Helping Your Child Feel Comfortable About Puberty

Many parents forget how hard it is to be young and to not know much about the world. There are plenty of things for your young child to be worried about and one of them is puberty. The changes occuring both inside and outside of the body during puberty can be extremely alarming. The changes seem to come out of nowhere and do not seem to have any purpose. Going through puberty can be like suddenly awakening as a werewolf! Your body is changing quickly and you don’t know why. So how can you help your child to not fear puberty?

This can be difficult because most of us do not like to talk about puberty. Just as puberty is difficult for those who go through it, it is also difficult for the adults who need to talk to their children about it. This is true for various reasons. One problem is that sex is a difficult topic, especially when you are talking to your children about it. However, the best way to help your children to not fear puberty is to reassure them about it and to talk about it.

Your child will experience many changes.

When you talk to your child about puberty help them to know that it is not something to be terrified of. Depending on the way you talk about it you will give your child different impressions. If you seem extremely nervous they will think that puberty is something to be feared. Speak frankly with them but also allow them to laugh about the issues. Laugh with them and tell them funny stories. This will greatly improve your child’s attitude toward puberty. Assure them that the changes occuring in their bodies are there for a good purpose and that they are normal.

Help to create an environment in your home where talk of puberty is not something to be feared. This does not mean that you need to have a flippant attitude about sex. However, it would probably be healthy to have open conversations about the situation. Don’t settle for only one talk about puberty. Because puberty will occur over many years your child will probably need to have more than one talk about the issue. If they know that they can talk with you about puberty then they will know that it is something they don’t need to be scared of.

Puberty does not need to be a scary subject for you or your children. Once you have begun to speak about it you will find that it is increasingly easy to do so. Don’t let the awkwardness of the subject keep you from helping your child to feel better.