusted adult is a grown up who listens to you, keeps you safe and helps you. You can ask them anything about your body or your feelings.
Trusted adults by their role. A faith leader you trust is a community leader too. Choose people who listen and keep you safe.
See it three ways
With things
Tariq felt worried that his body was changing later than his friends'. He asked a health worker at the clinic. She told him there is no right time, and he felt better.
As a picture
In words
A worry kept inside often grows. Said out loud to a trusted adult, it usually gets smaller.
Try it
Keep a feelings diary for a week
You need: paper, a pencil.
Draw a table with a row for each day and two columns: morning and night.
Each evening, draw a face in each box for how you felt. Write one word next to it.
At the end of the week, look for patterns. Did sleep, food or friends change how you felt?
What you will see: Your moods go up and down. Most people find they feel better after good sleep, a meal or time outside.
If you cannot try it, this is what happens.
A wrong idea many people have
Asking about growing up is embarrassing, so it is better to keep quiet.
Why it feels right: Bodies and feelings can feel private, and you may worry that the adult will laugh.
The test that breaks it: Ask a health worker or a teacher one question. They are asked these questions all the time, and they answer them calmly.
What is true: Every adult went through puberty too. A trusted adult is glad you asked.
Key words
mood
how you feel inside at one time.
crush
strong feelings for someone.
privacy
time and space to be on your own.
trusted adult
a grown up who listens to you, keeps you safe and helps you.
Back to your guess
The answer is B: Changing moods are a normal part of puberty, partly because of hormones.
Moods that go up and down are normal in puberty, for girls and for boys. Hormones are part of the reason, and new worries and friendships are the rest.
Check yourself
Try each one before you look. A wrong answer tells you where to go next.
Amina feels happy in the morning and cross by midday, for no clear reason. What is most likely?
See the answer
Mood changes are normal in puberty, partly because of hormones.
Hormones act on the brain as well as the body, so moods can change quickly in puberty.
If you chose A: Quick changes of mood are normal in puberty. They are not an illness. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose C: Quick changes of mood are normal in puberty. Nothing is wrong with her. Go to S3.4.3.
Which of these is a trusted adult you could ask about growing up?
See the answer
A teacher or a health worker you know
A trusted adult is a grown up you know, who listens and keeps you safe. Teachers and health workers are good choices.
If you chose A: You do not know a stranger online, so you cannot know they will keep you safe. Choose an adult you know and trust. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose B: Questions about growing up are normal. Trusted adults are there to help. Go to S3.4.3.
Why can hormones change how you feel?
See the answer
They are carried in the blood to the brain, as well as to the body.
The brain is where feelings happen. Hormones reach it in the blood.
If you chose B: Hormones are not germs. They are chemical messengers your own body makes. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose C: Hormones are not foods. Your body makes them, and the blood carries them. Go to S3.4.2.
Tariq is worried that his body is changing later than his friends'. What is the best thing to do?
See the answer
Talk to a trusted adult, such as a parent or a health worker.
A trusted adult can tell him that puberty starts at different times, and check if he needs help.
If you chose A: He can wait, but a worry kept inside often grows. Talking helps. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose C: Never take a medicine unless a health worker gives it to you. If puberty is very late, a health worker can check and help. Go to S3.4.3.
Lucía wants to be alone in her room more than before. Is this normal?
See the answer
Yes. Many people want more privacy in puberty.
Wanting time and space of your own is normal. Others want it too, so knock before going in.
If you chose B: Wanting privacy is a normal part of growing up. It does not mean she is unhappy. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose C: Everyone needs some privacy, and adolescents often want more of it. Go to S3.4.3.
Kofi has a crush on someone in his class. What is true?
See the answer
A crush is a normal feeling, and he chooses what, if anything, to do.
Strong feelings for someone are normal in puberty. A feeling is not something you must act on.
If you chose A: A crush is private. He does not have to tell anyone. Go to S3.4.3.
If you chose B: Crushes happen to boys and girls. They are a normal part of puberty. Go to S3.4.3.
From an earlier chapter
Which change of puberty comes to both girls and boys?
See the answer
A growth spurt
Everyone grows faster for a while in puberty.
If you chose A: Periods come from the uterus, so they are for girls. Go to S3.4.2.
If you chose C: The voice deepens a lot and face hair grows for boys. Go to S3.4.2.
Keep it
Copy this into your exercise book.
Moods can change fast in puberty, partly because of hormones. Worries, crushes and wanting privacy are normal. A trusted adult listens and keeps you safe: a parent or carer, a teacher, a health worker.
Draw: Draw yourself in the middle with lines to three adults you trust.
