The laws according to which celestial bodies revolve in the universe and languages of other peoples are often better known to many parents and teachers than the laws according to which a child grows up. And yet it is so important to study in great depth the physical foundations and the mental conditions of our children.
Physical development during puberty
It is necessary to realize that every age is entitled to validity and recognition. Nothing is more wrong than to consider the child as a half, unfinished or even stupid adult. One of the great changes that the growing body of our children undergoes is puberty, that is, sexual maturation. In boys, it generally falls between the ages of 12 and 17. Girls, who always have a slight head start on boys in their development, usually go through puberty between the ages of 10 ½ and 14. During puberty, one now notes three stages. First, the period of rapid growth in length and a striking increase in metabolism, that is, the period well known to every mother, when clothes are always too short and sandwiches are always too small. It is followed by the phase of greatest physical imbalance. The change of voice sets in, the facial features become coarser, the childish lines more bony and muscular. The well-proportioned appearance of the whole physique is temporarily disturbed. This leads to the proverbial lanky and lumpy movements of pubescents. Finally, the third stage is characterized by the fact that the sex glands have definitely gained their due importance in life. The individual has become an adult.
Psychological development during puberty
On the basis of these physiological changes, and perhaps even more typical than them, the psyche changes. Therefore, it is imperative that we pay attention to the age-related psychological peculiarities of the adolescent, in addition to personal characteristics. The individual manifestations are largely dependent on the conditions of life, i.e. upbringing and environmental influences, which can have a positive or negative effect. Children often become clumsy from one day to the next, even in areas they were otherwise most proficient in. Then comes a time of restlessness and nervousness, a transition between the playful childhood and the seriousness of adulthood, a playing around of everything experienced with fantasy, even fancifulness. Often we observe in adolescents depression, closed-mindedness, coupled with defiant rebellion, quarreling and bickering against parents or educators. The adolescent is now ready for great things, but is also amenable to bad elements (smoking, alcohol, drugs, vandalism, etc), against whose influences he has otherwise successfully resisted.
Education during puberty
These are all mostly temporary phenomena. The cause of these changing states probably lies in an increased excitability of the central nervous system of the pubescent and in a remodeling of the system of glands with internal secretion. It is not enough now for biologists and psychologists to reveal the regularity of puberty. Parents and teachers should be informed of the results of science and induced to think about it, and discuss their concerns with the teacher at school or with the doctor. Never does the young person so explicitly demand a firm hand to guide him out of the inner chaos as at this time, even if this is not always apparent. The prerequisite for the recognition of this firm hand, however, is unconditional trust. The principle of all educational attitudes must be: to remain affectionate with all consequence, to show reasonable consideration, to allow time, to be able to watch with patience without reproaching or even hitting. Nothing has such a strong and lasting effect on “ill-bred” and “naughty” young people as calm consistency. Of course, this requires the educator to be educated, which, unfortunately, neither the school nor the parents always have. It is necessary to recognize that every age has a right to validity and recognition. Nothing is more wrong than to consider the child as a half-finished, unfinished or even stupid adult. It would be misunderstanding the youth if one wanted to merely advise and help him. The healthy young person generally rejects such “well-meaning” and “know-it-all” educators, because he longs for guidance as well as for self-affirmation.He will reject any attempt at education from the outset as soon as he feels that the educator is unclear in what he wants, that he is not understood by him, that he is allowed to keep secrets from him and to act without danger. The authority of the educators, parents and teachers will be all the greater, the more the adolescent feels that they cannot fool them. At this time, the adolescent decisively rejects a guiding figure who lacks understanding justice toward him or others, or even, in “pitying” indulgence, does not take him seriously or fully. The educators’ attitude must therefore be clear and unambiguous if they do not want to be suspected of mere harassment and bullying. Every educator must know that the awakening self-confidence of young people needs certain secrecy. Tension, anger, quarrels, and lies can be avoided only if the adult does not continually play the role of a psychological detective who tries to probe the inner life of the maturing one. If the relationship of trust between the adult and the young person is established from childhood, he will never want to abuse his freedom anyway, as little as he will then close his mind to the realization that it is impossible to fulfill all his desires.
