Puberty
Dear Lady Brain,
I hit a major milestone in parenting yesterday and it caught me entirely by surprise. The moment when I realized that my baby is no longer a baby. I happened to catch a glimpse of my daughter’s small tuft of pubic hair! And let me tell you, I felt like everything changed in an instant! I had always thought it would hit me at a time like sending her off to college. But I feel like I “lost” her, in a way, just yesterday. Why had I never considered this before?!? All of a sudden, I am feeling very awkward with my own child. –Rachelle, Walnut Creek, CA
Well, Rachelle–You are not alone! For starters, it could always be worse:
According to the LA Times, “There have always been rare cases of extremely early puberty, called precocious puberty. One report, going back to 1834 in Butler County, Ky., was of a baby girl whose hips and breasts began to grow soon after she was born. By the age of 1, she was menstruating and at age 10, she gave birth to a 7-pound baby.”
But seriously–don’t feel awkward! Bodies change constantly–just like she’s growing taller, now she’s just sprouting hairs and forming breasts. We say, knowledge is power and the more she understands–from you–in a non judgmental way, what is happening, the less mystery and fear there will be surrounding it. And, the more you can ensure she understands what those parts are for, and when it’s ok to start using them. Our personal favorite book on this topic: Judy Blume–”Are you there, God, It’s me, Margaret. A timeless classic.
Of course, many parents worry that the environment, and what their kids are eating is causing an earlier puberty. Again, from the LA Times: “Environmental activists are asking whether hormones in food, pesticides in produce or phthalates in plastics and cosmetics could be contributing to breast buds in third-graders. Social scientists have lifestyle suspicions. Does the stress of fatherless households, or the stimulating effects of sexually suggestive television shows, have anything to do with earlier signs of puberty? The suspicions remain difficult to prove.”
Our bottom line: Take good care of yourself and teach your daughter good nutrition habits, have consistent and healthy hygeine, and give her a forthright, and un-emabarrassed understanding of her body–and you’ll be pointing both of you in the right direction.
-Steph and Lauren
For more quotes and science on this topic, we found this article helpful.
