Teenage boys and body image
Parents of teenage girls are used to them occupying the bathroom for hours on end, being obsessed with fashion, cosmetics and how they look. What many parents do not realize is that their teenage son is struggling as much with their body image as their sisters. Guys are not supposed to worry about how they look, but more and more teenage boys have real hang ups about their body and this can directly affect their behavior.
A teenage boy goes through dramatic body changes through puberty and their growth is very erratic; they can literally grow inches over a summer vacation and return to school the next semester a totally different guy. They will have to endure hair growing, or not growing, all over their body and boys are notorious about comparing their manhood in the urinals, the ultimate humiliation for some boys. The media is full of pictures of bronzed, athletic guys with an awesome six pack who always get the girl. For a teenage boy the world is a competitive place and their genes and biology says they have to win, beat the opposition, come out on top.
So, what do teenage boys worry about and how can parents help? The shape of a boys' body can go through a number of changes; puberty means a drop in the voice, a broadening of shoulders, a larger chest and obviously, growing in height. Not all teenage boys grow at the same rate, and you teenager may be the smallest, or thinnest boy in their peer group.
They may be the target of bullying and develop into a bully themselves as a form of protection. The opposite is also true, teenage boys have very healthy appetites but if this is not managed they may become overweight and be subjected to taunts about their fat which in turn may mean they get into fights more often, defending themselves from cruel taunts.
Teenage boys are notoriously bad about discussing their fears and anxieties; they are far more likely to meet emotional upset with aggression. They get angry at their parents for not understanding, angry with their school mates who seem to be developing so well and even angry with their siblings, especially brothers who do not seem to have anything "wrong" with their bodies.
As a parent it is important to understand your teenage son also worries about how they look. A parent who helps their son to manage their weight, takes them to a dermatologist to deal with their zits, even helps them adopt a safe weight training program, can save their teenage son from a lot of misery. To prevent anger being the only way a teenage boy deals with their feelings, parents need to find a way to get their teenager to talk about their insecurities. This can be difficult and you may need professional help with a teenage boy who is very emotionally closed off.