Beings that you’re here, I’m guessing your not. But maybe you have in the past. What’s this mistake I’m talking about?
Waiting too late to talk about puberty
I’ve been running into a common theme when talking to moms lately. They all think they have more time to start thinking about puberty. Perhaps you saw my IG Live where I talked about this, but I was talking with a mom who I’d just met online and we were telling each other what work we do. When I told her that I help moms and girls thrive through puberty while creating a lasting bond (that’s my elevator pitch), she was like, “Wow, that’s amazing! I’m going to need you in about 10 years.”
My first thought in talking with this mom was that she must be thinking about getting pregnant and hoping for a girl. As the conversation continued, I discovered that she already has a girl. And her daughter is 2-years-old. So, that means she thinks she should be talking about puberty when her daughter is 12-years-old. That’s too late.
When should you start talking about puberty?
American girls typically start showing physical signs of puberty around their 8th birthday. You can Google search this and find that same age on multiple sources. The first sign of puberty is usually breast buds and these can start sprouting when you’re daughter is in the first or second grade. Now, every girl’s body develops at its own rate, so it’s not a guarantee that your daughter’s breasts will start growing when she turns eight. But, they will be coming soon, so now’s the perfect time to start talking about it.
How do you talk about puberty with your 8-year-old?
There’s no “right” way to talk about puberty with your pre-tween girl. It depends on both your and her personalities. To make it easy, you can talk with her about it exactly the same way you talk about any other subject. It doesn’t need to be a formal sit-down or a fancy shin-dig, But it can be if that’s your style ;).
The most important thing you can do when it comes to talking about puberty is to talk about puberty. Talking doesn’t have to only be verbal though. If you or your daughter are too uncomfortable to talk about it, you can share some books or other content with her. Perhaps a biased opinion, but I’m a huge fan of using Real Girl Puberty magazine to get some conversations started.
I’d love to support you as you start having these conversations with your daughter. These are exciting times and if done right, you can both thrive through puberty and create a lasting bond along the way. Check out the Puberty Starter Kit for Moms and see how you can have fun with puberty.