An interesting thing has happened. Something that I didn't think I would have to deal with for at least a few more years...
Harrison has started going through puberty. He's nine. NINE! So, since it is on the edge of being very young to be going through puberty for a boy, I took him to the doctor, just to be safe. The doctor felt like everything was okay at this point, but there were a few things he wanted me to watch for, and he did want to do a follow-up visit in August just to make sure.
I had no idea that it was considered "normal" for boys to start going through puberty from 9-12 years of age. I'd always thought of 12 as the normal age.
I guess on the plus side it FORCED me to talk to him about puberty, which I had been meaning to do, but just hadn't, and now I have. I don't know that it helped though. He told me he "didn't get it," and was "confused" and quite understandably, a little embarrassed about the whole thing. I didn't force the issue, but did make sure that he felt comfortable about asking me any questions later if he thought of any.
I think he was probably wondering mainly why his body was changing. So, I tried to explain that, but again, don't know if it helped all that much.
*sigh* I have to agree with my hubby though, I do not feel old enough to have a child going through puberty already! bah!
3 comments:
Oh. My. Gosh. I am in shock. I had no idea it could happen for boys that young either. My son is 10 and is in 4th grade, and Josh and I have talked about giving Ammon "the talk" at the end of the summer. Melissa, I agree with you, you are not old enough to have a child in puberty!
dang! my oldest is 8 and i was hoping i still had a good 8 more years before i had to have "the talk" with her. kidding of course but geez...9 seems a little young.
now here is an odd question...how did you know? did he say something? or where the signs obvious? sorry...i grew up in a house full of girls.
He started getting acne. That is the main one. He also started to fill out a little which for him was TOTALLY different from what he was like before (we're talking like so skinny that I had to pack calories into his food because he burned it off so fast...)
I guess there is actually a puberty scale (kind of like APGAR for babies, but for puberty) and the doc said he was definitely only on a level one (there are 5, who knew?) but that is a good thing, because if your child goes through puberty too early it can be a sign of something else going on. In girls the typical age has actually gone younger and they are finding girls starting puberty when they are 6. SIX!!!
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