TALKING ABOUT PUBERTY 

Talking about puberty can be so awkward! 

What do you say? 

Where do you start? 

How do you get your tween or teen to open up?

These are some of the questions I get asked by parents. 

I’ve had students come up to me after class and said, “Ms Olu, I’ve got this question. But I can’t ask my mum.” And I say, why? Why do you feel like you can’t ask your mum? “Because well, she might think I’m rude.” 

I think the earlier we start talking to them the better. 

If we miss it, it may become difficult to get them to listen later when they’re already going through it. 

And by then you may start wondering,  what’s wrong with my daughter, what is she behaving like this and that. 

So the earlier you start the talk the better, so that when the mood swings and the body odor arrives you and your child will be ready .

START THE TALK EARLY! 

Kids see and hear a lot about sex and relationships on TV and online. 

By the time they near puberty, they may be familiar with some of the ideas. 

Is your job as parents to talk to your children about puberty because not all this other information is reliable.

Don’t wait for your kids to come to you with questions about their changing body.

Some girls start puberty at 8 years old, and some boys do by 9.

 So you may need to start these talks earlier than you think. 

Discuss the physical and emotional changes that come with puberty before they begin.

Normally, puberty starts in girls when they’re between 8 and 14 years old. 

With girls, parents should talk about menstruation before their daughters start their periods. 

If they don’t know what’s happening, girls can be scared when they see blood coming out from them.

Most girls get their first period when they’re 11 or 13 years old, which is about 2 or 2½ years after they begin puberty. But some get their periods as early as age 9, while others get it as late as age 16.

In boys, puberty normally starts when they’re 9 to 15 years. Some boys begin going through puberty a little later than girls, usually around age 10 or 11.

‼️EXPLAIN TO YOUR SON/ DAUGHTER WHAT PUBERTY IS 

✅Let her know that puberty is a normal part of growing up. 

✅You can say things like, – ‘puberty is the time in your life that you will start to grow and change to adulthood’. 

✅Let her know that her body will go through lots of changes. 

✅Explain to her that it can take 3 or 5 years to go through it.

WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO MY DAUGHTER ABOUT MENSTRUATION. 

✅ Look for teachable moments. Don’t make it sound like a lecture. And it doesn’t have to be a long conversation 😆

For example: when a tampon or pad commercial comes on TV 

You can say, have you ever heard of tampons or pads before? 

Ask her if she knows what they are used for. 

If she said no, then explain to her what it was and why she needs to know.

✅You can get a pad and just show her how to use it. 

✅ Talk to her about the changes in her body. (Breast growing, getting pimples, having body odor etc…) 

✅ Talk to her about changes in her brain. Let her know that she may feel grouchy or moody for no reason. Let her know it’s normal and it won’t last forever. 

Keep the Talks Going

Let your child know that you’re available to talk 😊 

And if you’re still not comfortable talking to them, then 

get them some books on Puberty 😊

Have you started having the talk with your kids yet? 👇

To be continued….

Have a lovely day 🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️