Last updated on March 27, 2023
Question:
Hi!
I would just like to thank you. I find your website a great help to me, especially because I am very uncomfortable talking to my father on this subject. I am 14 and am in my freshman year of high school. I am also one of those short kids, only about 5’2 in height, and I sometimes get a little bit self-conscious, especially when girls I like, or find attractive, end up being taller than me. I am eager to start puberty and catch up with my friends as they are mostly 5’6 and up. My dad is 6’2 and I would like to be as tall as him when I am done! Right now I am very pleased with this puberty calculator. It helps me out when I am unsure about something all the time!
If you don’t mind I would love it if you could answer two quick questions for me. First, the church you are set up in: what specific religion is it? And next, I have this lump underneath my right nipple, it is very hard and sore to the touch. If you could may you please shine some light on that for me, I have no idea what it is, but I believe it is linked to puberty.
Please tell me all you know! Thank you. I love your website!
Answer:
That girls are getting taller than you is just the way things are. Girls get their growth spurt about two years before boys, on average. Things will shift back to boys generally being taller in several years.
Tender breasts tell me you are already past puberty and into stage 2. The National Institute of Health, a U.S. government agency, notes: “Teenage boys may develop breast enlargement and lumps because of hormonal changes in mid-puberty. Although this may distress the teen, the lumps or enlargement generally go away on their own over a period of months.” [“Breast Lump“]. What is happening is that your body is storing extra fat to fuel your growth when you hit your growth spurt. A prime area for fat storage is just under the nipples, but in developing the storage sometimes lumps appear and then gradually fade away. It does mean that you probably will go through a spell where your breasts will stick out for a while until the excess fat is used up. The condition is called “gynecomastia.” It is temporary and fairly common among teenage boys. Also, the nipples in adults are more sensitive to touch than in a child. Extra nerve endings are developing and I guess you can say they are grouchy about waking up. Every little touch, even of clothing, or bump sets off the nerves. This too will calm down as your body gets used to the new sensations.
In regards to the church, many people have a hard time wrapping their thoughts around this, but we are Christians — pure, simple, unadulterated Christians. There are thousands of congregations throughout the United States and I have no idea how many are throughout the world. We have no earthly central headquarters, so there isn’t anyone keeping track. We’ve been in the United States since at least the early 1700s. But since we practice Christianity only as taught in the Bible, we easily get overlooked by people who notice the flashy, showy, denominations. “We Are Simply Christians Without Being Members of Any Denomination, You Can be Too!” explains this in more detail.