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Adolescence Peer Pressure by: Naihma Banal Do you know what peer pressure is? Peer stands for friends. You should know what pressure means. What is peer pressure? Peer pressure is when you want to choose to do something to be not left out or to be accepted. Peer pressure can be positive or negative. There are 6 types of peer pressure.They are Spoken Peer Pressure which is when a tennager asks for suggestions. Another example is Unspoken Peer Pressure and it is when nothing is said to you to do it because other people are doing it. Direct Peer Pressure is normally your behavior. Indirect Peer Pressure is when your friends gossip about someone and Negative Peer Pressure is when you do stuff like smoking and drinking because you want to be accepted. Why do teenagers go through peer pressure? Peer pressure can happen during puberty stage. Tenagers go through peer pressure because they dont want to be left out. They also want to fit in. Also some teens are interested in trying things. How to deal with peer pressure? If your friends want you to go and smoke or drink and you are under age, learn how to say no. Find the right peers. Learn tricks to stop yourself. Speak up for yourself. To sum it up, peer pressure is when a friend wants you to do something with him or her. There are different types of peer pressures, and the one a person should try to avoid is negative peer pressure. It is important to find the right friends and not be shy to say that it's not right if it's bad. Sources: ● https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/behaviour/peers-friends-trends/peer -influence ● http://headsup.scholastic.com/students/peer-pressure-its-influence-on-t eens-and-decision-making ● https://www.talkitoutnc.org/peer-pressure/types-of-peer-pressure/ ● https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/peer-pressure.html
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Sexual Harassment in Adolescents By: Tanishq Banerjee What is sexual harassment in adolescents? Have you ever heard of it? Sexual harassment is very bad and painful. Adolescents need to know about this so if they encounter it, they know what to do.
Sexual abuse is when someone does something sexual to that person without that person’s consent and doing something to hurt or intimidate that person. It can include sexual comments, gestures, or jokes about someone’s appearance. Even if people demand or request for sexual favors or show naked or dirty pictures of themselves or others.
There are many reasons why kids participate in sexual harassment. But, the top reasons involve because they want to feel powerful, they want to appear sexually mature, and they want to generate excitement. Once a child reaches puberty, they put a
lot of importance on how they look and what people think of them. The goal is to appear mature and accepted. So, they often give in to peer pressure and demands. Some sexual bullies thrive on telling a juicy story, spreading rumors, or sharing negative details about another person. Mean girls, in particular, will sexually bully other girls by spreading rumors and gossip, sharing secrets, or telling stories. They enjoy the attention they get from knowing something others don’t know. To stop sexual harassment, you can start by saying “No!” or “Stop!”. Let him or her know that this behavior isn’t okay with you. If that doesn’t stop the harassment, then don’t just ignore the behavior. Instead, tell a trusted adult about it. Telling someone sooner leads to faster results. You should keep a record of the things that have happened, and in that way you will have them if your school or family has to take legal action. Remember, no one has the right to sexually bully or harass you.
In conclusion, sexual harassment is very bad and painful. No one has the right to harass you sexually. Some adolescents experience this, but it’s important to stay strong.
Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STyNOVjgxcM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKk-pbeW3ic&t=49s https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-sexual-bullying-and-why-do-kids-engage-in-it-460499
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Do People Develop at Different Ages? By Mishka Polina R. Bernardo Have you ever wondered if people go through puberty at the same age? Have you ever wanted to know what would happen if they develop late or early? Adolescents go through puberty at different ages. However, they will eventually catch up with others. The average age for girls to go through puberty is from 8 to 13 years old. On the other hand, boys usually experience puberty from the ages 9 to 15. If they develop too early or too late, there may be a problem with their glands that make hormones. However, they will eventually catch up with others. Sometimes, adolescents develop early or late because of their genes. If a parent experienced puberty early on, this might affect their child to also develop in puberty early. On the contrary, if a parent experienced puberty much later, their child might also experience the same. If an adolescent goes through puberty early, it is called Precocious Puberty. It is considered precocious if he or she begins puberty before the age of 8 for girls and the age of 9 for boys. On the other hand, if someone goes through puberty late, from the age of 14 for both boys and girls, it is considered as Delayed Puberty. Delayed puberty may be caused by an illness that a person has (ex. asthma), or if they don’t consume a lot of food or nutrients. It can also be because of a problem with their hormones, as said beforehand. But, most of the time, there isn’t really a major problem. Everyone will eventually catch up with others. Therefore, adolescents may develop at different ages for many reasons, but puberty is completely normal and will happen to everyone, even if it occurs early or late. Sources: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/puberty.html https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/growth-hormone.html https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/precocious-puberty/symptoms-causes/syc-20351811 https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/delayed-puberty.html
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How Important is Puberty? By Clara D. Carrion
Have you ever wondered about the importance of puberty? Or maybe if you can live without puberty? There are many questions about puberty that some might be wondering about. Puberty is important because puberty helps your brain and your body grow, and another reason is that puberty helps you get ready for adulthood. When a person's body reaches a certain age, their brain releases a speciďŹ c hormone that starts the changes in their body, this is called puberty. Most of the time puberty starts at the ages of 7 and 13 for girls,and 9 -15 for boys. During puberty, your body will grow faster than before. Hormones play a big role in puberty. They help the reproductive organs to mature. These changes are very useful to help shape the brain for new forms of learning. Puberty helps adolescents prepare for adulthood. Puberty is important because puberty involves changes in hormones that also get attached to your brain cells and change how the brain learns and grows. Can people live without puberty? Not quite, in most cases, late puberty is simply a matter of growth changes beginning later than usual, and a person who experiences this is sometimes called a late bloomer. When puberty begins late, these changes either don't occur or don't progress normally late puberty is more Sources: common in boys than in girls. Most often, https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/puberty.html https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/what-is-puberty-expl children simply develop later than their ainer https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534827/ peers but ultimately develop normally. https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2020.00053 In conclusion, puberty is important for the health and growth of your body.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190314123201.h tm ttps://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007695.htm https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/ hormonal-disorders-in-children/delayed-puberty 7 https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/delayed-puberty.html
Depression in Adolescents By Julianna Dela Paz
Have you ever wondered how it's like to be depressed? Or have you ever wondered how it's like to be with someone depressed? Depression for adolescents can affect one’s brain, sleeping, appetite and other things. Depression for adolescents is a serious mental illness that can affect many adolescent lives with sadness. Depression is all about the negative things adolescents think of themselves and the way they think and how they act. It can usually happen at the age of 12-25. It can cause long-lasting unimaginable feelings of sadness, hopelessness, hating themselves more than anything, a loss of interest in activities.
How does depression in adolescents affect one’s well-being? The first way that depression can affect an adolescent’s well-being is having appetite changes that can cause unintended weight loss or gain which is very unhealthy. Secondly, adolescents with depression may experience unexplainable aches or pains, including joint or muscle pain, and headaches. Also, depression can decrease an adolescent’s motivation to make positive lifestyle choices. Their risk of heart disease increases when they eat a poor diet, and that is why they should also eat healthy. Adolescents with depression may experience insomnia trouble sleeping. This condition can leave them feeling exhausted, making it difficult to manage both physical and mental health. Doctors link sleep deprivation to a host of health problems. Similarly, research has figured long-term sleep deprivation with high blood pressure, diabetes, weight-related issues, and some types of cancer. How can you help a loved one who is depressed? If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, you may even wonder how you can help. You may even experience difficult feelings of your own, such as worry, disappointment, and anger. If you live with an adolescent who is depressed and sees their day-to-day life, you may be confused and even afraid at times. If you have never been depressed yourself, you won't be able to support someone else if you are feeling overwhelmed, too. Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do to adolescents going through a hard time is just providing a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on which can be very comforting. Be patient and let your loved one know you are always there for them. If someone you love is depressed and no longer able to do the activities they used to do, including working or helping around the house, you may feel like they are lazy. When you get frustrated, try to remember that someone who is depressed isn't lazy, they're ill. Offer hope in whatever way they would like to accept it by giving them love, don't make them feel hopeless and most importantly tell them that you want them to live. To sum everything up, depression is serious and people shouldn't make fun of it because depressed people feel unimaginable hate for themselves. Therefore, don't treat depressed people badly or differently in a bad way, and instead, always be there to support them. If you love someone who has depression, just always support and be there for them.
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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ar ticles/314071 https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-fa milies/depression/what-is-depression https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ar ticles/322395#symptoms https://www.verywellmind.com/how-tohelp-someone-with-depression-10651 17
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The Stages of Puberty By Max Eisele Have you ever wondered what the stages of puberty for boys and girls are? The stages of puberty are known as the Tanner stages. The first Tanner stage of puberty describes a child’s appearance before any physical signs of puberty appear. This will happen at the age of 11.The second stage will occur at the age of 12 when pubic hair will start to form around the penis.The third stage known as the Bubble stage is when you start to grow pimples and armpit hair. Pimples are caused by acne. Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. It causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. This will happen at the age of 14. The last Tanner stage is when facial hair comes in and you start to grow a beard. Facial hair provides the face with protection from the elements, and a natural shield from the more delicate parts of the face around the mouth and lips. This will happen at the age of 15. The emotional changes that happen during the stages are when they start to experience very strong and very intense emotions. For example boys might have more outbursts.Their mood might change so they might not be happy sometimes and be happy sometimes. Their attitude will change like never before they might be shouting a lot. These are called mood swings. Mood swings change the way teens act and think. Therefore, the stages of puberty are called Tanner stages which are divided into 5 stages. These physical changes also affect the strong emotional changes that happen during puberty for boys.
Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/pa renting/stages-of-puberty https://always.com/en-us/tips-and-ad vice/puberty-101/emotional-changesduring-puberty-6 -things-you-might-notice https://medlineplus.gov/puberty.html
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Brain Development By: Mico Gallardo Do you know how many lobes the brain has? The answer is four. The frontal lobe, the occipital lobe, The parietal lobe, and the temporal lobe. The brain has different parts and adolescents should know what they do and the brain has its different changes.
The brain has three parts namely the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is split into two parts: the left and the right. The left side controls the right side and the right side controls the left side. Each side is split into four parts: the frontal lobe, the occipital lobe,the parietal lobe, and the temporal lobe. Adolescents experience five changes: attention, memory, processing speed, organization, and metacognition. Attention has improvements seen in selected attention and divided attention. Memory has improvements seen in working memory and long-term memory. Processing speed is when the brain improves its speed. Organization is when the brain can improve its thought process and adolescents can use strategies to think and remember things better. Metacognition happens when the brain can improve thinking about thinking itself. It gives the ability to plan ahead, see future consequences of actions, and provide alternative explanations for events. The frontal lobe is for cognitive functions and for voluntary movement or activity, personality, emotions, speaking and writing, judgement, body movement, and awareness. The occipital lobe is for interpreting vision. The parietal lobe is for the senses temperature, taste, touch, movement, and interprets signals from vision, hearing, motor , sensory, memory, and spatial and visual perception. The temporal lobe is for processing memory, understanding language, hearing, and sequencing and organization. The brain Three parts: the cerebellum, the cerebrum and the brain stem, the cerebrum has two halves: the left and the right, and each side is separated into four parts: The frontal lobe, the occipital lobe, the parietal lobe, and the temporal lobe. Also, adolescents experience five changes: attention, memory, processing speed, organization, and metacognition.
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https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-anatbrain.htm https://www.mayoclinic.org/brain-lobes/img-20008887#:~:text=Each%20side%20of%20your%20brain%20contai ns%20four%20lobes.&text=The%20parietal%20lobe%20processes%20information,%2C%20sound%2C%20sig ht%20and%20touch https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-lifespandevelopment/chapter/cognitive-development-in-ad olescence/
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What Is Self Confidence In A Teenager? by Miguel Javier
Do you know what self confidence is? As a teenager, what do we do in self confidence? What is self confidence in a teenager?Self confidence in a teenager is how they behave in public, how well they perform in school and other areas of their life, and family expectations. It is the belief that you’ll be successful in a particular situation or at a specific task. It is also related to their self-esteem, which is feeling good about yourself and feeling that you’re a worthwhile person.Confidence and resilience are related to each other. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences and cope in hard or stressful situations. If the teenager has resilience and learns that he / she can cope when life is difficult, it will leave his/her feelings more confident to tackle difficult situations. It’s a positive cycle. How can self confidence make a teenager successful?Self-confidence makes teenagers successful by making safe, informed decisions. Confident teenagers can avoid people and situations that aren’t necessarily right for them, and to find those that are.By becoming more accepting of themselves, teenagers become better equipped to deal with hurtful things that may damage their self-confidence.They'll speak up for themselves when they don't like how they're being treated, and they'll be able to ask for what they need in a direct manner.They need to know how to speak up for themselves in an appropriate manner. How do teenagers promote self confidence?Teenagers promote self confidence by trying new activities, discovering hidden talents, and challenging themselves can help grow teens’ confidence. A teen who can speak up is also less likely to be treated poorly by peers. Spend time with your loved ones. Join activities that will help gain self-awareness, meet like-minded people, and develop learning. They develop healthy habits, help others, accept responsibility and seek help when you need it. In conclusion, self confidence in teenagers is an interesting topic and we should improve on to help us with our daily life. ●
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https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/self-confidence-and-teenagers#:~ :text=Self%2Dconfidence%20is%20the%20belief,you're%20a%20worthwhile%20person.&te xt=Self%2Dconfidence%20helps%20teenagers%20make%20safe%2C%20informed%20deci sions. https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/development/social-emotional-development/confid ence-in-teens https://mindisthemaster.com/help-teenager-boost-self-esteem/
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Sexual And Growth Hormones By : Johan Ode Have you ever wondered what sexual and growth hormones are? Our body produces different kinds of hormones. One type of hormone is a growth hormone, and another type is a sexual hormone. What are growth and sexual hormones? Sexual hormones are hormones that control sexual behaviors. Growth hormones help develop the body, and they are produced from the Pituitary Gland that is found in our brains. On the other hand, sexual hormones are produced from the ovaries and the testes. The ovaries art the body parts in females where the fertilized egg cell is developed and where female hormones are produced. The testes are parts of the male reproductive system and are where sperm cells develop and where male hormones are produced. What do sexual and growth hormones do during puberty? Growth hormones make you taller, have bigger muscles, and other physical changes. Growth hormones also regulate the fluids and bones in your body. Sexual hormones control your sexual behavior towards others in puberty. They also regulate your appetite, sleep, and growth. In conclusion, sexual and growth hormones do a lot of changes in your body but usually kick in during puberty. Sexual hormones control someone’s behavior, while growth hormones develop the body. Sites: ● https://www.britannica.com/science/human-d evelopment/Hormones-and-growth ● https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ 324887#:~:text=Sex%20hormones%20are%20 those%20that,females%20and%20testes%20 in%20males ● https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/hum an-growth-hormone-hgh#1 ● https://www.endocrineweb.com/endocrinolog y/overview-ovaries#:~:text=Ovaries%20prod uce%20and%20release%20two,puberty%20a nd%20to%20ensure%20fertility ● https://www.yourhormones.info/glands/teste s/#:~:text=What%20hormones%20do%20the %20testes,known%20as%20the%20Leydig% 20cells
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Independence Among Teenagers By Zachary Paner Why do teens appreciate friends more? Teens like to be with their friends because they have a feel of acceptance and belonging. Teens nowadays make online friends more than in real life. They like to be with their friends if they are encountering emotional events, and they also feel valued when they are with their peers. Teens like to be independent because they are more confident and arrogant. They are expressive because they are more curious and they are exploring more things in the world. Teens do this because they are trying to find their identity. There is an area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex that is developing in the adolescence stage, and it is where the teen develops ideas and ideals. Teens appreciate friends more because they cope better with stress around peers. They usually spend time with each other through social media. Another reason why they feel connected is because they are in separate houses and they can do video calls after school or when they have free time. Teens also say that others share too much about themselves in social media. In conclusion, teens are comfortable if they are with their friends and like being independent. In the adolescence stage they are more confident and sometimes arrogant. Sources: ●
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https://greatergood.berkeley.ed u/article/item/when_teens_need _their_friends_more_than_their _parents https://www.pewresearch.org/int ernet/2015/08/06/teens-technol ogy-and-friendships/ https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre -teens/behaviour/peers-friends-t rends/teen-friendships https://www.webmd.com/parenti ng/features/teenagers-why-do-t hey-rebel#1
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Brain Development During Puberty By: Parnika Thakur Did you know that there are cognitive changes during puberty? The changes happen because puberty involves changes in hormones that also attach to your brain cells that change how the brain learns and grows. The brain has different parts that develop different changes and a lot more. People should keep their brains healthy. Firstly, the brain has 3 major parts called the Cerebrum, Cerebellum and the Brain Stem. The brain reaches 90% of its adult size by the time a person is six or seven years old, so the brain does not grow in size much during adolescence. Until puberty, the brain cells continue to grow in the frontal region. Some of the most developmentally significant changes in the brain occur in the prefrontal cortex that involves decision making and cognitive control. In a teen’s body, the hands and feet may grow bigger first and then leaves the rest of the body to grow. The brain isn’t different, some of its areas Did you know that teenagers can mature early and some late. think faster than children and These include the striatum, teenagers are more aware of which recognizes rewards. their thought process ? The prefrontal cortex part of the brain matures later. They also use different strategies to think and remember things. For a teenager’s memory, there are improvements seen in 14 the working memory and long-term memory.
Like how your body needs to be healthy, the same way your brain needs to be healthy, too. Research says that exercising your body helps the brain grow new brain cells. You do not need to go to a marathon, andn simply taking a walk every day will help you build a better brain. Improve your diet because good nutrition can help the mind as well as the body. Plenty of quality sleep is a must. One way to keep your brain working is to shut it off for 7-9 hours a night. Sleeping is the most important thing you can do to reset the brain, allow it to heal, and to restore mental health. Remaining cognitively active through social activities is nice. Teenagers should do some physical and mental activities that can trigger the brain, that may also help slow down the development of memory loss . Lastly, the brain also changes during puberty although some of the parts mature early and some late. Teenagers have a lot of different strategies to think and remember things. Keeping your brain healthy is also good. In fact, it is necessary that teenagers, adults and children should keep the brain healthy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Sources :
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers/brain_tour https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2020.00053 https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-yo ung https://www.webmd.com/brain/features/keeping-your-brain-fit-for-life#1 https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-to-keep-your-brain-healthy-15 as-you-age#The-bottom-line
Circumcision By: Jordan Yeng Have you ever wondered why boys get circumcised? Getting circumcised lowers the chance of penile cancer. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin. The foreskin is a fold of skin that covers the end of the penis. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin covering the tip of the penis. For some families, circumcision can be religious, but for some it's unnecessary and disfiguring. Boys are born with a hood of skin called the foreskin. Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teen years. As a boy becomes more aware of his body, he will most likely discover how to retract his own foreskin. But foreskin retraction should never be forced. Sometimes there's a medical need for circumcision, such as when the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back (retracted) over the glands. In other cases, particularly in parts of Africa, circumcision is recommended for older boys or men to reduce the risk of certain sexually transmitted infections. Boys also get circumcised because it has easier and better hygiene.Getting circumcised also gets you a lower chance of getting a urinary tract infection, and also lower chance of penile cancer. In circumcision, the foreskin is removed to expose the head of the penis. It's a quick procedure that causes very little bleeding and stitches aren't needed. Older boys can be circumcised, but the procedure is a bit more involved. Circumcision is kind of important as it has a lot of benefits, but there still may be problems and is still viewed differently by different groups of people. Getting circumcised is a decision, but it's recommended as it lowers the chance of penile cancer and makes the male penis cleaner and safer. Sources: ● ● ●
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/circumcision/about/pac-20393550 https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/circumcision.html https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/circumcision
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Delayed Gratification By Ryan Sy Do you know what Delayed Gratification is? Delayed gratification is when someone resists a treat for a bigger/better treat in return. It has a few benefits especially if you have a good sense of it. Teens and adolescents usually have a stronger sense of delayed gratification compared to kids and adults. Not everyone has a good sense of delayed gratification. People with a good sense of delayed gratification can easily wait patiently if they were asked to for a treat. They do this by distracting themselves from the treat by looking around the room, singing a happy song, etc. But people with a poor sense of delayed gratification will most likely not be able to stop thinking about the treat and might just ask for the immediate prize. Kids can start to have delayed gratification at the age of 2 to 4 and they can wait for about 3 to 6 minutes before asking for the prize. Teens and adolescents can have the most sensitive and best sense of delayed gratification because their minds are rapidly growing and in their age that is the time people grow the fastest too. Scientists have tested volunteers to try the Marshmallow Test to see and test how good their delayed gratification is in a series of tests. Volunteers are out in a room to wait for a prize, they are given two options, and they can get one marshmallow now/immediately or 2 marshmallows and two cookies in a certain amount of time (usually 15 to 30 minutes). Scientists found out that teens and adolescents were the most likely to do the wait while the kids waited but couldn’t do the full wait and the adults mostly took the immediate one because they were not that interested in the waiting prize. Delayed gratification is important to teens because they are rapidly growing and turning to a mature adult. This can also help teens focus on the many tests they will be experiencing in high school and college. People especially teens can have emotional problems, more self motivation, etc. Delayed gratification can help teens' emotions so when they are waiting they won’t be angry or have a high temper. In conclusion, delayed gratification is when someone resists a treat for a bigger one. There are tests that people can do called the Marshmallow Test and scientists found that teens were the most likely to pass and be more reactive once they get their treat. Delayed gratification is beneficial for focusing, emotions, temper, self motivation, etc. Sources: ● https://www.britannica.com/science/delay-of-gratification ● https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H6u0VBqNBQ8&vl=de ● https://www.psychologytoday.com/ ● us/blog/your-emotional-meter/201712/the-benefits-delayinggratification ● https://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification ● https://www.njherald.com/lifestyle/20190314/q-are-theresignificant-benefits-for-practicing-delayed-gratification
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What Causes and What Happens In Puberty by Miguel Javier
The main cause of puberty is when the 2 hormones get released from the brain from the frontal lobe. At age 11, the girls start to experience puberty. While the boys start to experience puberty at age 11. The hair grows under the arms and the face which makes a beard and a moustache, the acne changes, the voice changes and the face changes. Puberty lasts from 2 to 5 years and a boy and starts to experience puberty. Puberty does not hurt because people are starting to change and grow up. Girls and boys reach adult height at age 14 and 15. At age 14 and 15, at age 14 and 15, boys and girls stop experiencing puberty.
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THE FOUR FRIENDS By Mishka Polina R. Bernardo One day, four friends named Azzie, Byce, Cxdarta, and Dwane were walking home from school. Their nicknames were Azb, Byc, Cxd, and Dwe. Cxd liked art, Dwe liked sports, Byc liked Math, and Azb liked books. Even though they were all different, they were good friends.“Let’s play Monopoly today!” suggested Byc. “No, let’s go to the park!” said Cxd. “Yeah, we played Monopoly yesterday, and I fell asleep. Let’s go to the park, not Monopoly again!” Dwe said, glaring at Byc. “What? It was just an idea!” exclaimed Byc. “Guys, let’s not argue. How about going and getting a snack at the store?” said Azb. Everyone agreed.
After eating, they said goodbye and went home. As Azb walked home, she wondered about their slight disagreement. They had rarely fought before, and had been friends since they were very small. Usually, their fights were very minimal, like about if mice should be pets or if potatoes are actually healthy. Also, they had had more arguments than27 usual. She was worried. Why was their friendship suddenly different?
The next day, after school, Cxd seemed sad, Dwe looked mad, and Byc was very cheerful and was skipping and humming. They walked to the condominium where they lived and sat on the steps outside. Cxd hugged her backpack to her chest and tucked her knees up. Dwe angrily flung his backpack off and thumped it onto the step below him and crossed his arms. Byc pulled a cracker out of his backpack and crunched on it happily. Observing her friends, she asked them what had happened for they had clubs after school that day. Dwe exclaimed, “One of my clubmates got my bag ‘accidentally’ and bumped into me thrice! I am very angry at him! He is awful!” “What about you, Byc?” asked Azb. “Oh, my club moderator congratulated me in front of everyone, including her!” he said eagerly. “Who her?” Azb asked. “Her her…” he replied. “Okay…” Azb said slowly. “How about you, Cxd?” “Oh, um… I would rather not talk about it…” she said softly. “Oh, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell us.” replied Azb gently. “Just remember that we are here for you.” Cxd smiled slightly, then rocked back and forth, hugging her backpack harder.
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The next morning, for it was a Saturday, the four friends were talking in the lobby of their condo. Azb was surprised to see that Cxd was grinning happily, tying one last knot on her complicated hairstyle full of creative braids and knots with some fuzzy wire sticking out. Also, Dwe had on his dark blue hat that he wore when he was very happy, and Byc was sitting on the couch, scribbling furiously onto his notebook. Azb peered over his shoulder and read ‘The area of my door is:’. From there, she saw some numbers. Azb noted that he was still in a good mood since he had his notebook, pencil and measuring tape with him. Azb asked, “What’s up, guys?” “I saved enough to buy another set of colored pencils!” Cxd said eagerly. Byc shrugged. “I’m just happy today!” he said. “Let’s go to the pool today, it is hot.” “Sure!” Dwe agreed. “Umm, can’t we go to my room instead? I have some extra scratch paper we can make into origami and float in the pond…” said Cxd uncomfortably. “Nah, the pool is better. I am sweating already!” said Dwe. “Come on! Let’s go!”
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When they got to the pool, Dwe and Byc immediately hopped in, followed by Azb. Cxd sat down and dangled her legs in the water with an uncomfortable look. “Come on in! It’s very refreshing in here!” yelled Byc. Dwe splashed him, and Byc laughed, swimming towards Cxd. He stuck his hand out and tugged twice at her braid. Then, he grinned, held his breath, and swam down under her legs and pulled. “Ahhh!” she yelled as she splashed down. They both came up, sputtering and gasping for air. “Sorry!” Byc said. “Couldn’t resist it, you were missing out so much.” “Humph!” she said. Then she climbed out, put on her shoes, and walked away. “What did I do?” asked Byc. Dwe said, “Let’s just wait… Maybe she will come back…?” Both of the boys looked at Azb, for since she was the only other girl. Azb sighed. Let’s stop swimming, it’s no fun without her. And don’t look at me, I don’t know either.”
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That afternoon, Azb went to the library and looked for the section ‘Changes’. She found some books about puberty, so she pulled them out, sat down, and began to read. A few minutes later, she was on her way to Cxd’s unit to talk to her. She was glad of her newfound information. “Books give you many answers and solutions,” she thought. She knocked on her friend’s door. “Cxd? It’s me, Azb.” Cxd opened the door and said, “Are you alone?” “Yes, I am.” replied Azb. Cxd opened the door and let Azb in. “Why did you not want to swim?” asked Azb. “Oh, um, I have…” said Cxd. “It’s okay to tell me. I did some research earlier. You have menstruation, right?” said Azb. “Yes, I do!” replied Cxd. “Do you think it’s okay to tell Byc and Dwe?” “I think so. It is the truth, and they will find out anyway when we study puberty in school.” replied Azb. “Oh, here they come!” Azb grinned at Cxd. She had called Byc and Dwe and told them to come to Cxd’s unit in a few minutes- and to bring snacks!
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A few minutes later, as they ate lunch at Cxd’s unit, they were planning what to do that afternoon. “Monopoly or Scrabble?” asked Byc. “The park!” said Dwe. “I fixed the puncture in my ball last night.” “Aw, c’mon! We went to the park already last time!” protested Byc. “Can’t we just go to my room and create stuff with some extra cardboard boxes and colored paper?” said Cxd. “Aww, come on. Please?” asked Byc. “But the park is more fun!” exclaimed Dwe. “Board games are fun too!” said Byc. “Board games make me bored. Come on!” said Dwe. “Humph!” said Byc, crossing his arms.
“Guys! Relax! Stop arguing!” said Azb with alarm. Why were they fighting again? Dwe and Byc abruptly stopped their argument. “I have no idea what is happening! We keep fighting, and it’s like there are so many changes!” exclaimed Azb. She scooted her chair back, stood up, and threw her arms wide to the sides. “This is our friendship, and it might become like this!” She drew her arms together. Then she sat down and looked meaningfully at her friends. “Sorry, Azb. I don’t know why this is happening, either...” said Cxd apologetically. “Same here. I just couldn't help it!” replied Byc, pointing at himself with his thumbs.
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“And me too. I’m sorry, Azb.” Dwe said, looking down at the floor and under the table as if he dropped something. “It’s okay, guys. I know we are really changing. We are going through emotional and social changes in puberty. I recently read a book about puberty, and I found out that there are four ‘types’ of puberty that everyone has to go through: emotional, social, cognitive and physical. Cognitive means in the brain, by the way. And I realized that we are just going through puberty and we have to try to stay happy and good friends through this experience. I also apologize to all of you for being too worried. But I know who needs the most apology from each other…” she said, smiling at Dwe and Byc. “I am sorry, Dwane. I should have not insisted and asked in a nice way.” said Byc automatically. He smiled shyly at Cxd, who bit her lip to keep herself from smiling, too. Azb gave them a look and grinned to herself. She had read about other things in emotional changes, too. She looked up at Dwe. “Sorry, Azb. I just really can’t help myself sometimes and just want to do things how I want to. Let’s all help each other and go through puberty together.” He nervously looked up and grinned at the sight of three more smiling faces. “Oh, the friendship of Cxdarta, Byce, Dwane and Azzie has been restored!” said Azb happily. They all laughed, for it was true. The four friends were friends forever.
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Created by Julianna Dela Paz
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By Naihma Banal
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