All My Children

Adolescence Body Odour

Body odours become much stronger in adolescence—partly as a result of glandular changes and skin changes, partly as the result of axillary (armpit) hair on which perspiration collects and is decomposed by bacterial action. It is essential that teenagers, in a society like ours which considers body smells offensive, take a careful soap or shower daily and follow with an underarm deodorant.

Adolescence Hair and Scalp

Sweat is more profuse and oily in adolescence, which means that hair on the head gets to look greasy and straggly in a shorter time. Dandruff appears in winter and may become profuse. The hair should be washed once a week, more often if necessary. If dandruff is troublesome, a dermatologist should be consulted. Continue Reading »

Separating from parents

Twins tend to retain a childlike quality for rather longer than single youngsters. Perhaps this is because they have shared their childhood with someone else and it is less easy to leave it behind, but it may also be due to the slight immaturity of language which can serve to retain the shared Secret Garden of infancy. Twins can often be refreshingly direct and have little use for humbug.

As we have seen, the twin’s relationship with his mother i_s linked in babyhood to his co-twin. Separation from mother is never complete, his twin is his umbilical cord. There may also be feeling_s of jealousy which make him unable to leave her to his rival.

These feelings can still be around in adolescence. Continue Reading »

Adolescence is a time when we rework the experiences of infancy, particularly those of separation. For many twins this is unfinished business. They may have learned to take their first steps away from mother, but hand in hand, so to speak, with their twin. Instead of the loved blanket or teddy bear, toddler twins have each other. But whereas the blanket or teddy are only objects, the co-twin can temporarily take the mother’s place, giving instructions, being cross, or giving love. In this way those first steps towards independence can be undermined and separation is incomplete. Going to school may continue this experience: separation from mother, but still with the twin. Continue Reading »

For centuries teenagers have routinely challenged and at times exasperated their parents. Public and private turmoil about what to do about the younger generation is not unique to our moment in history, nor are most of the fundamental concerns that a child will encounter during her eventful passage into adulthood. This will deal with many aspects of that important process, along with a number of parenting attitudes and strategies that can help an adolescent navigate through it in a positive and productive way.

When your child was a newborn, coping with short nights of sleep, dirty diapers, and crying spells may have hampered your ability to marvel at the incredible little person before you. Continue Reading »

While discussions about your child’s sexuality can help ease the arrival of puberty, there is much more to the upcoming adolescent years than surging hormones. Many children enter the preteen and teen years unprepared for the gamut of changes and challenges that await them. As a result, a grade-schooler may enter adolescence happy and well-adjusted and within a few short years emerge battered, bruised, and thoroughly discouraged—along with the rest of the family.

Your school-age child is likely to be much more interested now in what you have to say than she will be later. Once she enters the adolescent years, it may seem as if she has temporarily changed the frequency of her mental tuner so she won’t receive your broadcasts. While you may now feel as though you’ve got her number, in a few years you might hear a busy signal. Continue Reading »