Adolescents are in a period between childhood and adulthood

An adolescent of SEVAI project 

Adolescents are children in a period between childhood and adulthood. This time period is divided into two stages, including 10 to 13 years of age) and 14 to 17 years of age. During this time, the child will go through many changes in his physical, psychological (mental and emotional), and social growth. Providing care to adolescents can be challenging. At a time when teenagers are struggling to make decisions on their own, they need guidance, though they may be unwilling to acknowledge that need. It may often seem that adolescents do not connect their actions with consequences. Adolescents also require consideration for their age and developmental level. Adolescents are not children and they are not adults. It is essential to consider the shift in their thought processes in order to provide optimum care. We need to look at ways to address health problems in adolescent. Providing Health Maintenance to Adolescents, we need to understand how to comprehend adolescents from a developmental view and address the issues of confidentiality, risk behavior, and difficult parenting. Child’s body changes quickly during puberty. Puberty is a period in adolescence where the body develops and matures sexually. This period usually starts at 7 to 13 years of age in girls, and 9 to 14 years of age in boys. Hormones (special chemicals in the body), family history, and nutrition all add to our child’s growth. Young adolescents often focus on their own self-image. Through different experiences, the child may find new beliefs and question old ones. She/he begins to form personality traits that define who she/he is. She/He defines his own ideals, values, and principles. By late adolescence, he is happier with who he is, and his place in society. An adolescent may begin to spend less time with parents and more with friends. She/he often longs for freedom and starts to detach himself from his family and begins to depend on himself more and learn responsibility. We have the right to help plan the child’s care. To help with this plan, the parent must learn about the child’s growth and development.-Govin