Now Is The Time To Teach Your 9-Year-Old Daughter About Puberty
When you watch 9-year-old girls as they play with their friends, it is so difficult to believe that their young bodies have likely entered the early days of puberty. Our judgment tells us that they look like children and think like children, so there is still plenty of time to teach them about the changes that are inevitably coming soon.
We Celebrated Puberty
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of teaching a small group of 9-year old girls about their girl anatomy and how their body will be changing now that they are in puberty. Using my book, I’m a Girl, My Changing Body, I explained what breast buds are, and that soon they might begin noticing changes in their emotions.
These young girls were at the perfect age to introduce them to ovaries and fallopian tubes. They asked great questions like, “how does a baby squeeze out of the little vagina?” They even learned how to spell vagina. They seemed comfortable with potentially embarrassing concepts like the parts of the vulva and why there are two openings. Each girl was able to take their book home with them at the end of the workshop. I am hopeful they will read it again and again until these important basic concepts become natural to them.
I am looking forward to teaching this same group of friends again in a year or so. At that time, they will be ready to learn about hormones and their first period. With the basic information they now possess, these more advanced concepts will be easier to understand and intrigue them.
The moms, who were listening to everything being said, were pleased with their daughters’ enthusiasm and their sincere interest as I taught them. They were very happy their daughters are having a very different and informed experience.
It’s a Great Time to Teach
By age 9, many young girls have discovered breast buds and have noticed a change in their body odor. I want to encourage you to embrace this beautiful time of transition in your daughter’s life by teaching her why these changes are happening to her.
My book, I’m a Girl, My Changing Body, is written for girls 8-9 years old. Using a storyline of three girls who are in this age group, the girls find answers to their questions when they meet with Dr. M. This book gives you a way to explore the changes your daughter is already noticing and accurate information to guide her through this early stage of puberty.
My mission is to Celebrate Puberty with our young girls by educating them. One way to join me is to share my book with your daughter. If you live in the San Diego area, I hope you and your daughter can attend a Celebrate Puberty Workshop where I will teach your daughter my book.
Please feel free to contact me through my website, or through our Anatomy For Kids Facebook page if you have any questions about what to teach your daughter.
I look forward to hearing from you!
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