The changing body of a BMX Rider

The changing body of
    a BMX Rider

How will my body change?

 As you get older, you will notice that your
  body will begin to change
 The changes to your body can also affect
  the way that you feel
 We will talk about those changes today…

Question?
Q.   Can you think of any changes that might
     happen to your body? These changes
     might be happening to you, or even your
     friends.
    Chat to the person beside you to see if
     you can come up with some possible
     changes

Changes to a BMX Rider’s body
That’s right! Changes can include:

    Pimples
    Hair under your arms
    Hairy legs, arms, face
    Oily skin and hair
    Body odour
    Growing taller and stronger
    Your voice gets deeper

Sometimes, BMX Rider’s can
       become embarrassed when…
   They have ‘wet dreams’
      This is when you ejaculate semen in your sleep
      Sometimes you will wake up with wet sheets
   Their voice breaks
      This is when your voice goes between high and low
      Once your voice ‘breaks’ it will sound deeper
   Erections
      These can happen when you’re excited, nervous or
       for no reason at all

GUESS WHAT?

All of these things are
perfectly normal and
         ok!

Don’t forget hygiene…
   When these changes begin to happen, it’s
    important that you learn to take care of your
    body
   It’s important to:
     Wash your hair, face and body regularly (at least
      once a day to remove dirt and germs)
     Wear clean clothes and underwear
     Use deodorant to squash any nasty smells
     Brush your teeth every day!!

Who do I tell?
   When you start to notice these changes, it can
    be embarrassing
   But, it’s always good to tell a trusted adult such
    as your mum, dad, carer, aunt, uncle or older
    brother
   It all depends on who you live with and who you
    trust

Why do these changes happen?
 These changes happen because your body
  is changing from a young boy in to a young
  man
 You may have heard people say to you that
  ‘you are growing up quick’ or, ‘you’re
  nearly a teenager’

When do these changes happen?
   Research says that most young boys will begin to
    notice changes when they are around 12 years
    old
   Girls begin to notice their own special changes
    when they are around 11 years old

But remember…

   Every body is different
   Some BMX Rider’s start early and others late
   This is perfectly normal and ok!
   You might know of some mates that are going
    through these changes as we speak

It’s not just changes to your
                  body…
   When your body is beginning to change, a thing called
    ‘hormones’ also start to change
   These hormones can make you feel happy, sad,
    confused, tired, angry or excited – all at the same time
   This is perfectly normal!
   These changes might take some time to get used to…

Some of the changes include…
   Coping with your changing body
   Frustration because you feel different
   Mood swings
   Energy changes

Your thinking may also change…
   You may:
      Start to choose your own standards
      Form your own ideas, morals and values
      Rely less on your parents for knowledge about life
       and the world
      Start to think about some deep questions like ‘Who
       am I?’, ‘Why am I here?’ or ‘What is the meaning of
       life?’
   For some BMX Rider’s, this time can be very confusing
    – you may feel happy, sad and confused all at the same
    time

So what can a BMX Rider to do?
   Well, a BMX Rider can do a number of things:
      Talk to a teacher

      Talk to a parent, carer or relative

      Talk to a friend

      Talk to a professional, such as a counsellor

   No one is going to think you’re a ‘baby’ or a
    ‘sook’
   This will help you sort out some of your feelings

A BMX Rider can also..
   Ride his bike
   Go for a walk with a trusted adult
   Go rollerblading
   Hang out with some mates
   Play some sport
   Go to karate
   Go fishing with a trusted adult

A BMX Rider can also…
   Build things around the home (such as ramps, boxes)
   Listen to music
   Go to the beach with a trusted adult
   Write feelings down in a book
   Draw
   Play with the dog
   Play on the Playstation/X-Box/Computer for short
    periods of time (ie. 20 mins)

These things will help the BMX
                Rider…

          RELEASE SOME ENERGY
   By doing so, your brain releases a chemical
    called endorphins (say en-dor-fins)
   These chemicals make you feel happy

Question…

   So, thinking back – what are some activities that
    you can do when you start to feel cranky or
    annoyed?

Sometimes…
   It’s difficult to recognise your feelings
   This is ok and perfectly normal!!
   But, if you start to feel annoyed, angry or
    confused, it’s best to let an adult know
   Or, if you don’t feel like speaking, maybe you
    can come up with some sort of sign to let others
    know you aren’t happy and need some ‘time out’

Things to do/say…
   Speak to an adult & come up with a plan for when you aren’t
    feeling so good
   Such things may include:
       Leaving the room and going to your bedroom
       Showing an adult a ‘time out’ card
       Putting a sign on your door saying ‘come back in 20mins’

   EG:            I am feeling cranky – please come back in
                                   20 minutes

   It’s always good to come back and speak to an adult about why
    you felt cranky, annoyed or confused after you’ve done some
    exercise and had some ‘time out’

You also need to…
                    EAT WELL!!
   That includes ‘2 and 5’
     2 serves of fruit
     5 serves of vegies

And…
   4 – 7 serves of breads, cereals, rice, pastas and
    noodles

   3 – 5 serves of milk, cheese or yoghurt

And also…
   1 – 2 serves of meat, fish or chicken

   1 – 3 serves of sweets

Guess what?
   That’s every day!!!

   Why do you think that you need to eat that
    much?

An example of what you might
           like to eat…
   Breakfast                                    Snacks
      2 pieces of toast
                                                    Handful of nuts
      Cereal and milk
      Piece of fruit                               Sultanas
   Lunch                                           Dried apricots/apple
      Sandwich with ham and salad
                                                    Piece of fruit
      Piece of fruit
      Tub of yoghurt                               Carrot sticks
      Drink of milk                                Celery sticks
   Dinner
                                                    Tub of yoghurt
      Piece of meat (chicken, fish, steak)
      Vegetables (carrots, peas, broccoli,
        cauliflower, corn)                       Remember to drink at least 8
      Mashed potato
                                                  glasses of water every day!!

Self Esteem and Body Image
   As mentioned, you might become self conscious
    about your appearance
   People may treat you differently because you
    look older
   Here, we will talk about Self Esteem and Body
    Image

Self esteem is:

- Feeling good about yourself
- Feeling like you are worthwhile
- Learned and can be changed
- Affected by physical and hormonal changes

              **There are two types of self esteem

High Vs Low Self Esteem
High Self Esteem –          Low Self Esteem –
                             Find it difficult to cope with
 Lets you cope with          situations/events
  situations/events          Don’t want to try new things
                             Worried about what others
 Happy to try new things
                              might think/say
 Make good decisions        Often appear with head
                              down/not confident enough to
 Feel confident – head       look at people when they speak
  held high and smile on     Speak negatively about
  their face                  themselves – find it difficult to
                              accept when people say nice
 Able to openly speak to     things about them
  others around them

How you get low self-esteem?

U get low self esteem by…
   Telling yourself negative statements (ie. saying you’re
    stupid, ugly, boring etc)
   Disliking yourself
   Believing you can’t change anything
   Believing that no-one likes you
   Listening to and believing people who tell you bad
    things about yourself

How do you increase self esteem?

   Take an interest in activities/hobbies in the community (sport,
    PCYC, scouts)
   Speak to a family member/trusted adult/counsellor
   Recognise your achievements/celebrate success
   Spend time with positive people in your life
   Read a book
   Exercise
   Ride your bike
   Say nice things to yourself everyday

(Self esteem quiz/10 ways to improve self esteem - page 69/72 - straight talk manual)

Body Image
   Is how you think and feel about your body and what you imagine
    that you look like
   It’s ok to look different to other BMX Riders
   Everyone has different:
       Body weight and shape
       Muscle mass
       Faces
       Ears
       Eyes
       Height
       Fingers and toes
       Bellybuttons!

Because…

That’s what makes you an
     INDIVIDUAL

Remember!

   It’s important to be comfortable with your body
   It’s what’s inside a person that really matters -such as a
    person’s personality and skills
   Everyone is different – BMX Riders change at different
    times and at different speeds
   Be confident – use ‘I statements’ such as, ‘I am a good
    friend and it doesn’t matter what they say’; ‘I am good
    at maths’; ‘I like my body the way it is’

RECAP
   How does your body change
   Some embarrassing possibilities
   Hygiene
   Who to tell
   Why changes happen
   When changes happen
   Changes to your mind and thoughts/feelings
   What to do to make yourself feel better

References
   Better Health Channel
       www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

   Beyond Blue
       www.beyondblue.org.au