ABSTRACT
Early adolescence is a time of major developmental activity. There is a growth spurt, the young person’s hands and feet enlarge, their arms and legs rapidly lengthen, their body and face shape changes; most disorientating for them, though, is that their sex hormones become active. There has been an explosion of research in the last twenty years in the fields of infant mental health and developmental psychology. Primary school children should have the emotional and mental space and time to explore these issues before actual sexual activity begins. They may find it very hard to put these thoughts and feelings into words, and, as with younger children, play and drawing may be an easier way to communicate. From about the age of 3 years, children have a sense of self and of their gender, their race, their place in the family. Communicating with the pre-school children is delightful but requires recognition of different thought processes.
