Puberty - Feelings and emotions

Puberty - Feelings and emotions

Learning objective

I am learning about the feelings and emotions experienced during puberty and ways to cope with them. 

Recap: Name some changes that can occur to males or females during puberty.

Starter - Recap

Happens to girls

Happens to both

Happens to boys

Grow hair under armpit

Periods start

Pubic hair grows

Adam's apple develops

Breasts develop/grow

Grow taller

Grow facial hair

Sweat glands produce more sweat

Penis, scrotum and testes develop

Can feel emotional

wet dreams

Changing emotions

As well as those changes mentioned in the starter activity there are other changes that both girls and boys may experience as they go through puberty. 

The way we feel can also change during puberty!

Lots of young people say it is like being on an emotional rollercoaster!

Changing emotions

Some people experience new emotions or feel like their emotions keep changing suddenly.

One minute, they might be laughing and happy and the next, they might feel quite angry, lonely or sad. 

Name some emotions/feelings you might experience during puberty?

Hormones

Remember those things called hormones, which are responsible for all the changes your body goes through during puberty?

Well, your changing emotions are because of those hormones, too!

Hormones

Testosterone in males and oestrogen in females are the chemical messengers that travel through your body at the time of puberty, telling it to grow and change and to start turning into an adult.

Its a crush

As you get older, you might start to have different feelings towards people around you. Instead of just liking a person as a friend, you might start experiencing stronger feelings for that person. 

You might love being with them and want to spend more time with them. You might feel a bit nervous and shy but excited at the same time when you see them. You might want to get to know them more, do the things they do or dress more like them. You might feel attracted to them or some might say that you fancy them.

Managing our emotions

Our emotions may get a little confusing as we go through puberty. 

We might have strong feelings that we haven’t really had before and we might not have had anyone to talk to about it or we might not even want to talk about it.

What could you do to help you manage difficult emotions during puberty?

Things you could do to help you manage difficult emotions

• Have some time and space by yourself
•  Do something active (exercise releases feel good chemicals in your brain)
• Do something you enjoy.

• Phone or visit a friend
•  Write your feels down on paper
• Talk to an adult you trust
• Spend some time with a pet
• Go for a walk
• Count to 10 and take slow, deep breaths.
• Listen to some music

Growing and changing Poem

I keep on getting taller,

People say I’m ‘filling out’!

My voice keeps going squeaky

Whenever I talk or shout.

My face is getting spotty,

‘Don’t pick them or they’ll scar!’

My hair keeps getting greasy

And I’ve just bought my first bra.

One minute I am laughing,

The next I want to cry!

My emotions are all over the place - can someone tell me why?

It can be a little scary –

All these changes that I see.

But it’s also quite exciting

What is happening to me.

What causes our feelings/emotions to change during puberty?

1. The weather
2. Hormones in the body
3. Parents
4. Friends

During puberty it is common to feel attracted to other people on a romantic level. This is known as a...

1. Cramp
2. Craving
3. Crush
4. Cuddle

Changes in emotions during puberty is often described as being on an emotional what?

1. Journey
2. Train
3. Bus ride
4. rollercoaster

What is the male chemical messenger that travels through the body during puberty?

1. Testosterone
2. Dopamine
3. Insulin
4. Oestrogen

What is the female chemical messenger that travels through the body during puberty?

1. Testosterone
2. Oestrogen
3. Insulin
4. Dopamine

Name any emotions that you may feel during puberty.

What can you do to help you manage difficult emotions during puberty?

How do you feel about going through puberty?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

TASK

Complete the 'My emotional rollercoaster worksheet.

Fill the tracks and carriage of the rollercoaster with feelings/emotions that you might experience during puberty.