Appropriate age:
Elementary School
Middle School

Description of technique:
A bit of innocence leaves a child entering puberty. Uncontrollable changes are beginning to arrive, along with fears and confusion. Make sure that you are aware of how your child feels about what is happening to his or her body. Encourage your child to feel good about him or herself. Find ways to channel this new "busting out of the seams" energy in a positive fashion.

Instructions:
1. Puberty puts focus on the body and the physical changes that occur.
2. Reassure your child that this process is not happening to only him or her, and that no one is immune from this "right of passage."
3. Be available for a variety of discussions.
4. Be honest in answering your child's questions.
5. Have reference books available to explain on a more scientific level what biological changes are happening to your child.
6. The more comfortable you are with your body and the discussion of the body, the easier it will be for your child to go through this phase of life.
7. Take the focus off of why your child is unhappy and help to develop his or her own strengths and interests, e.g., joining a club or a sports team to channel all his or her energy.