Unless a boy grows up in a family where there are sisters, it might be difficult for him to learn very much about the changes that happen to girls during puberty. By the time boys are about 13 years old, they likely have many questions that might go unanswered. This is the time to begin teaching him basic information about girl anatomy and function.

This anatomy figure from my book I’m a Boy, How Are Girls Different? can be a great guide to the basic anatomy that he should know.

Illustration from I’m a Boy, How Are Girls Different?
Available on Amazon in September 2020

It is a good idea to break this information down into small talks of about 7 minutes each. That is about all he is going to be willing to listen to, and probably about as much as you might want to say.

The first 7-minute talk could be about the ovaries. Here are key points:

• There are two ovaries. The ovaries contain all of the eggs a girl is going to have for her entire life. This is different than boys. Sperm start being produced in the testicles during puberty and about 1000 new sperm are made every second!
• One egg is released from one ovary per month at a time called ovulation.
• The egg that is released at ovulation is guided into a long tube called the fallopian tube. The egg waits at the beginning of the fallopian tube for one day to see if sperm show up. If they don’t, the egg continues on to the uterus and disappears.

This might not seem like a lot of new information, but you will be surprised. Just knowing this much, will help your son to understand the menstrual cycle and later, birth control.

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