My oldest daughter Marcia is nine years old and in the fourth grade. “Puberty Education” does not happen until the NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR where we live here in Northern California. Lots of the girls in her grade are starting to notice changes in their bodies and their mothers are left wondering what to do. Some mothers have reached out to the school counselor to form a “girl’s group where these girls meet with the counselor to talk about pre-puberty and the changes that are coming. I’m a little disappointed: this group is being treated as a secret; it’s not something they want to mention to the boys. Wait a minute¦don’t boys go through puberty too?
I don’t think this is necessarily the most positive way to spin what’s potentially a really exciting time in a child’s life. Here are a couple examples that I think have a more positive feel to them:
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I have a friend Jean who has a nine-year-old daughter Kelly. My friend and I are very close and our kids play together when we are hanging out. Our three kids have spent a lot of time together so we’re all pretty comfortable. It’s not uncommon at a sleepover that one or all three of these girls, once they are out of their day clothes, will take their own sweet time getting their pajamas on and run around naked for a little while. It’s actually quite amusing.
Well, Kelly is 9 years old and going through puberty right now too. She has breast buds and body odor and pubic hair and all that good stuff going on. I have to say, this kid is completely cracking me up; she is so excited about the changes that are happening to her body. She is often the first to get undressed and the last to get dressed again. She’s so proud of her developing body. It’s so wonderful to see how happy she is! Why shouldn’t she be happy? Imagine how much happier a lot of us adult women would be if we were also so completely satisfied with our own bodies.
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Another one of my good friends, Mary, has a daughter who is starting to go through puberty at 9 as well. Mary and I have been friends for a long time and she has been around throughout my graduate education in sexuality. She knows and understands very clearly what I have been advocating from the beginning of my studies. She has been ready to be open with her daughter Beth about the changes that will occur to her body during puberty. She’s also been actively listening for whenever her daughter Beth would start asking questions.
Mary called to share this story with me: One day Beth called Mary into the bathroom while she was taking her shower. Beth told Mary that she noticed a hair on her vulva. She told her mom she thought it was not attached so she tried to pull it away and she was shocked that IT WAS ATTACHED! Mary told Beth lovingly that it was ok and told her that was part of becoming a woman. Her daughter whined how she didn’t WANT to become a woman¦ at least not yet. The two of them had a brief heart to heart about a few other changes to anticipate (menstruation and breasts) and it all went very well. Mary lamented previously that her baby girl was such a Daddy’s Girl. Because of this parental preference, she felt a bit removed from her daughter. But since this discussion Mary said this mother-daughter pair has become very close – to the point that Beth wants to spend more time with mom instead of dad! Mary knows that this particular change might not last but is enjoying it right now.
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My question is this: If the parents in my two examples weren’t open to having these conversations, who would the girls talk to? Where would they they go for answers? Would these changes freak them out? It’s a whole year before its addressed in school. If a parent was there to shame her about the nakedness, would body image issues develop at that point?
So, do you think it’s too soon to talk to these kids about puberty? I don’t think so. If I were a kid, I would rather know the coming attractions than be shocked, confused, or scared about that changes were happening to me “ especially if no one was explaining them to me. Change can be scary if you don’t know it’s coming. If you have some sort of expectation it takes away a little bit of fear. Puberty happens. Generally speaking it’s not something that we are able to stop (it can be delayed in some situations but that is something that requires serious consideration).
I think these two examples are a non-threatening, non-fear based approach. Please don’t mistake me; I am not criticizing the parents for asking the school counselor to have the talks — It is giving the girls information, right? I’m sure it’s comfortable and what they thought best. Chances are their parents didn’t know how to talk to them when they were young and, now that they are parents, they don’t know what to say either.
If your kids are in third, fourth, or fifth grade, make sure that you take time to observe behaviors and changes going on with their peers, cousins, or your kids and mention it. It’s easy to start a discussion with that as a lead in. Puberty can happen sooner than you would expect, and you can help make this a really fun and exciting time in their lives.
xxoo,
The MamaSutra
