If you’re a parent to a child approaching his or her teens, sooner or later you will have to speak to them about puberty. Puberty is a phase when the hormones in your child’s body trigger chemical reactions which in turn result in bodily growth and development. The duty of explaining these changes to your child rests on your shoulders, especially the mother.
You’ve been through this phase yourself and know the varied changes that take place. But, often parents themselves are not clear about why these bodily changes occur and fail to answer certain questions posed by the curious young minds. Besides, knowing what to expect helps prepare you and your child to deal with the changes.
Therefore, we’ve compiled this special section to educate parents on what to expect when a child reaches puberty.
If you have a daughter:
Girls generally attain puberty between 9 to 13 years. It could also be earlier or later in some.
- Growth spurt – This is the first visible sign of puberty in girls. You will notice a sudden growth spurt. By the age of 9 or 10, girls are much taller than their male peers.
- A curvy figure – In addition to growing tall, girls also get curvier. Fatty deposits develop along the arms, tights and upper back. The hips become wider and rounder too.
- Breast development – Breast budding is one of the main bodily changes that needs to be explained to girls. Breast Budding is the development of tiny lumps behind the nipples. Eventually, the breasts become bigger and rounder and the nipples become more prominent and darker. She may experience breast tenderness. She may also complain of sore breasts.
- Hair growth – Puberty also initiates hair growth. There is hair growth on the face, under the arms and in the public area. The appearance of pubic hair may take place before breast development occurs.
- Menstrual period– The last of the puberty symptoms is the menstruation. At the age of the 12 or 13 your daughter will have her first menstrual period in addition to stomach cramps. The onset of period usually occurs after breast development takes place.
