Girls and puberty

[Meenah]

http://teens.webmd.com/girls-puberty...hvdG1haWwuY29t

[Meenah]

I didn't read though all of this, but if you have a tween girl this may be a useful website.

[Phoebe]

Thanks for the link. This is kind of pertinent for me right now. I went out to dinner with some fellow moms last night who all have 3rd graders like me. Almost all of their daughters had this book by American Girl, "The Keeping and Caring of You" which helps girls understand their body from haircare to basic development. I am kind of freaking out to think my little girl needs to hear some of this stuff right now. Some girls in her grade are already developing. I don't even want to think about it!

[v-girl]

I didn't get that book for my girls until this summer. They are in 5th and 6th grades. For now, we're just focused on Maggie growing before puberty is over. She'd like to be tall enough to sit in the front seat at some point.

[weeniegeniewife]

Phoebe, I too have a third grader, and she is developing way faster than her peers. She has all of the AG books on puberty, and she started wearing a bra this past summer. I was ten when I got my period and she is headed down the same path as me. It's killing me how fast she's growing up!

[MDPhDWife]

I have a 4th grader who is 9 & although she doesn't seem to be developing as early as I did, we had the period talk with her earlier in the school year anyway. I was in 4th grade when I started & it sucked because no one else I knew was in the same boat. DD is a lot more athletic than I was & she's also a lot leaner so I'm hoping that may buy her some more time.

YIKES! I don't feel old enough to parent a preteen!

[diggitydot]

Being lean may not be much help. DD2 just started her period at almost 11 and she's SUPER thin. As in, off the growth charts.

[houseelf]

On this same topic, I just finished Girls on the Edge by Leonard Sax. I can't recommend this enough for anyone who has a daughter.

[Ladybug]

Our school has a mother-daugher tea in fourth grade where the facts of puberty are presented. I hear it's very well done and received, so I'm looking forward to being involed in it this spring as the nurse. I think it's a great way to begin dialogues that can continue at home.

[scrub-jay]

Our school has a mother-daugher tea in fourth grade where the facts of puberty are presented. I hear it's very well done and received, so I'm looking forward to being involed in it this spring as the nurse. I think it's a great way to begin dialogues that can continue at home.

I think that is a great idea!

[Thirteen]

I think that is a great idea!

I do as well!
I was very surprised to realize that, growing up, VERY FEW of my friends had their parents talk to them about puberty/sex, etc.
Mine did double-duty, (separate and together talks, questions answered, etc.) and I had informative books - I'm so grateful that my Mom and Dad made themselves available (even though my Mom now admits it scared her to death and was SUPER uncomfortable to do).
I also was an early starter: started my period at age 11, had to miss a round-robin weekend soccer tourney. Mom was just too worried that something embarassing might happen to me publicly. I was SO MAD then, but I understand why she did it now.

[DCJenn]

That would be a great thing. (the tea)

My mother behaved exactly the opposite way Adrianne- she handed me a box of tampons, told me, "well, it happens to the best of us" paused for effect and then said, "and yes, you still have to go to swim practice."

Jenn

[MissCrabette]

Wow! I wish I'd had such an involved mother. Then again, maybe I would've been embarrassed. I was NOT prepared for my first period, and it's probably WAY TMI to say how I dealt with it. When she figured out I was having sex, she handed me some money and told me that she hoped I was being safe. I was too relieved that she wasn't mad at me to care that she didn't give me a proper talk.

[BonBon]

I think my mom just showed me where the pads were and that was that. (and pads back then were GHASTLY!!!)

I've already started talking to my girls (5,4,&4) about the very basic stuff. I'm hoping if I keep everything matter-of-fact and low-key, that it can stay that way with minimal embarrassment on their parts.

Kelly, have you read Leonard Sax's other books? I recommend them highly.

[houseelf]

I just put in a hold on Leonard Sax's book about boys.

I totally agree with Laura Berman that the "talk" should be an ongoing conversation from early childhood. It is too much to have all at once, for both parent and child. I just filled the 11 year old in on what is happening to girls right now. Two years we had the boy talk. It is so much easier to break it down into chunks. As open as I am about these conversations it is more difficult than I would have thought.