Male Puberty
Puberty is marked in boys with the growth and drop of testicles and the darkening of the sac, the scrotum, which holds them. The penis grows, probably in inverse propostion to locker room anxiety. Hair appears on the upper lip and in the pubic area. The voice begins to break.
Any and all of these werewolf-esque variations can be very upsetting for young men. Still it is less acceptable for boys to "act out" in comparison to girls who are notorious. "I have a twelve-year-old daughters. After watching the mood swings and hormonal explosions. I have come to the conclusion the ozone layer is not being depleted by aerosol sprays. The true cause is the effects of all those exhaling sighs that come from preadolescent girls."
Amusing? While humor is often a useful strategy, the comical imaginings of this parent mask a stereotype that is damaging girls and inhibiting to boys. The dramatic and emotional flare of pubescent girls is sexistyly burlesqued time and again. Boys, on the other hand, don't have any legendary caricature to don to release feelings of stress. Does it follow that boys have fewer problems with puberty? No, Parents need to be aware of the following misconceptions.
the Roller-Coaster Years: Raising Your Child through the Maddening yet Magical Middle School Years
Author Charlene C. Giannetti and Margarent Sagarese. Excellent book to read.
