"P" stands for Physical

The second developmental area that you may want to know more about is the “P" in SPICE”, which stands for Physical. This is the area that addresses the physical appearance of adolescence. This focuses on topics such as mismatched parts, puberty, sexual maturity, and timing. Children at this age strive to be physically attractive and it is something that is extremely important to them at this age.

Mismatched Parts-

Children at this age will be extremely mismatched, which means that your child will have arms that are too long, ears that are too big, feet that are too small, and voices that are too squeaky. Before I get any further, I want you to know that this is normal for this age group.

Boys!!
According to Powell, “growth spurts usually occur for boys between the ages of 12 and 14, but for some boys, rapid physical growth may be delayed well into high school” (25). Growth is also very seldom for young adolescents, and could happen at any time. Also, during this time the bones will grow faster than the muscles will from. Basically this means that, “while weight gain generally accompanies bone growth, without equivalent development of muscle, awkwardness, and clumsiness are inevitable” (25). It is also common for boys at this age to have joint pain, leg, aches, restlessness, and fatigue.

Girls!!
According to Powell, “girls generally experience rapid growth a year or two before boys” (26). This means that the girls will start growing and getting taller most likely before the boys in their classes will.

Puberty-

Puberty is the transition time period between childhood and the beginning of young adulthood. Most parents will get nervous when they hear about this, however most just need to be informed. According to Powell, “during puberty biological changes that make us taller, heavier, and more muscular are accompanied by hormonal changes that forever alter our bodies in equally significant ways” (26).

Even though the testosterone is present in the boys and the estrogen is present in the girls, “the balance of the hormones is broken during puberty so that one hormone takes over to influence sexual development” (26).

There are many changes that will take place during puberty for both a girl and a boy. For instance, “hair growth develops under arms, on legs, in pubic areas, and on the face” (26). Also, “the voice changes are the larynx grows larger, Girls’ voices may become more mellow, while boys’ voices may go through those embarrassing falsetto-crack-bass-crack-falsetto moments” (26). This is also the time when oil and sweat glands may begin to function.

I would suggest that during this time that you make sure to buy acne medication, shampoo and deodorant, in order to keep you child on top of what’s going on the outside of their body. Also make sure that you remember what your child is going though and be aware that they will want to shower often and much longer than they normally do.

Sexual Maturity-

It is also important to know that during the time of puberty also comes sexual maturation. This also means that your child now has all of the parts needed in order to reproduce. However, don’t let that scare you, “because the body often matures before mental and emotional decision-making skills, developing middle grades students are at high risk for either poor decisions or not thinking at all before acting” (26).

Timing-
This is a huge factor for children at this age, because it’s all about the timing and when certain things happen. It is important to know that, “rapid physical changes, puberty, and sexual maturation generally take place, in starts and stops, between the ages of 10 and 14.

I do want you as parents to know though that puberty most likely will be one of the most challenging periods of life for adolescents. Therefore, it’s good to know what to expect in order to help your children throughout the various changes that will occur.

According to Powell, “these patterns happen rapidly and early for some, and slowly and haltingly for others. The “early bloomers” may be boastful, but are often embarrassed. The “late bloomers” are almost always self-conscious. There are emotional consequences associated with physical changes that can lead to long-lasting and very memorable scars on the psyche that haunt for a lifetime” (27).

Issues to be aware of-
It is also important to know that along with these physical changes, it will also affect the behavior from your child. Therefore, keep in mind that your child will act differently both around you and while they are at school.

Also, the students will need to have an increased as well as a balance diet. However, “there are two problems when it comes to young adolescents increasing what they eat in a balanced way. Body image worries scream “thin” to many middle level students. And then, when they’re hungry, their taste buds, along with peer pressure, often lead them to less nutritional choices.

I just advise you to be aware of these changes, as well as to encourage your child to eat as healthy and balanced meal as possible.

Also, please fell free to ask us any questions that you may have about this information. Also, a good person to talk to would be your child's doctor or physician if it's something serious.