Dec. 10, 2020 | Your son’s clothes don’t seem to fit him anymore and your daughter is bugging you about buying her first bra. Welcome to puberty, an awkward time for children and parents. It’s the time in life when your child’s body becomes sexually mature. As difficult as it may be, it’s important to discuss these changes. Your child will experience many changes in his or her body during this time. For girls, puberty usually starts around age 11. But it can start as early as age 6 or 7. For boys, puberty begins around age 12. It can start as early as age 9. Puberty is a process that takes place for several years. Most girls finish puberty by age 14. Most boys finish puberty by age 15 or 16. Two boys or girls exactly the same age can start or end puberty years apart, yet still fall within what is considered “normal” growth. The timing and speed of a child’s physical development can vary a lot, because it is determined largely by the genes inherited from their parents.

Dec. 10, 2020 | Puberty begins when an area of the brain called the hypothalamus starts to release the gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH. When GnRH travels to the pituitary gland, a small gland under the brain that produces hormones that control other glands throughout the body, it releases two more puberty hormones, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. What happens next depends on the child’s gender. With boys, hormones travel through the bloodstream to the testicles and give the signal to begin the production of sperm and the hormone testosterone. With girls, hormones go to the ovaries and trigger the maturation and release of eggs and the production of the hormone estrogen, which matures a female’s body and prepares her for pregnancy. At about the same time, the adrenal glands of both boys and girls begin to produce a group of hormones that stimulate the growth of pubic and underarm hair in both sexes.

Dec. 10, 2020 | The physical changes that occur in a boy going through puberty usually start with enlargement of the testicles and sprouting of pubic hair, followed by a growth spurt between ages 10 and 16, on average one to two years later than when girls start. His arms, legs, hands, and feet also grow faster than the rest of his body, frequently causing an awkward body appearance. His body shape will begin to change as his shoulders broaden and he begins to gain weight and muscle. A boy may become concerned if he notices tenderness or swelling under his nipples. This temporary development of breast tissue is called gynecomastia and it happens to about 50 percent of boys during puberty. But it usually disappears within six months or so. And that first crack in the voice is a sign that his voice is changing and will become deeper. The bones in the face will grow too, particularly the lower jaw, bringing about some very noticeable changes.

Dec. 10, 2020 | Puberty typically starts earlier for girls, sometime between eight and 13 years of age. For most girls, the first evidence of puberty is breast development, but it can be the growth of pubic hair. As her breasts start to grow, a girl will initially have small, firm, tender lumps under one or both nipples. The breast tissue will get larger and become less firm in texture over the next year or two. Dark, coarse, curly hair will soon begin growing under her arms. The first signs of puberty are followed one or two years later by a noticeable growth spurt. Her body will begin to build up fat, particularly in the breasts and around her hips and thighs, as she takes on the contours of a woman. Her arms, legs, hands, and feet will also begin to get bigger. The culminating event will be the arrival of menarche, her first menstrual period. Depending on the age at which they begin their pubertal development, girls may get their first period between the ages of 9 and 16.

Dec. 10, 2020 | Puberty can be a trying time for boys and girls, not to mention parents. It’s important to talk to your child about how their body is changing, better sooner than later. Be prepared to talk to a girl about the expected events of puberty, including menstruation, when you see the first signs of breast development, or earlier if she seems ready or has questions. A boy should know about normal penile development and erections before the age of 12, sooner, if he’s an early developer. And it’s also important to talk to your child about what’s happening to members of the opposite sex. It’s not necessary to have “the talk” as one grand summit but rather as a series of talks, ideally beginning when your child starts to ask questions about body parts. And, if your child has a question, answer it honestly. If you feel uncomfortable, need answers to questions, or are uncertain about how to have these talks with your child, talk to your doctor for advice.