1. It’s a GUY thing! Talking Man to Man about Puberty
Maturation
It’s a GUY thing!
Talking Man to Man about Puberty
This presentation is about growing up. We know you have questions. Everyone does. There’s a lot happening to ten, eleven and twelve year old boys. Where do you go for answers? The right answers! Hopefully the few moments we have together might help you ask the questions that are important to you. Help you approach your dad or your mom or a trusted adult and get the right information.
Provo School District 5th grade Boys Maturation Presentation
Approved by the Health Education Curriculum Materials Review Committee 5/2014

2. Types of Maturity Intellectual Social Emotional Physical
Growing up is not an easy time. It is usually a confusing time.
You will notice changes in the way you look and in the way you feel.
You are going through a stage called puberty, or adolescence…becoming a teenager. It usually starts for boys between the ages of 10 and 17.
It’s when you start to change from being a boy to becoming a young man.
These are some of the ways you will mature.

3. Intellectual Maturity
School
Talents
Career
Increased ability to understand and ask questions. Use computers, watch news, read newspaper.
Work more independently - learn tasks, doing homework, asking questions about things you don’t understand
Develop talents like music/art/writing/dance/sports
Start thinking about a career and going to college. What you want to do in the future?

4. Social Maturity Friends Freedom Rules Respect Responsibilities
Friends are so important - our first opportunity to learn about getting along with others outside our family.
Increased freedom - spend more time with friends, sleepovers
Increased freedom = increased responsibility
Maturation allows more freedom but it also means more responsibility.
Responsibility is developed through your actions and depending on your choices, can build trust with your parents.

5. EMOTIONAL CHANGES MOOD SWINGS / Moodiness
Feeling topsy-turvy, more emotional. Overreact
Hormones affect the emotions
Concerned about how you look, how other people look and how they compare to you
Concerned about what others think
Often feel awkward and embarrassed
Knowing what to expect will help you cope
Emotions are feelings…find ways to speak in positive ways to self and others.
Show respect for others and their feelings.
Your growing body is experiencing hormone action like never before.
Mood Swings are normal…talk about your feelings
Responsibility…self control … you can choose to be happy.

6. Pituitary Gland
Many of the changes we talked about you could not see…during puberty there are a lot of changes that you will see.
The pituitary is a small gland located at the base of our brain.
It begins to send chemical messages to the other glands in our body to start producing hormones.
Hormones are the chemicals that tell the body it’s time to grow and mature…the beginning of puberty.
The main hormone for boys is testosterone and is produced in the testicles.
The pituitary gland is an internal alarm clock that signals the body to begin puberty

7. Physical Changes Growth Spurt Muscles develop Shoulders broaden
Permanent teeth
Larynx enlarges, voice deepens
Perspiration increases
Oily hair and skin / Acne
Leg, Axillary, Facial & Pubic hair appears
Breast tissue changes
No one has control over their physical growth.
Different parts of the body grow at different rates…these changes won’t happen overnight.
Growth spurt – could result in several inches of growth in one year
Shoulders become broader and muscles start to develop
You will start to gain weight due to all the growing
Hands and Feet are the 1st to reach their adult size
The last of your permanent teeth will be coming in (12 year molars).
Your voice will also change and become deeper, you may experience your voice “cracking” or changing in the middle of a word.
Sweat glands begin working - increased perspiration (body odor)
Increased secretions on skin
Hair will grow in places that you’ve never had before
Most boys will have some soreness around their nipples during puberty. This tenderness is caused by the hormones and will go away on its own. Some will also have breast growth or thickening under the nipple which is also normal. It won’t last long and will go away soon.
All this growing can make your feel awkward.
If you seem to be maturing faster or slower than your friends, it doesn’t mean your better or worse…Just Different.

8. Taking care of your body
Bathe or shower daily
Shampoo your hair
Wash hands often
Deodorants with antiperspirant
Wear CLEAN clothes
Change your socks & underwear DAILY
You need to take responsibility for taking care of your changing body.
It is so important to keep clean
It’s no secret if you don’t take a shower!
Your glands are extra-active right now which means that your hair and skin may be oilier, and you may perspire more than before. There are 2 types of sweat glands and before these glands caused you to sweat, but there was no odor. During puberty your apocrine glands will start to work and the sweat from these gland will cause body odor. You need to be sure you shower everyday and use a deodorant that has an antiperspirant in it.
Apply deodorant to clean skin. Deodorants usually have an antiperspirant to control wetness.
Remember deodorants are chemicals, keep away from young children and always ask a parent before using.
Clothes protect our bodies from the environment…put on clean clothes everyday
Keep yourself clean…when you are clean, you feel good about yourself!
When you are clean you look and feel your best!

9. Oral Hygiene SMILE! Brush twice a day Floss once a day
Visit your dentist twice a year
Change your toothbrush regularly
Good breath is very important
Proper oral hygiene helps prevents bad breath, gum problems & tooth loss.
BACTERIA in the mouth & in foods forms plaque.
PLAQUE CAUSES Cavities, gums to recede, teeth to fall out
REMEMBER…YOU ONLY NEED TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH ON THE DAYS YOU WANT TO EAT!
SMILE!

10. Diet and nutrition Eat foods from the food groups
Eat less sugary foods
Drink milk or eat
calcium rich foods
Drink plenty of water
Not a time to DIET!
Your body is growing so fast, it needs good healthy foods.
Good nutrition means eating a variety of foods that will give you energy and keep you healthy.
Remember to eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables everyday.
It also means avoiding things that are harmful to your body like smoking, alcohol and drugs.
Avoid things that are harmful to your body like smoking, alcohol and drugs!

11. Rest & Exercise Rest helps your body grow Rest helps your brain think
Exercise gives your body a workout
Exercise keeps your body fighting against disease
You need at least hours of sleep each night.
Exercise gives your heart and lungs a healthy workout and helps prevent disease by boosting your immune system.
Exercise also increases your circulation and keeps your skin healthy.

12. Oil and Sweat Glands New glands producing oil and sweat
Zits or acne are the Pits..
Use good personal hygiene habits
Keep your skin clean
Never scratch or touch your pimples, this can cause an infection or scars
New hormone action can also result in Zits. Glands work to send oil to the pores on your skin’s surface. If the pores get clogged with a combination of oil, dead skin cells, dirt, bacteria - WHAM - you’ve got a pimple.
Wash your face every day with soap & water to keep it clean, especially before you go to sleep.
Change your pillowcase often.
Keep your hands off your face. Your hands always have extra dirt and germs on them and this will cause more zits.
If keeping your skin clean and (OTC) Over The Counter medications don’t work to keep pimples under control, check with your doctor.

13. Body Hair Grows under arms, legs and face
Grows in the pubic area (between ages )
Grows on your chest
Don’t share razors, may spread infection
Your body will start to grow hair in places you’ve never had before.
Did you know you have about 5 million hairs all over your body and 10,000 hairs on your head.
Hair will be fine and soft at first then become more course.
It will be some time before you will need to shave.
Shaving…Don’t start until you have to!
Remember don’t share razors!

14. Communicable diseases
Diseases that can be passed from one person to another
Caused by small organisms or germs like bacteria and viruses
Spread by close contact with other people, direct contact with a person who has a germ, with animals, bad drinking water and contaminated food.
Vaccines can prevent some diseases
Hepatitis- attacks the liver
HIV - weakens the immune system making
it hard for someone to fight off diseases
Several types of diseases are caused by bacteria and viruses that make our bodies natural defenses weak.
You can’t always tell if someone is sick or has a contagious disease.
HIV is a virus that causes AIDS
If it’s wet, warm and not yours…don’t touch it!

15. Disease Prevention #1 way to prevent disease is to wash your hands
Don’t share personal items *Razor, toothbrush
Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids
We can prevent ourselves from getting diseases or giving them to others by:
1. Washing our hands…often with soap and water
2. Not sharing our personal items like: toothbrushes, razors, combs
3. Avoiding contact with blood / body fluids or use of a barrier
Health care workers like nurses, wear gloves to care for people.
You can’t always tell who may have a disease…they may not look or act sick.
Serious diseases are not transmitted by casual contact like being in the same room, shaking hands, or sitting next to someone.
Take precautions, but still be friends!

16. Reproductive System Genitals start to change Sperm production begins
When we talk about ‘private’ body parts, we need to use correct terminology. This way we show respect for your body and the body of others. The correct words also help us communicate questions and concerns to our parents or medical providers.
These are the major male reproductive organs:
(Presenters STOP HERE, unless explanations needed.)
Penis - made of soft spongy tissue and blood vessels
Urethra - the passageway where urine and semen leave the body
Scrotum: The wrinkly sac of skin that covers, holds and protects the testicles.
Testicles: Two glands about the size of a walnut. It is in the testicles that millions of very small sperm cells are produced. The testicles also produce the hormone testosterone.
Sperm Cells: Male reproductive cells.
During puberty the hormones cause changes in the reproductive system.
The penis and testicles get bigger and the testicles start to produce sperm.
Keep your body parts private and show respect for others…DON”T hit others in the private parts.
The penis can have an erection (become stiff or hard) when the bladder is full, you are worried or excited or for no reason at all. This can be embarrassing, don’t worry it’s the same for all boys and men. Try to ignore the erection and it will usually go away on its own.
Sperm are released and leave out the body through the Urethra in a fluid called semen.
When semen is released out of the penis, this is called ejaculation.
Sometimes this happens when you are asleep. This is called a nocturnal emission or wet dream.
This is nothing to worry about, it is normal for boys to have wet dreams sometimes and just another sign of puberty.
How often this happens is different for each boy and some may not have them at all.

17. Taking care of your Body
Bathe or shower daily
Keep external organs clean
Avoid underwear or clothing that is too tight
Wear protective gear when playing contact sports
Be aware of concerns with your body and visit with your parents about lumps, swelling or soreness
Wash hands thoroughly after using the bathroom
Yearly physical checkups
It’s a great idea to get into the habits now of having good hygiene.
Remember, taking care of your body is your responsibility!

18. Ask Questions
Some of the hardest questions to ask are the personal ones about your body and your feelings.
You don’t have to learn everything at once. One question at a time is a great way to start.
Having friends you can talk to is great, but they may not always have correct information.
Every adult has gone through puberty. You will find that most adults in your life: parents, teachers, relatives & health care professionals…people you trust…really will understand what you’re going through.
So talk to them if you have questions!

19. Happy, healthy young men
Just be yourself!