Wares Ali Khan :
Our country is an abode for nearly 36 million of adolescents, a significant share of its entire population. Adolescence is the period following the onset of puberty and maturity during which a young person develops from a child into adulthood. It is obviously a transitional period which requires special attention and a greater degree of physical, behavioral, emotional and mental care for the teenage-kids. But, to that extent, adolescent-friendly holistic services and care are no longer a well-known construct in our country.
Adolescent period generally sets out from the age of 10 to 11 and prolongs up to 17 to 19 years. There is also a slight age difference between boys and girls as to the commencement of the stage. At this time a comprehensive and stringent pattern of physical, behavioral, emotional and mental changes appears where the adolescent-kids experience several starring challenges. By the way, it is treated as the most important phase to be stepped up towards the expected level of maturation for the kids. In this phase of multiplex changes, dominance of variant growth hormones might function in different capacities in them. Henceforth, few adjuvant aspects are recommended to be carried through during this pivotal period for the sake of the adolescents.
Since during this primal timeframe many necessary physical changes become seeable, a balanced diet plays a principal role which is composed of an appropriate amount of food from the available six food groups. Adolescent-kids need to avoid junk food and processed food too as these are supportive to their growing physique in no way. Besides, intake of adequate quantities of protein, minerals, vitamins, irons, calcium is very essential. Here, parents need to choose a food menu for their kids which necessarily contains the adequate portions of nutrition and vitamins.
In some cases, the regular meal chart and food uptake timing of the teenagers get disrupted. They need to take healthy square meals following proper nutrients and the required time interval of up-taking meals. The tendency of not taking food on time or taking surplus amounts of food beyond what their body truly needs might go adverse. Moreover, while taking the three time-meals, they also need to ensure a few healthy bites of wholesome snacks from time to time.
Teenagers need to maintain a healthy sleep-cycle consisting of at least eight hours in a day. They must go to bed and get out of bed following a regular and same timetable. There is a common notion that a child’s body grows in the sleep is indeed somewhat true. So, adolescent-kids must not be the night owl, rather be the dawn bird. A healthy sleeping practice will ever successfully bestow in reshaping and gearing up them both physically and mentally.
Teen-kids also should have a scope of physical exercise on a regular basis. Engagement in active games and physical movement will develop muscles and turn bones strong. A session consisting of a few minutes of physical exercise will essentially structure their brain and free-thinking ability. Alongside, teen’s habit of maintaining personal hygiene, having a regular bath, and drinking adequate water will hold them boosted up and expedite their physical recovery.
On the whole, adolescents undergo a rigorous form of rapid physical, cognitive, and psycho-social growth in this stripling period. Many adolescents in Bangladesh experience an acute crisis related to their mental health, yet this issue is underdiagnosed and undertreated. This rigid juncture of teen-life affects how they feel, think, make decisions, and interact with the world around them.
As teenagers are largely affected by and biased with the behaviors of the adults and the persons near to them, they should not be scolded and sacred. Concerned parents have to feel the kids like to be with them always, provide right care and compassion simultaneously. Sustaining an open mode of communication with the adolescent-kids in respect of their core needs will render them relief and feel them secured. So, parents should deal with their kids with patience and have a keen look onto the four-featured growth in a bid to improve their total well-being.
Adolescents need to be kept safe from all sorts of risk factors regarding emotional crises. The more risk factors adolescents are exposed to, the greater the potential impact on their mental health. Teenagers who are emotionally disturbed can also experience huge irritability, loneliness, frustration or anger. Emotional disorders can intensely affect their growth, social inclusiveness and socializing process. So, in order to promote mental well-being and to protect adolescents from adverse experiences, psycho-social counselling is urgent.
The pandemic C-19 has compelled the teen-kids to stay home for a long spell keeping restricted in the four-wall space. Because of the disruption in their regular routine, they are more prone to hazards bound up to their adolescent period. At this time no monotonous and melancholy state will be spared for the teen-kids. They need to be away from all varieties of negative feeling, focus and stress. That is why, respective parents need to listen to their adolescent-kids with patience, give priority to their needs, and provide possible comfort and relief.
(Mr. Khan is academic coordinator).
