1. Body/physical issues.

Right, jokes aside, you know this is an issue among teenagers. I won't extend here since I can't talk for the girls, but you know the story: voice change, pimples, height growth, need to shave...

Regardless of the sex, these changes are complex and they aren't always that easy to assimilate (specially those days of the calendar, in the girls' case).

Unsatisfaction and insecurity resulting from our new looks are also usual, since all bodies don't develop or work equally. Everyone at some point may feel like they wished to be taller, more athletic, thinner or feel uglier because of his/her glasses, braces, hard to manage hair, or simply because they feel like it.

Those are facts that may look irrelevant on paper, but for kids whose self-esteem is hardly being built on features over which they have less control they would want, they are details that can seriously conditionate their character and feelings.

At the end of the day, however, it is important to learn that puberty is the stage where we go through the most significant physical changes, and that many of them aren't permanent.

Believe me, I met plenty of those people who seemed to always be the centre of attention with girls or boys when teens and years later they aged poorly, and, on the other hand, those so called ugly ducklings that evolved really favorably.

Girls, if you in particular think there is some girl in your classroom with whom you can't compete in popularity because of her good looks, you shouldn't feel bad with yourselves. In fact, you should pray that girl has something more than her looks to offer in the future, because, as we stated, that is the first thing that doesn't last forever.

I know it is never as simple as just asking for it, but please, carry out a healthy lifestyle, be patient with your own fisionomy and let nature do its job.

2. Distractions multiply.

We could write an entire article or debate for hours just on this...

It was already easy to get distracted as a child, but once I personally hit adolescence I had a lot of trouble to keep myself on Earth. Not making excuses here, just saying that adults keep telling you you must focus on studying and paying attention as if it was just as easy as clicking a button.

Whether it is about sports, videogames, movies, TV, girls/boys, or any personal problem you may have because you is the only you, tendency to distractions in times of changes and difficulties is as natural as breathing. That is why simply cutting off a distraction from your life is often a very poor way of solving a teen's problem. A teen is reasonably insecure and afraid of the future now he is being forced out of the argueable comfort it was his childhood, and he needs comprehension more than ever.

To put an example, if he spends hours playing Among Us or Fortnite instead of doing his homework, that is not out of pure revelry or irresponsibility, because those are concepts that are still getting solid in his mind. Instead, it must be understood that they face lack of motivation that can have its roots in a wide variety of reasons.

Of course, the kid must take responsibility and face his own problems, but a teacher/parent who tries to blame the teen's low marks or impossible integration on videogames, TV, the teen himself, or anything but his own person, is definitely not a good example, and neither a good teacher/parent.

3. You start to feel displeased or disappointed by people you used to like.

This shall come as no surprise to you by the time you read, but not all changes during adolescence are merely physical or hormonal.

Each person is a world by himself, constantly going through different changes that include problems, opinions, tastes, attitude, and of course, bonds.

If there is a person you used to get on with and now you feel like you are getting each time more distant, or even beginning to dislike that person because he acts very differently he used to when you were younger, I regret to inform you it is actually very common.

On paper it isn't difficult to make friends, but, much like happens in social networks, people simply can't show their whole self in just one page. And naturally, they try to fill their cover with as many cool things about themselves as possible, or things they consider to be cool (you know, the crazy things they say they did in a party, or with how many girls/boys they supposedly have made out with).

My point is that people, including growing up people, have their own evolution. An evolution where too many factors play their role at the same time, which unavoidably will result on people changing their personalities. Nobody is safe from that effect. It is never easy to lose friends or watching people become annoying, but it is somehow necessary so you can understand how important and complicated to keep friendship is.

Only this way, we get to appreciate the limited number of real friends we will all have as years pass. With all the difficulties a frienship has to overcome to survive, we should be grateful when it does.

4. You get more scolding than as a child.

Now I read this again, I think this point shouldn't be much more than an extension than point 1 and the following points 5 and 6, so don't worry, I'll avoid repeating myself.

5. Parents don't understand you.

Like I said before, adolescence is the moment where parents and their children have the most difficulties to understand each other.

Parents were teens in a very different time and context, so it is not strange they disagree with you on so many things of your daily life. We all have heard stuff like "when I was of your age...", "you should be thankful...", "I was raised this way", "this is like this; I am a your mother/father and I say so"...

First it is important to highlight parents by definition are not friends, so we can't and we mustn't expect them to behave as such. That doesn't mean they don't have the obligation to study their children's way of being and work on that comprehension. After all, being a parent is a duty for life.

Also, remember it takes two for communication, so please even when you feel they're being jerks, try to be open to dialogue. It won't always work, that's for sure, but they are our parents and we won't be having more.

You are supposed to live with your parents during adolescence, so, as hard as it can be, communication with them can make these tough years easier to handle.

Obviously, I'm taking about average parents. Abusive ones are a different subject to be treated and only those who have experienced it or being close to the first ones should talk about it.

6. Teachers neglect you.

Please, bear in mind I part from MY personal experience here (current educational system in my country kind of sucks, like a lot). I can't know how teachers generally behave where you study.

Remember I said parents aren't your friends and you must not treat each other as such? Well, following the same line, teachers are neither your friends or your parents, so you can't expect from them anything that exceeds their obligations at work.

That been said, you know teachers are very different between them. There are those for whom you might develop some affection, you can learn a lot, and always remember, but right now it's most likely you know more than one that seems to give his best effort so you hate him. Some teachers are lazy; others ashame some student in front of the class and would say it is for his own good; others act as if a pupil being bullied wasn't of his business, or even are bullies themselves; and there are others who are plain and simple fake, dumb, or hate their job.

What I'm saying is that teachers can be better or worse, but a part of growing up id also learning to know what to make of the people you have no choice but to deal with everyday. Some are willing to be good influences for you, and others more like obstacles you'll have to overcome. And your teachers won't be less people for being teachers.

And as the people they are, they are there to work, so always give them a chance. Be respectful with them, but also be respectful with yourself, like it is the key of convivence. And at the end of the day, they really neglect you, don't let it torment you. Unlike what happens with parents, you will have a lot of teachers.

7. Crushes are not like you expected.

Oh, yes... a classic of puberty.

Whether you like boys, girls, or both, there is something that never changes: you know nothing about it when you start to have crushes, so your only reference is what you have seen in movies, cartoons or anime. And when you start to make comparisons, disappointments are a matter of time.

Crushes are particularly problematic because we never chose the person. We're often afraid of facing that feeling or how would others react to us having a crush on that person. Like "really?? How on Earth can you like that one?!". And yes, people around you tend to get annoying and compulsively lecture you about boys/girls, when they know as little as you do.

In the future you might feel stupid for having liked a person and not realising how that person really was. But this is something we can't avoid in adolescence, and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself for things you can't control. Crushes are instinctive and illogical, but when you think of it, they are an evidence that you aren't made of stone.

Experience hurts, but it is necessary to learn to distinguish love from infatuation, as well as healthy relationships from toxic ones.

8. You are judged and/or bullied by people around.

The full development of a person can only part from that person being himself/herself. Yet again, other people's judgement is always in the way.

At this moment of life, teens began to get the bitter taste of their own weaknesses, and often look desperately for a way of escaping that sensation. This chaotic bag of feelings brings them to confuse fortress with cruelty, which is the seed of bullying.

It is never simple, like many try to make you feel. If he makes you feel bad, just stand up for yourself, they say; well those who say that either never suffered bullying or were the bullies and now they are trying to find excuses.

This is one more complicated issue I would like to read comments about. What I can say as a fact is that whether your flaws or differences are, you don't deserve to be bullied and nobody has an excuse to do that.

9. Sometimes you speak or act like you're not yourself, or even get mad on strange things.

All the negative stuff already mentioned bring to this. With so many problems and hormones going up and down, one ends up ignoring who he is or what he wants.

There were times where I exploded for the wrong reasons or that I let myself be influenced by bad companies. Again, my bad, no excuses: in the end this is what maturity consists of.

We must take responsibility of what we say or do, whether we have actual reasons or not. You must remember you won't be saying or thinking the same things once you grow older. And when you realise you have said, thought or done something you shouldn't, it is normal to feel bad and regret, but we all must come through that. This is what makes us better people, unlike those who never regret anything and can only change for the worse.

All sinners, a future; all saints, a past (that's either from Oscar Wilde or Metallica, depending on who you ask).

We all make mistakes at this age, and facing them is the step for the next level. In fact, like we discussed both parents and teachers have more than a little responsibility for your behaviour. But this is when we must start to get real conscience of our actions and prove we are better than the bad words they may say about us.

10. Reality makes you feel like there is something wrong about you or being yourself doesn't work.

I'd like to make this a summary-conclusion for everything exposed tonight the best I can.

As teens give their first steps in reality, they start to get disappointments from every sides: their family, their friends... and what affects them most: themselves. When they met failures in their way it is not strange at all that they began to feel bad with themselves. That makes them want to act differently from their persona and even try to be another person. It's terrible, but back then we are all vulnerable.

I faced this a lot during adolescence, and in fact I was facing that sensation by the time I joined Wattpad. Writing and meeting here people with a lot of talent and good things to share. And this is something more positive than I ever imagined because what is shared here are pieces of what we carry inside.

Other people's approval, no matter if it is family's, teachers' or friends', means nothing until we give ourselves our own approval. Until we like ourselves as a person. And you Watties, have played a relevant role in my way to that during the time I've been here.

I won't get moralist here and say that always being yourself is the way to get EVERYTHING you want in life. There is never a full guarantee of success or happiness in whatever we do. Those are other topics we aren't interested in right now.

What matters is that being honest with yourself, with your feelings and with what you want to do in the future, is the only way for life living to begin.

Hold on there, I'm pretty aware these are only lines and that they won't make you send your problems away just like that. Your life hasn't changed an inch after you read this, not because I don't want to, but because it doesn't work that way. And I am the first who needs to remember all this.

Changes come gradually: some of them by nature, and others by your hand.

There is a lot to dislike about adolescence, but now we have stated the worst, you can focus on finding the best. In case, I didn't tell you, there are a lot of good things too, if you seek properly.

As for myself, I'll finish this article saying that I wish I had known more people like you in my own adolescence, Watties ;););).

Phew! I thought I wouldn't be able to finish! But every word was worth it.

I read various of you were having some trouble in real life, so even if I couldn't help, I didn't want you guys to feel alone 😔...

Don't know if anything can be actually made of everything I wrote, but if you want to let go in the comments, you know you can.

Happy to attend you again, after all this time, in the Honest Fiction's Pub!! 🍺🍺🍺🍺