Table of Contents
introduction
Three women, JoAnn Gardener-Loulan, Bonnie Lopez-Worthen, and Marcia Quackenbush wrote this book in 1979 for girls who are growing up. They thought it would be important to have a book explaining some of the changes all girls go through. They talked about all kinds of things as they wrote this book and included many of the experiences of their friends. What they said then, is still true now. Our questions and our concerns are much the same today.
This is a chance for us all to learn from each other.
CHAPTER ONE
So Many Changes
Magazines, billboards, television and movies show girls and women who are tall and slim, have faces with no pimples, never wear glasses and seem to have no big problems at all. Not too many people really are that way, but when we see so many women like that it can make us feel that somehow our body or face or hair is just not right.
We live in a crazy, mixedup world because many girls and women think that everyone else has the longest hair or smallest feet, nicest smile or prettiest eyes. We were never created to look alike or to look like somebody else. What most people have in common is that we have bodies that can do many wonderful and different things, no matter what color, size or shape we are.
We can walk or read or sing or take bubble baths; we can taste wonderful foods or throw balls or listen to birds chirping or dance or run or think or laugh. Sometimes bodies can make us feel sooooooo..... good!
One reason we all have different bodies is because of our mother and father. They have passed some things about their bodies on to us, like the color of our eyes, skin and hair, or how tall we are. You might have your mothers hair color and your fathers eyes.
Sometimes we think we really cant be happy unless we look like our favorite movie star or girlfriend or aunt. Being comfortable with your own body is important. Learning to love your own specialness is a big part of growing up.
Some of us have bodies that are disabled. This means that some part of the body cant be moved (is paralyzed) or moves uncontrollably (is spastic). Maybe we are blind or deaf, or we have one leg or arm that didnt grow as long as the other. Or a part of our body had to be removed (amputated) because something was wrong with it. Lots of people have these kinds of bodies and its important that we all learn to appreciate the wonderful things our bodies can do for us. Disabled people can do things that able-bodied people cant. Able-bodied people can do things disabled people cant. This doesnt mean one person is better than another, it just means that were different.
Since your birth, your body has been changing and growing. When you get to be ten or twelve or fourteen, more obvious changes begin to happen. You may begin getting pimples, and the hair under your arms and on your legs may be easier to see. Some people start to sweat (perspire), and perspiration may smell different as you grow older. Your hips get bigger, your body actually begins to change shape and your breasts begin to grow. And both breasts dont always grow at the same rate in the beginning. This is pretty common.
A young girls body
A maturing womans body
The area around your nipple, called the areola (ah-REE-oh-la), becomes a little raised and might change color. You might begin growing taller at this age. You will also probably start growing hair on the area below your belly button, close to your legs. This is called pubic (PEW-bik) hair.
It seems that all of a sudden you are running around with a new body, and it may take some getting used to. You may be the first one in school to show breasts or the last one to gain some weight and start looking older. Maybe your parents or older sisters and brothers will tease and embarrass you. Boys or other girls may make fun of your new bra. You may not believe this, but few of us are comfortable with these changes.
Can you think of three things you really like about your body? Do you like the color or softness of your skin? How about your legs or hands? Or smile? You really are a special person, and the more you realize that, the better you will feel about yourself.
I Was Sure I Was Different.
I used to drive myself crazy when I was growing up because I had no waist. Everyone I saw at school or on the street had tiny waistseveryone but me. So I would diet and not let myself eat things that everyone else ate. Do you know what happened? I lost weight and still had no waist! Then I finally caught on that I had a certain body type and no matter what I ate, I would just go from my rib cage to my hips in a straight line. I am feeling much better about myself just knowing everyone has a different body.
I used to hate the hair on my upper lip. My hair is black, so its really noticeable. Then I met a girl at school who was just like me and I would watch her when the kids teased her. It really surprised me because it didnt bother her at all! Thats when I stopped worrying.
When I was growing pubic hair, I thought something was wrong with me so I began pulling it out with tweezers. I realized it was normal when I just couldnt pull it out fast enough. But it sure was scary at first!
CHAPTER TWO
So Many Parts
Some of the changes your body goes through as you grow older are easy to see, but others go on inside of your body. Even though you dont usually see these changes, they affect your life and the way you feel.
There are several diagram s in this book which will help explain things, but remember that every woman is different and none of the diagrams will really be exactly like you or anyone else. They can give you an idea of shapes and where things are.
There are quite a few organs inside of us. One way to look at them is by a cross section diagram. This is a cross section of an apple. You see the lines and shapes and seeds of the inside of the apple.
