What are the characteristics of girls' development?

We all know that girls' physical development period is earlier than boys. Many girls begin to develop secondary characteristics when they are about ten years old. When they enter puberty, it is already the time to perfect the secondary characteristics. Therefore, for girls, they must be supplemented with calcium during their development, otherwise malnutrition is likely to occur. So what are the characteristics of girls' development?

Puberty refers to the physiological developmental stage of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is also the process in which the development of internal and external reproductive organs in the fetal period continues to advance towards maturity after a period of stagnation (i.e. childhood). Girls in this period have their own unique aspects both physically and psychologically.

(1) Physiological characteristics: From birth to the age of 8 to 9, although the internal and external genitalia of boys and girls are different, the functions of male and female gonads are suppressed and the concentration of sex hormones in the body is very low. Although height and weight increase rapidly, there is no gender difference.

On average, after the age of 11 (range 9 to 12 years), girls' secondary sexual characteristics gradually develop, mainly manifested in the beginning of bulging of bilateral breasts, gradual enlargement of nipples, and gradual deepening of pigmentation; pubic hair and axillary hair begin to appear in the vulva and armpits. It takes about 4 years (range 1.5 to 6 years) for girls' secondary sexual characteristics to appear and develop completely. At the same time, the pigmentation of the labia majora and minora gradually deepens and enlarges, and white secretions begin to appear. The internal reproductive organs also develop at the same time, such as the vagina becoming longer and wider, the mucosa becoming thicker and more wrinkled, the fallopian tubes becoming thicker, and the uterus becoming larger. On average, the first menstruation occurs around the age of 13 (10 to 16 years old), which is called menarche. Ovulation will occur after another 2 to 5 years, and the women will then be able to have children.

There are two important characteristics of girls' puberty: First, from about 9 and a half years old, girls' height growth suddenly accelerates, reaching a peak of 6 to 8 cm per year, and then gradually slows down until the epiphysis closes and no longer grows. By around 18 years old, the height can increase by about 25 cm. Secondly, the body's subcutaneous fat deposits increase, especially in the hips and buttocks. At the same time, the pelvis and hips also widen, forming a feminine body shape with soft curves. This series of changes in physical shape marks the gradual growth of a girl into a young woman.

The onset of puberty varies depending on genetic factors, health level, nutritional status, climate of the region, altitude, socioeconomic conditions, hygiene habits, etc. Generally speaking, girls enter puberty 1 to 2 years earlier than boys. In recent years, the age of menarche for girls in many countries has tended to be earlier, which is related to economic development and the improvement of living standards year by year. Girls who are severely thin or obese, malnourished or who exercise excessively often have delayed menarche; conversely, girls who are moderately obese often have an earlier age of menarche.

(2) Psychological characteristics: Psychologically, girls begin to develop a vague consciousness after the age of 10 and begin to take an interest in gender differences and gender relations. Their appreciation and admiration for the opposite sex also begin to grow. The so-called "first love" is used to describe this period.

After the age of 15 to 16, as secondary sexual characteristics develop physically, children also mature further psychologically. They begin to think of themselves as adults. They demand to be independent, to be respected and treated equally by others (including their parents), to make friends independently, to think about problems independently and to have their own little world. At the same time, they also hope to exchange thoughts and feelings with friends of the opposite sex, develop admiration for the opposite sex, and even gradually have demands for love and sex. However, their psychology is still immature, their emotions are very unstable, and their personality, temperament, and thoughts are very plastic. They are easily influenced by social trends, friends around them, movies, television, literary works and other communication tools.

Girls in this period experience rapid physical and brain development, and their intellectual abilities grow rapidly. It is the starting point of their career development and the most important and precious stage in their life journey. Therefore, it is very necessary to educate them to establish lofty ideals and aspirations, and guide them to focus their main energy on enriching their real talents and knowledge. At this stage, we should also carry out positive education on sexual knowledge, sexual ethics and laws to help them establish a correct world view and moral values, and lay a good foundation for their future career and life.