Lisa Clark - It’s A Girl Thing

Well, punk princess and Pink Lady Bella, who is a whole lot older than us, she’s 17 which is like, practically a grown up – has completed her big P makeover and is the coolest mix of agony aunt, big sister and glossy girl ‘zine in a rockgirl package. She’s got the puberty 101 and together, ‘coz yep, we’re feeling it too sister, we’ll make sure you’re totally clued up about the whole big P makeover; it is a girl thing after all!

Love and pink lemonade bubbles,

There’s no right or wrong way to go through this whole puberty lark, however, armed with your ‘It’s a girl thing!’ bag of fabulousness, it will inevitably be a whole lot less stressy, promise!

Peppermint tea–soothing, relieves bloating, caffeine-free and the perfect chill out tonic–ahhh.

Pampering treats–Because soaking in a bath not only makes you feel and look fabulous, sweet smelling products banish bad body odour too–yay!

Chocolate–well, why not?

Pink leg warmers–to wear while taking a brisk walk to the shop–exercise will make your body’s natural pain killers kick-in if you’ve got bad belly pains.

Pink fluffy hot water bottle–If you can’t bear to leave the sofa, sitting with a hot water bottle on your turn can work wonders and is really rather cute too.

Don’t stress if you don’t know exactly what’s going on, you most deffo won’t be the first girl in history to find puberty something right out of Scaryville, I know I did! Neither will you be the first to lie awake at night fretting that you’re the only girl in class that doesn’t wear a bra yet, just ask Pink Lady, Sadie…The trick is to Think Pink. Why?

Because Pink-Thinkin’ chicks get clued-up about their bodies and what’s going on inside. It’s a fact that the more you know, the less confusing, surprising and embarrasing this whole hazy, crazy growing up stuff will seem! Ready?

Your boobs can be tender, sore and itchy during puberty

To get rid of body odour you should keep yourself clean and wash under your arms every day

Any hair that you shave will grow back much thicker

No two boobs are alike

Boys are just as self-conscious during puberty as girls

If you answered ‘true’ to 3 or more of the statements above…

You are sussed, sista! You know how puberty’s body makeover will affect you and you’re ready for action–go girl!

If you answered ‘false’ to 3 or more of the statements above…

No worries sweet thing, the Pink Ladies and I are gonna fill you in on everything from periods to ladybumps, because when you know what’s happening to your body and why, you’ll be much less likely to fret about it in the future, okay?

As you know I’m a pink-thinking chica on a daily basis and while I dig who I am and know I’m no ugly duckling, there are still times, even with all the pink thinking in the world, when I feel like one. Sound familiar?

Blame the hormones.

Hormones are the chemicals your body produces to transform your sweet self from a young girl to a woman. These body changes can take years to unfold and take hold–yawn–and while there will deffo be some changes you’ll like, there’s a chance there will also be some that you won’t.

Yes, this is rude and wrong, but unfortunately, chica, it is factuality.

If, like me, you’re feeling a li’l bit messy and stressy about all this big P stuff, then hold up, because Bella is our ‘big P go-to’ about all things girl. She is the tiara-wearing princess of the bod squad–that’s us btw–and together, we’ll be answering all the need-to-know questions that you’re too scared or embarrassed to ask–for the record though, NO question is ever too silly–I mean, how’s a girl ever to become the most feisty, fun, fearless and fabulous girl in all of girlsville if she doesn’t ask questions, eh?

So, Bella, what exactly is puberty anyway?

“…GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS…CHILL YOUR BOOTS–OR WHATEVER FOOTWEAR YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING–THIS PUBERTY LARK SEEMS MUCH BIGGER AND SCARIER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS.

HONEST.

IN FACT, ONCE YOU REALISE WHAT’S GOING ON, IT’S ACTUALLY A FUNNY KIND OF EXCITING. LET ME EXPLAIN…BASICALLY, PUBERTY IS WHEN YOUR BODY GETS A SERIOUS UPGRADE IN PREPARATION FOR BECOMING A WOMAN. COOL EH? YOU DEVELOP LADYBUMPS, YOUR HIPS BECOME WIDER AND YOU START YOUR PERIODS (MENSTRUAL CYCLE). WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON, YOUR HORMONES CAN ACT ALL KINDS OF CRAZY, WHICH CAN LEAVE YOU FEELING HAPPY, SAD, TEARFUL AND ANXIOUS ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

NOT SO COOL.

NOW, ALTHOUGH THE CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING TO YOUR BODY MAY SEEM SUPER SCARY, IT’S ALL COMPLETELY NORMAL, I PROMISE. I WAS FREAKED WHEN I SHOT UP TO GIRAFFE GIRL HEIGHT OVERNIGHT BUT THEN HAD TO WAIT FOR WHAT FELT LIKE FOREVER FOR SOMETHING, ANYTHING, THAT RESEMBLED BOOBS TO APPEAR.

Y’SEE, YOUR BIG P MAKEOVER IS TOTALLY UNIQUE TO YOU AND CAN KICK IN AT ANY TIME BETWEEN THE AGES OF EIGHT AND SEVENTEEN. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVERYONE GOES THROUGH IT, JUST NOT NECESSARILY AT THE SAME TIME. SO DON’T PANIC IF YOUR GAL PALS START DEVELOPING BEFORE YOU–IT’S NOT A RACE, Y’KNOW!…”

Why does my mood flip from happy to sad without warning?

Are you on top of the world in the morning, depressed over lunch and angry in the evening? It’s those pesky hormones again!

Science bit: Any changes in the level of oestrogen and progesterone hormones (these are the hormones you produce to keep your periods in check), can cause major irritability and mood swings and make you feel like you’re riding an out-of-control rollercoaster.

Bod squad tip: Pink-thinkin’ girls have a mood switch, something that will flick those dullsville clouds outta the sky and replace them with sunshine and sparkles! Lola keeps a journal to help her clear her messy, stressy head, I play guitar ‘til my fingers are sore, Sadie creates a DIY craft-girl sensation with needle and thread and Angel will devour a glossy magazine from cover to cover.

What’s your mood switch?

Make a list of all the things that will turn your frown upside down, and keep it nearby for the next time your mood takes a nosedive!

I spend ages looking at myself in the mirror and comparing myself to my mates. Is this normal?

Of course it is! The big ‘P’ causes so many changes, it’s hard not to feel self-conscious about your bod or compare yourself with others. The important thing is not to get hung up about it. Instead, have fun with your appearance and get to know and love the person you are becoming–you and your body are going to be together for the long haul, so it makes sense to become the best of friends, right?