Is this rapid puberty? -- and does this mean we will be out the other side quicker?

[mulranno]

Despite being the youngest and consequently one of the smallest in his year... last summer my son (then just turned 12) grew so tall so quickly that on return to school in Sept he was one of the tallest of his class. Since then his voice has broken, his chest expanded, started shaving etc. He has just had his 13th birthday - but his behaviour is a nightmare - v aggressive, swearing, bullying always in conflict with me and his siblings (charming outside the family). Just returned from a nightmare holiday where everyone was on eggshells because of his volatility - and it was so bad that we decided that from now on we would only do a single week once a year - token gesture family holiday. I am wondering (hoping) if his descent into puberty was so rapid - that we might be out of the horrific mood swings sooner....?

Not in my experience.
DS1 matured physically very early. He was the tallest by far in the year when he started Year 7 at 11 years old and, ahem, fully developed. His voice also broke at 12 and he started shaving. He had been emotional in a tearful sort of way for about a year as this all happened but otherwise was the same happy and keen to please boy he ever was.

I thought that was it but now he is 15, 6'2" and his friends have mostly caught him up , puberty wise, I have realised that his emotional development was not as fast as the physical. He is now moodier and gloomier than ever before and teenage angst is the order of the day.

...Oh dear thx SS will bed down now for the next 6 years