.....and the doctor confirmed our suspicions that our youngest has firmly entered puberty. At EIGHT. She has hair......there.....and buds. Yep. It's confirmed. They expect that she will have her period before 10. Sigh. Please pray. While it's nice to have it confirmed, because we suspected as much....I just thought MAYBE I was just being paranoid b/c she's built so differently than my oldest DD. But, no. It also explains periodic irrational emotional outbursts. Please pray. My husband and I need to start "educating her" soon so that she is prepared for what is going to happen over the next couple years. So that when it DOES happen, she's not freaked out. Thanks.
Were you and your husband late bloomers? I just don't see why you're concerned, I guess. :| I was wearing a bra at 8, and my period started just after my 10th birthday. It was normal to me, and I wasn't the first in my class at school to do that. Do you think she's psychologically not old enough to handle something like that? Anything puberty/sex related was totally taboo in my family, so we never discussed things like that other than in an awkward, hush-hush sort of way, but still, I was prepared when it happened. I wasn't scared or anything. I think she'll be fine. Are you more concerned for yourself, you mean?
It'll be ok, I promise. My oldest got her period at 9 and my middle daughter got it at 8. It is not as traumatizing as it sounds. Just be open with her about everything. Take her with you to buy your feminine products and casually talk about what they are, maybe watch a documentary of a giraffe (or whatever) giving birth, make a big, happy deal about buying her fun things to use (deodorant, acne wash, face mud mask, bras, nail polish or lip gloss ect) and help her to enjoy it. When she does get her period consider making that day (or one soon after) "her day" and you go out with her alone or with Grandma if possible and get a mani/pedi, go out to lunch and have fun. Call it 'Woman day' because she is becoming a woman. My girls loved it!
I didn't get mine until 13. My oldest just got hers 6 months ago (she is 13). I guess it was just shocking to my system. I DO plan on talking to her about it. And having her read some of the Nancy LaRue books about growing up....probably make it part of her school year and call it "health" class. I am not sure she's mentally/maturity ready. She is VERY smart, though...I think being the youngest she does have that "baby" mentality that goes with it. We've been, lately, trying to have her be more independent. I like the mani/pedi idea.....we usually don't let them get them until they're 10, but maybe if it starts before she's 10, my oldest and I can take her to lunch and to get a mani/pedi....make it a day. Thanks for the suggestions. I had no idea how common this was. Although I ADORE my doctor....she seemed to blame it on rBST (which of course I'm principal food buyer in the house, so in essence it's MY fault! LOL ) Anyway....thanks....
I do think the commonality of young puberty is because of large quantities of hormones in our food (like rBST) and pseudo hormones like soy. That's pretty much a given. But it's so difficult to avoid, that it's also not your fault. Plus, it's only been in the last couple of years that scientists began to realize their might be a connection. So it's not like you could have stopped it. Even if you'd have cut rBST completely say, 3 years ago, she'd have had 5 solid years of exposure. The damage was done. And, as I said, it's quite difficult for a non-dairy-farmer to manage to cut it out. And as to soy, it's in EVERYTHING anymore! So don't let the doctor guilt trip you. It is what it is and it's a fact of living in modern USA. [Please be clear with her about what to expect. My mom half-heartedly talked to me without giving details and assumed I already know what "period" meant. Also, remind her as the months go on. If you talk to her now and she waits 2 years to start, she might not remember what she was supposed to expect.]
Oh wow!! Dd12 (soon to be 13) still hasn't had her period yet.. My 9 year old probably won't get hers until later as well.. I was 12. I will be talking with my 9 year old soon about this.. She's been asking a LOT of questions so it's time..
AHHH That scares me! I started when I was 14, and so did my sister. I did not even think about an 8 year old starting, my dd is 7. I was just getting through my son becoming a rooster. Why didn't anybody tell me that kids were never the same!
I didn't even get a talk from my mom.. I watched the film at school in 4th grade and learned from that.. I still remember a "nurse" telling us that nobody really knows why, but when you swim, your period stops.. HUH!!! REALLY??? Ya, Their information left a LOT to be desired..
Thanks. HAd a really good talk with a friend of mine today about this. I'm going to make sure to do each of the Nancy LaRue books THIS year with her in her schooling and call it health. Then the next year I'll do the American Girl "Care and Keeping of You" and another one, the name escapes me, but I'll do it and see how it goes. God is in control, he has a plan, etc. I didn't really mean to imply that the doctor said it was my fault. Our doctor is amazing, wonderful and sweet. She would NEVER imply that something like this was the fault of the parent. She adores us, and always talks about homeschooling and is so positive. I really like her. She talks to me more like a friend than a doctor. I like that.
I gave my dd the American Girl book when she was 10. I recommend it. We looked at it together then she had it to look at when she was ready. She was 11 when she started and I thought that was early because I was 14. Since we started talking early, now she is not embarrassed to talk to me. I never talked to my mom about that! Prayers to you both.
Here is a great series. You read one book yourself, and then your daughter has one book to read before and one after (you could also read it to her which is what we did). http://generationsofvirtue.org/store/index.php/books-for-girls/beautifully-made.html
THANK YOU!!!!! That's the other one!!! I will get them ALL today! LOL I also have Secret Keeper Girl that I was going to do with my oldest and never did do. Might do that one with her as well....gotta relook at it and see if I want to or not.
I had to start wearing a bra in 5th grade , but I didn't start my period until I was 13. Talking about stuff like that and sex was very hush-hush around my house with my mom and dad, and it makes me freak a little knowing I'll have to explain it to my own kids, but it's really not as crazy as it seems, I'm assuming.
My two older girls started their periods at 9. Both handled it well. I had not had "the talk" prior with the oldest, because I was totally not expecting it for her. She had some acne really early, but no other signs of puberty. The middle one had buds as early as 18 months. It was monitored and growth stopped until just before her 6th birthday. We expected early with her! My youngest dd is 9 now, and so far, shows no signs of early puberty. I really hope it doesn't happen with her this early, because I don't think she's mature enough to handle it like my others did. Reminds me that I need to be prepared and prepare her though!
I completely second this series!! We used it for dd12 and will be using it again with my 9 year old in a few months..
I started talking about all of this stuff at around 5 with my girls. When things started looking like they were budding, I took the older one to the store and we bought a bunch of stuff and started keeping it in the medicine cabinet and under the vanity. I bought her some mild deodorant and discussed its use. I bought some daily liners and discussed their usage for periods and other things like if you have the flu and might get caught on the way to the restroom. We bought some liquid detergent and discussed pre-washing anderinsing out stained panties before putting them in laundry (Dad does laundry and I wanted to limit embarassment). We bought dark colored panties for those times. We bought some girlie razors and some girlie shave lotion etc and put it all under the vanity with an assortment of napkins. I discussed the use of napkins, the various sizes and night versus daytime, and first day versus the end of the period. I bought some alieve and explained that one tablet could be taken without asking if she ate something with it. But that I wanted to know about a second dosage, that way she does not need to ask Dad and get embarassed if not needed. We bought some tidy wipes and put the little decorator box on the tank and put the refills in the vanity. We discussed carrying a purse at various time during the month and not just on those days. Again to keep them from feeling conspicuous around the other gender. We bought a little zipper pouch to keep a spare panty in and discussed that it is okay to dispose of panties if there is an accident while out of the house. I can so remember various things coming up and being embarassed to bring them up because my mother seemed to embarassed about such things. I usually ended up going to the store myself becasue it seemed less of a stress. I tried to head off most possible situations with explainations of what to do.
Will you be my Mommy? Ok, just kidding but seriously- awesome job Mom!! Your girl(s) are so blessed to have you!
I SO AGREE!,if you look at the Girls are reaching puberty in life earlier than ever, research shows. About 15 percent of American girls now begin puberty by age 7, according to a study of 1,239 girls published last year in the journal Pediatrics
I started talking to Em about it when she started asking questions, and that was at a young age. Age appropriate answers were given. My mom made it seem dirty. It was a secret, too embarrassing to talk about. I LOVE my mom to pieces, but I didn't want to be like her, and I didn't want Em to be embarrassed about something that is so natural. So we have always been open about the issue. I figured the longer I wait, the more uncomfortable it will be to discuss.
My girls kind of know a little about it, just because of laundry. We all do laundry together-my girls and I. So they know my pads go in the bottom drawer in the bathroom, and they hang dry and don't go in the dryer. lol And they know they're in the bucket till I wash them. Stuff like that. I don't think they know exactly why though. We'll be having to have talks soon though. ARG. lol I'll check those out. Mine are only 7 and 3. So mainly will be having a "talk" with the oldest. I started mine at 8. And worry about that. My mom started hers at 8 too. *sigh* I just bought new pads last month, and kind of thought about having her pick some fabrics for hers, so that she would have them ready when the time came...She is needing deodorant already! whew!
