Should We Be Telling Girls That Puberty Is So Hard?

Commentary “Puberty is hard.” I hear that all the time from adults. The messaging is: “We get through it, but it’s hard.” That’s the overwhelming idea communicated from women to girls everywhere. But is it really that hard for everyone? Is it possible that this message may be amplifying fears rather than reducing them? Is the attempt to validate feelings possibly making it all worse? I believe it does. Every woman grows from a girl to a woman. Yes, it’s obviously harder for some than others, but I don’t think we should be emphasizing the pain. Sure, it’s not fun at times; there are the changes in the body, the acne, the awkward feelings, unwanted attention, and of course the dreaded period. Often it isn’t always a pleasant time, but it’s not necessarily all bad either, especially if it isn’t anticipated to be so bad....