As language continues to evolve, new words and phrases constantly emerge to describe a wide range of human experiences. When it comes to describing the period of time during which a person grows and develops, many synonyms for the phrase "growing years" exist. These include childhood, adolescence, youth, formative years, developmental period, and coming-of-age time. Each of these descriptions imbues the experience of growing and changing with unique qualities and connotations, from the carefree joy of childhood to the tumultuous times of adolescence to the serious exploration of self that occurs as a person enters adulthood. Regardless of what term is used, the importance of these years in shaping each person cannot be understated.