This document discusses puberty and boy-girl relationships during adolescence. It describes the physical, emotional, and social changes that occur during puberty, such as growth spurts and developing secondary sex characteristics. Relationships with friends and seeking independence increase as relationships with parents become more strained. Boy-girl relationships are not advisable for youth as their bodies and decision-making skills are still maturing, they are prone to risk-taking behaviors, and infatuation is often mistaken for love. True love requires maturity to distinguish from hormones. Teenage parenting is also difficult without full maturity and responsibility.

1. BOY-GIRL
RELATIONSHIP

2. PUBERTY
What is puberty?
It is transition period of an individual
from childhood to adulthood.
It is described as growth spurt:
meaning –
Your body is growing and it’s
happening really fast!

3. Ex. Sleeves are always getting shorter,
pants are creeping up your legs, feet are
growing, acne begin to grow, face is oily,
body odor

4. You may be clumsy at times because
your feet are getting bigger, shoulders
become broader, hips getting wider,
breast becoming bigger
Starts at ages
- 8 and 13 yrs. for girls
- 10 – 15 yrs. for boys

5. PITUITARY - a pea-shaped gland
located at the bottom of your
brain
Pituitary releases hormones
Testosterone for boys
Estrogen and progesterone
for girls
Estrogen – secondary sex
characteristics such as breasts,
widened pelvis, fat deposits in
the buttocks, thigh and hip,
less facial hair
Progesterone – helps regulate
menstrual cycle and
pregnancy

6. YOU UNDERGO A
LOT OF CHANGES

7. Social changes during puberty
Searching for
identity –
who am I in
this world?

8. Seeking more
independence
Looking for new experiences
– involves risk-taking
behavior

9. Influenced more by
friends
Starting to develop and
explore a sexual identity

10. Seeking more responsibility
Thinking about right and
wrong – responsible
actions/decisions
Communicating in different
ways

11. Emotional changes during puberty
Shows strong
feelings –
intense
emotions at
different time,
brain is still
learning how
to control
emotions

12. More sensitive to other’s
emotion – getting better in
reading emotions of others but
may also misread facial and
body language
More self conscious – especially
with how they look, may
compare with others

13. Goes through a “bulletproof” stage on thinking and acting – may
think they are “invincible” and does not truly understand the
risks associated with their behavior
- decision-making skills are still developing and your child is still
learning about the consequences of actions

15. Changes in relationships
 Wants to spend less
time with family

16.  Has more arguments
with parents
 Sees things
differently from
others/parents

17.  The teenage years, in
short, can be an
exasperating and
worrying time for
the parent. But not
always. Teenagers
can also be fun,
loyal, and caring
family members and
friends.

18. Puberty can
be quite a
wild ride!

19. Why
are boy-girl relationshipsnot
advisable
at a young age?

20. YOUTH is a time of impatient desires!
1. There is a need to wait for your body to mature.
- typical boy takes 8 – 10 years to fully develop
- typical girl takes 6 years to mature
- as you develop things that you like and dislike
change which affects food choices, dresses, and
persons
- you should not let yourself be tied down to one choice
- or you may regret later!!!

21. 2. There is a need to be able to resist temptation.
- young people are not really good at accessing
risks
- it is one of the last functions to develop in their
brain
- men tend to take risks and not consider the
consequences
- when a young couple forms a relationship early
in life they are tempted to experiment with sexual
acts
- they may engage in sex without fully
appreciating the consequences

22. 3. It requires some maturity to
distinguish infatuation from true love.
 Every teenager believes that they are in love at
some point
 It doesn’t matter what anyone says
 Teenage romances almost never last!!!!
 The young persons mistakes hormones for love
 In the Bible, love does not involve sexual desires

23. (I Corinthians 13:4-8) "Love suffers long
and is kind; love does not envy; love
does not parade itself, is not puffed
up; does not behave rudely, does not
seek its own, is not provoked, thinks
no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth; bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things.
Love never fails."

24. True love doesn't die out
over time.
True love lasts because it
is a choice and not a
hormone driven desire.

25. 4. Few young people are in the position
to take responsibility for their actions.
 If teenagers become parents, who
will see that the baby is fed and
clothed?
 Who will teach him proper behavior
if his parents are little more than
children themselves?

26. “enjoy your youth and
do not borrow future
trouble”

27. Young people, enjoy your
youth. Be happy while you are
still young. Do what you want
to do, and follow your heart’s
desire. But remember that God
is going to judge you for
whatever you do.
Ecclesiastes 11:9