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.AVIGATING PUBERTY
by Kardella Whelan
Family Planning Victoria
(www.fpv.org.au)
.AVIGATING PUBERTY WITH YOUR CHILD IS A DAUNTING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL
PARENTS BUT IT CAN BE ESPECIALLY DAUNTING FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE A CHILD
WITH $OWN SYNDROME #ONSCIOUS THAT THEIR CHILD MAY BE MORE VULNER
ABLE AS THEY GROW INTO A SEXUAL PERSON PARENTS ARE OFTEN UNSURE HOW TO
APPROACH SEX AND PUBERTY (ERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL STEPS TO HELP REDUCE
THE STRESS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN
3TART EARLY #ORRECT NAMES
5SING THE CORRECT NAME FOR BODY PARTS WILL HELP
)NSTEAD OF PUTTING OFF TALKING ABOUT SEX START EARLY YOUR CHILDREN AVOID CONFUSION IN OTHER SETTINGS
4ALKING ABOUT SIMPLE THINGS WHEN YOUR CHILD IS YOUNG 7ORDS LIKE PENIS TESTICLES VAGINA AND BREASTS
WILL HELP YOU LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR THE MORE SHOULD BE USED IN PLACE OF SLANG OR kCUTEl WORDS !N
kEMBARRASSINGl CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT COME WITH EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE m-UMMY IS A GIRL BECAUSE
PUBERTY SHE HAS A VAGINA BETWEEN HER LEGS AND YOU ARE A
"EGIN BY TEACHING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOYS AND BOY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PENIS AND TESTICLES BETWEEN
GIRLS THE CORRECT NAMES OF BODY PARTS CONCEPTS LIKE YOUR LEGSn
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AND APPROPRIATE TOUCHING 4HIS 0UBLIC AND PRIVATE
WILL GIVE YOUR CHILDREN THE KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED
AND SHOW THEM YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS IN A 4EACH YOUR CHILD ABOUT PRIVACY BY LETTING THEM
NATURAL AND EASY WAY )TlS ALSO GOOD PRACTICE FOR YOU EXPERIENCE IT /FFER OLDER CHILDREN PRIVACY IN THE
BATHROOM OR BEDROOM THIS MEANS ALLOWING THEM
.OTICING DIFFERENCES TO HAVE THE DOOR CLOSED AND REQUIRING OTHERS TO
!NYONE WHO HAS HAD A BABY BOY AND SOME BABY KNOCK AND WAIT TO BE INVITED IN "E CONCRETE ABOUT
GIRLS KNOWS THE üRST THING HE DOES WHEN HIS NAPPY THE PLACES IN THE HOUSE THAT ARE CONSIDERED PRIVATE
IS OFF IS EXPLORE HIS GENITALS 4HIS IS HOW HE BEGINS TO SUCH AS BATHROOM TOILET BEDROOM SO AS TO AVOID
DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF HIS GENDER #HILDREN CONFUSION
CAN ALSO LEARN TO DISTINGUISH kBOYl FROM kGIRLl BY SEEING 9OUNGER SIBLINGS NEED TO BE TAUGHT TO RESPECT
THEIR PARENTS IN THE SHOWER OR THEIR SIBLINGS IN THE THEIR OLDER SIBLINGS NEED FOR PRIVACY 'IVE THEM
BATH
(YGIENE A BED WETTING PROBLEM AT AND BE TOO EMBAR
RASSED TO ASK ABOUT IT 2EASSURE YOUR SON THAT IT
(YGIENE MESSAGES CAN BE STARTED EARLY ALONG WITH
IS COMPLETELY NORMAL AND HAPPENS TO MOST BOYS
BODY PARTS ALTHOUGH AS CHILDREN BEGIN TO CHANGE
AROUND THIS TIME %XPLAIN THAT WET DREAMS ONLY
SHAPE DEVELOP BODY ODOUR AND MENSTRUATE YOU
HAPPEN WHEN HE IS ASLEEP AND LET HIM KNOW WHAT
WILL NEED TO GIVE ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS OTHER THAN
TO DO IF HE HAS ONE IE PUT SHEETS AND PYJAMAS IN
WASHING IE USE OF DEODORANT HOW OFTEN TO CHANGE
THE WASH
PADS ETC
-ASTURBATION
(OW BABIES ARE MADE
-ASTURBATION IS ANOTHER TOPIC THAT MAKES MANY
4HIS CAN BE DISCUSSED FROM THE TIME CHILDREN BEGIN
PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE BUT THE FACT IS YOUR CHILD
TO ASK )F THE CHILD IS ASKING THEY WANT TO KNOW SO
WILL PROBABLY MASTURBATE AT SOME TIME DURING THEIR
DONlT LIE OR TELL THEM TO mWAIT TILL THEY GET OLDERn
LIFE )T IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO CONVEY HYGIENE AND
'IVE THEM A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT IS
PRIVACY MESSAGES SUCH AS WASH YOUR HANDS AND
AGE APPROPRIATE 9OU MIGHT SAY m7HEN TWO PEOPLE
CLEAN UP AND ONLY DO IT IN A PRIVATE PLACE LIKE YOUR
LOVE EACH OTHER THEY CAN DO SPECIAL SEXY THINGS
BEDROOM 9OU DO NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN THE PRO
THAT CAN MAKE A BABY )T WILL GROW IN A SPECIAL PLACE
CEDURES FOR MASTURBATING ONLY THAT IT IS NORMAL TO
IN THE MUMMYlS ABDOMENn YOU CAN TOUCH YOUR
TOUCH YOURSELF WHEN YOU HAVE SEXY FEELINGS AS LONG
LOWER ABDOMEN TO DEMONSTRATE )T IS IMPORTANT TO
AS YOU ARE IN A PRIVATE PLACE WITH THE DOOR SHUT
LET CHILDREN KNOW THAT A BABY DOES NOT GROW IN THE
kTUMMYl AS THIS CAN BE CONFUSING )F THE CHILD CAN DEAL -ENSTRUATION
WITH MORE INFORMATION SAY kUTERUSl INSTEAD OF ABDO
%VERY GIRL WILL ONE DAY HAVE TO DEAL WITH MENSTRUA
MEN AND DISCUSS CONCEPTION PREGNANCY AND BIRTH
TION AND ITS IMPERATIVE YOU DISCUSS THIS BEFORE IT
3EXUAL FEELINGS OCCURS 4HIS WILL REDUCE YOUR DAUGHTERlS STRESS
AND FEAR AND REASSURE HER SHE IS NOT kSICKl %XPLAIN
4HIS IS ONE TOPIC THAT SOME PARENTS DREAD 7HO
MENSTRUATION IS A NORMAL PART OF GROWING FROM A GIRL
WANTS TO THINK ABOUT THEIR kLITTLEl BOY OR GIRL GROW
INTO A WOMAN AND IS HER BODYlS WAY OF TELLING HER
ING UP INTO A FULLY
ČEDGED SEXUAL PERSON 6ERY FEW
SHElS HEALTHY AND CAN MAKE A BABY WHEN SHElS AN
PEOPLE "UT IT HAPPENS TO ALL OF US AND THE FEELINGS
ADULT IF SHE WANTS TO %XPLAIN THAT IT HAPPENS ABOUT
THAT COME ALONG WITH THESE CHANGES CAN BE VERY
EVERY DAYS )F YOUR DAUGHTER IS ABLE TO UNDER
CONFUSING )T IS IMPORTANT IS TO DISCUSS RELATIONSHIPS
STAND MORE YOU CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL 7HEN
WITH YOUR CHILDREN AND LET THEM KNOW ITlS COM
SHE BEGINS MENSTRUATING IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO USE A
PLETELY NORMAL TO HAVE FEELINGS FOR OTHER BOYS OR
CALENDAR TO HELP HER CHART HER CYCLE AND PREPARE FOR
GIRLS 4HIS DISCUSSION COULD BE OPENED BY ASKING YOUR
THE NEXT PERIOD
TEENAGER IF HE OR SHE HAS A SPECIAL BOYGIRLFRIEND
$O NOT ASSUME IT WILL BE AN OPPOSITE SEX ATTRAC
)T IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE A RELAXED HONEST APPROACH
TION 4HIS HELPS YOUR CHILD KNOW IT IS OKAY TO HAVE WHEN YOU TALK WITH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT PUBERTY AND
SEXY FEELINGS ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON EVEN IF THEY ALL ITS RELATED ISSUES )F YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR
DONlT WANT TO ACT ON THEM WOULD LIKE TO REFRESH YOUR SKILL IN TALKING ABOUT THESE
TOPICS PLEASE CONTACT US AT &AMILY 0LANNING 6ICTORIA
7ET DREAMS
ON
)T IS AS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN WET DREAMS TO YOUR SON
1. Champagne MP & Walker Hirsch L, (1993). Circles I: Intimacy
AS IT IS TO EXPLAIN MENSTRUATION TO YOUR DAUGHTER and Relationships Revised Edition. James Stanfield Company, Inc.
9OU DONlT WANT YOUR SON TO SUDDENLY THINK HE HAS