Jay Spence
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​GROWING UP IS HARD TO DO

Reflections on Your Earliest Beginnings to Your late Teenage Years
​

By Jay Spence, MD
Illustrations by Ian Baker
(FriesenPress, November 3, 2017)
​
Growing Up is Hard to Do, yet there are very few comprehensive “how to” manuals for young people, to help them negotiate and understand what momentous changes occur on the winding road between infancy and adulthood.

In this helpful, highly readable manual, Dr. Spence, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, with sub-specialty training in Pediatric Gynecology, examines each stage of development, pointing out the many difficulties that may be encountered along the way.

He tackles the issues head-on: conception, the early years, off to school with potential bullying, childhood sexual abuse and what happens during puberty. In warm, empathetic, and accessible language, concerns like sex, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and gender issues are discussed. In addition, he delves into subjects such as smoking, alcohol, marijuana, illicit drug use and the risks of the Internet and teenage driving. Nutrition, obesity, anorexia and exercise are highlighted. The last chapter comments on the value of completing one’s education and choosing an appropriate career.

In treating young people for over forty years, Dr. Spence has seen many teenagers and their families suffer the tragic consequences of poor or uninformed choices. He wrote Growing Up is Hard to Do to provide honest, unfiltered information in the hope of helping young readers avoid many of the “potholes” of early life. Though the book is written specifically for young people negotiating growing up, parents and caregivers will also find it very helpful in providing information and context for further discussion.

Reviews

"Growing Up Is Hard to Do is an excellent guide to the first two decades of life. It offers both factual material and gentle guidance in text augmented by UK cartoonist Ian Baker’s superbly appropriate illustrations. This is a book that adolescents would find helpful and reassuring during the turbulence of growing up, and hopefully, one which parents and teachers would endorse."
-Foreword Clarion Review (5 out of 5 stars)

(read the full review)

​Table of Contents

Introduction
SECTION ONE: GROWING UP
​

Chapter One: The Beginnings: Intrauterine Life
“Where did I come from?”
Genetics: “Nature’s Blueprint for Me.”
Intrauterine Growth: “In My Mummy’s Tummy.”
Labour and Delivery: “Here I Come!”

Chapter Two: Early Childhood
Newborn to Age Five
Infancy: Newborn to Age One: “It’s All about Me!”
Toddler: Age One to Two: “Becoming Me.”
Terrible Twos!: “Here I Am!”
Energizer Bunny: Age Three to Four: “Want to Play with Me?”
Youngster: Age Four to Five: “Out on My Own.”

Chapter Three: School Age: Age Five to Ten 
“I’m off to school!”
School: “I don’t want to go!”                        
My Social Life: “I like you.”                                
Bullies: “Get out of my way!”
Childhood Responsibilities: “Who, Me—Work?”                            

Chapter Four: Puberty: Age Ten to Fifteen
“Wow! What’s Happening to Me?”
Physical Changes
     Female Development
     Male Development


Chapter Five: Adolescence: Age Twelve to Eighteen
“I Feel Different!”
Sexual, Emotional, and Intellectual                                                  
Development
Early Adolescence
Late AdolescenceSECTION TWO: THE HARD-TO-DO
​

Chapter Six: Sex
Sexual Identity
     Female
     Male
The Birds and the Bees

Chapter Seven: Sexual Issues
Early Human Sexuality
Sexual Abuse
Pornography and Children
Sexting
Early Sexual Experimentation

Chapter Eight: The Candy Generation
Cultural Challenges
Sex Drive    
     Male
     Female

Chapter Nine: Unwanted Pregnancy
Startling Facts
Teenage Mom
Teenage Abortion

Chapter Ten: Alternate Sexual Behaviours
Homosexuality
LGBTQ Community
Of Real Concern
     Abusive Sex
     Teenage Prostitution

Chapter Eleven: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Genital Herpes
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Chlamydia
Trichomonas (TRICH)
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
HIV-AIDS

Chapter Twelve: Risky Behaviour
Smoking
Alcohol
Marijuana

Chapter Thirteen: Destructive Behaviour
Illicit Drug Use
     Cocaine
     Opioids
     Stimulants
     Hallucinogens
     Inhalants

Suicide Attempts

Chapter Fourteen: Lifestyle Choices
Diet and Nutrition
     Teenage Obesity
     Anorexia
     Bulimia

Exercise

Chapter Fifteen: Internet and the Teenage Driver
The Internet, Social Media, and Gaming
Wheels: Risks and Concerns
     Some Startling Facts
     Risk Factors


Chapter Sixteen: Becoming an Adult
Eighteen Plus
Higher Education

Final Thoughts
​Acknowledgements
About the Author
About the Illustrator
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