What Are Hormones?

Ages 3-5 Simple Explanation

You know how sometimes you feel really happy, and then a little while later you feel grumpy, and you don't even know why? That can happen because of tiny helpers inside your body called hormones. They're so small you can't see them, but they do really big jobs!

Hormones are like little mail carriers that travel around inside your body through your blood. They carry messages from one part of your body to another. One message might say "time to grow taller!" and another might say "time to feel sleepy!"

Your body has been using hormones since before you were born. They help you grow, they help you feel hungry when your tummy needs food, and they even help you feel sleepy at bedtime. Hormones are always working to keep your body running just right.

Sometimes hormones can make you feel big feelings, like being really excited or really cranky. That's totally normal! As you get bigger, your body will make new kinds of hormones that help you grow up. Everyone's body makes hormones, and they're a really important part of how your body works.

Ages 6-8 More Detail

Your body has a really cool messaging system called hormones. Hormones are tiny chemicals that travel through your blood and deliver instructions to different body parts. Think of them like text messages your body sends to itself. One message might tell your bones to grow longer, and another might tell your stomach it's time to eat.

Hormones are made in special spots in your body called glands. You have glands in your brain, your throat, and other places too. Each gland makes its own kind of hormone with its own special job. Your brain is kind of like the boss that tells the glands when to send out their hormones.

One big thing hormones do is help you grow. When you were a baby, hormones helped you get bigger and stronger. Right now, hormones are helping you grow taller and learn new things. When kids start puberty, their bodies make even more hormones, and that's what causes all the big changes that happen as you grow up.

Hormones can also change how you feel. Have you ever felt really moody and didn't know why? That might be because of your hormones. When your hormone levels go up or down, your feelings can go up and down too. This happens to everyone, especially during puberty.

The good news is that your body is really smart about managing hormones. It knows how much to make and when to make them. Sometimes things feel a little out of balance, like when you're extra grumpy or extra energetic, but your body is always working to keep everything running smoothly.

Ages 9-12 Full Explanation

Hormones are chemical messengers made by glands throughout your body. They travel through your bloodstream and tell your organs, muscles, and other body parts what to do and when to do it. You can think of them like an internal text message system — your glands send out a hormone, it travels through your blood, and when it reaches the right body part, that part gets the message and takes action.

Your body makes dozens of different hormones, and each one has a specific job. Growth hormone tells your bones and muscles to get bigger. Melatonin tells your body when it's time to sleep. Insulin helps your body turn food into energy. Adrenaline is the hormone that kicks in when you're scared or excited — like when you're about to go on a roller coaster and your heart starts racing.

During puberty, your body starts making a lot more of certain hormones. These are the hormones responsible for all the physical changes you notice — growing taller quickly, developing body hair, skin getting oilier, and your voice changing. For girls, the hormones estrogen and progesterone increase. For boys, the hormone testosterone increases. These changes don't happen all at once, and they happen on a different schedule for every person.

One of the biggest things kids notice during puberty is mood changes, and hormones are usually the reason. You might feel super happy in the morning and then really annoyed by lunch for no clear reason. You might get upset over something that normally wouldn't bother you, or feel embarrassed more easily. This isn't you being dramatic — it's your body adjusting to new hormone levels. It's like your body is learning to drive a new car and sometimes hits the gas too hard.

The important thing to remember is that hormone changes are completely normal and temporary. Your body will eventually get used to its new hormone levels, and those wild mood swings will calm down. In the meantime, getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, and talking to someone you trust when you feel overwhelmed can all make a real difference. Every adult you know went through the exact same thing.