CLAYHAVEN PRIMARY SCHOOL
PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING
GRADE 6
Positive Self Esteem
Self-esteem is one of the biggest changes that will happen to you while growing up from being a child to
being an adult. The bridge that joins these two stages in your life is called adolescence. Adolescence
happens over a few years. Puberty occurs during adolescence, and is the name given to the developing and
maturing of the sexual or reproductive organs. These changes happen to boys and girls because of the
hormones that your bodies make.
Some things stay the same during adolescence, but many changes happen. Your body changes and your
feelings change. Adolescence is an exciting time to look forward to. It is the changes that happen and are
part of growing up. They are normal and healthy and they happen to everybody. Change can make you
worry, especially when you do not know what changes you are expecting. Sometimes it is also difficult to
talk to people about it because you may feel embarrassed about these changes.
Your body image can have an impact on your self-esteem. When you are unhappy about the way you look
and you think that other people are judging you on your appearance, it is difficult for you to feel good about
yourself as a person. Self-esteem is how much you like and respect yourself. It is important because it
changes your attitude to life. People with a good self-esteem are able to enjoy their lives more than people
with a lower self-esteem. They tend to have better relationships with their friends and the adults in their
lives. They can deal with disappointments and mistakes, and they are able to stick with a task until they
succeed.
Self-esteem is not about bragging and telling people how great you are. It is knowing that you are worth a
lot. Self-esteem is about knowing that you are worthy of being accepted.
A positive body image
Be confident that you are worthy of being loved and respected for who you are, and not for how much you
can look like some unrealistic photo in a magazine!
Building self-esteem
Recognize your good points. You can make those good points better by caring for your body. This means
eating healthy food, exercising, and keeping fresh and clean. This will help you to feel good, and when
people feel good, they look good!
What influences body image?
Media, like TV and magazines, can affect the way you think about your body. It can be fun to read
magazines and get ideas about how to make the most of yourself. But do not think that you have to look like
the people in the photographs as most of those pictures have been improved in some way. Nobody really
looks like the images in magazines - not even the models or celebrities. Their photographs have been
touched up by artists in order to make them look good, especially in advertisements. Advertisers want you to
think that if you buy their products you will look as good as the models in the advertisements.
Skills focus: Reading
Learning about puberty
The age when you begin puberty is often the same as it was for a close family member of the same gender.
You might want to ask your mother; father or other family members what puberty was like for them.
Girls and boys often wonder whether it matters if their bodies go through puberty slowly or quickly. How
your body will look and perform has nothing to do with when your body changes or the speed at which it
does. Even so, among your friends it can be difficult if you are the first or last girl who menstruates, or the
first or last boy whose voice changes.
Unfortunately, people often tease you about the way your body changes during puberty. Your arms, hands,
legs and feet may grow longer and bigger before the rest of your body catches up. A boy's voice may crack
right in the middle of a sentence. A girl may develop a large spot on her forehead just before a party.
Many young people worry about their friendships during puberty - probably because puberty is a time when
some young people start to have boyfriends or girlfriends. One of your friends may have a boyfriend or a
girlfriend, whereas you might not be the least bit interested.
With all the things that happen to your body during puberty, it is no wonder that you have so many different
feelings. You might feel moody or grumpy, or even tearful. And your moods can change quickly too - you
may be laughing one moment and feel like crying the next. These different feelings often swing back and
forth and up and down like a yo-yo. The increased activity of hormones during puberty is one of many
factors that cause you to have mood swings as well as new and strong feelings. As your body changes, you
might not always be sure that you are ready to be grown-up. Sometimes you may want to be treated as a
child. Other times you may want to be treated as an adult.
ACTIVITY
A. Why is adolescence an exciting time to look forward to?
B. Why could this period in life be a difficult one?
C. How does your self-esteem affect your body image?
ACTIVITY TWO
ACTIVITY THREE
I. Read the article 'Learning about puberty' before answering these questions. a) Why do many young
people worry about friendships during puberty?
b) What causes boys and girls going through puberty to have sudden changes in feelings?
2. Look closely at the picture on this page.
a) What feelings or emotions do you think each person is experiencing?
b) How many of these emotions have you experienced?