Trust You-ology for Professional Support When You Need to Talk About Puberty

During my son's routine annual physical with our family pediatrician, we followed the usual routine of a well-child visit, taking observations of his growth and development over the past year of his life. As we were discussing the upcoming start of third grade and his developmental benchmarks with his doctor, a question arose which was not expected, leaving me feeling slightly unprepared. "Have you stated discussing puberty yet?" Organization and preparation help me to thrive. How had I missed the mark here? Equipped with a few recommended book titles from his pediatrician to help prepare both my son and myself, I understood the benefits of discussing puberty sooner rather than later, yet I chose to observe rather than address the issue immediately. We can all agree that our children see and hear a concerning amount of information (and misinformation) about sex from various sources. Personally, at 8 years old, my son still had a little room to grow before we officially sat down to have "the talk". 

I'm relieved to have found a well-researched, inclusive resource to do the heavy lifting for me. Here's why you can  trust You-ology for professional support when you need to talk about puberty.

Thank you to the promotional team for You-ology for the courtesy of providing an Advanced Reader Copy for editorial content purposes. This content may contain affiliate links. 

Trust You-ology for Professional Support When You Need to Talk About Puberty

Consider how your understanding of puberty would have been formed without having received guidance from a trusted source of information during adolescence. As tweens approach the beginning of puberty, they more than likely have developed their own ideas and feelings regarding their lifechanging experiences from their lifestyles, as well as from observing family, friends. Sitting down for early conversations will help curious young minds have access to factual information necessary to gain clarity and ease feelings of embarrassment. Being vulnerable about dealing with unpredictable acne, confusing mood changes, sudden growth spurts, and all of the hormonal changes that come with puberty are best approached truthfulness and sensitivity.

You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body (American Academy of Pediatrics), "offers fact-based, age-appropriate, and body positive information about the physical, social, and emotional changes ahead for all kids."

 

Written by Gynecologist Melisa Holmes, MD, FACOG and Pediatricians Trish Hutchison, MD, FAAP (co-founders of the popular website, Girlology, and proud stars of a Tampax commercial) and Kathryn Lowe, MD, FAAP have collaborated to empower families and educators with an the most current, inclusive guide book for navigating the path through puberty."

We can understand the overwhelming weight of responsibility felt when talking about puberty, especially as parents. Fact-checking and researching to be certain your information is accurate, reliable, and from a trustworthy source is a tremendous responsibility. Before you find yourself in a situation, faced with complex questions about adolescence and puberty, prepare to discuss the developing physical and emotional changes to come along with puberty.

As adults, we've already been through the highs and lows of puberty and understand this critical milestone in our developmental process will happen according to a unique schedule for each one of us in due time. Generally, girls will begin puberty between 8 - 14 years of age, which means families should discuss menstruation before the start of her first period. With boys, puberty can be expected to begin around 9 - 15 years old. It's common for boys to begin going through puberty shortly later than girls have entered puberty.

Reading through the chapters of You-ology, I learned from a team of knowledgeable medical professionals, ways to open up the many topics of discussion in talking about  puberty and sex education. If you've been searching for an inclusive, up-to-date, evidence-based resource, look no further than the easy-to-understand pages of You-ology, filled with brilliant illustrations to help readers connect to the content. 

Open yourself to being available to talk openly with your child whenever they are ready, however, be prepared to initiate the conversation as well. Let's be realistic, we all are not necessarily comfortable talking about puberty, do your research ahead of time to prepare yourself. You and your child may feel uncomfortable having these conversations, but it's an important part of growing up. If there are questions or concerns about puberty and development that you are unable to answer, schedule time to consult with your child's doctor for advice and additional resources.

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