Different stages of puberty

Cara Natterson, MD Pediatrician & Author, shares advice for parents on the best method for discussing the different stages of body and developmental change that occurs during puberty
Discussing the Stages of Puberty with Your Child
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Different stages of puberty

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One of the most important teachable lessons about development and body change is that it happens to everyone at a different time. So there are going to be third graders who are stating to show outward signs of development and there are going to be sixth graders who have not – and both are normal. For girls, I find it’s a little harder, because it’s more obvious. They’re developing breasts, they’re developing curves, they’re growing tall faster. Boys’ changes tend to be more subtle, and until their voice changes, most people don’t really notice what’s going on with the boy. The most important thing for a parent to do is to emphasize that this is a long process over many, many years and you want to respect your peers, whether they’re early in the process, late in the process or right in the middle. Someone’s got to be first. And I think it’s hard to be first. But if you teach your child to respect the person who’s first, then it’ll go a long way towards building that kid’s self-esteem.

Cara Natterson, MD Pediatrician & Author, shares advice for parents on the best method for discussing the different stages of body and developmental change that occurs during puberty

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Cara Natterson, MD

Pediatrician & Author

Cara Natterson, MD has treated thousands of children and guided their parents as well. She was a partner at Tenth Street Pediatrics in Santa Monica, California, a large group practice serving infants, children and teenagers. She now runs Worry Proof Consulting, the first of its kind pediatric practice that offers parents open-ended time to review everything from medical questions and biology basics to child development and parenting issues. Cara is also the author of several books on parenting and child health. She has a unique ability to translate cutting edge research into understandable terms for parents and their kids. More recently, Cara’s consulting has extended beyond individual families to include fortune 500 companies seeking expert advice on safety issues, child health, and crisis management.

Cara has appeared on television, in print, and on the web. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and she trained in pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco. Cara is a Board certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. And anyone who knows her knows that Cara is, by nature, one of the most risk-averse people on earth. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

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Transcription: 
One of the most important teachable lessons about development and body change is that it happens to everyone at a different time. So there are going to be third graders who are stating to show outward signs of development and there are going to be sixth graders who have not – and both are normal. For girls, I find it’s a little harder, because it’s more obvious. They’re developing breasts, they’re developing curves, they’re growing tall faster. Boys’ changes tend to be more subtle, and until their voice changes, most people don’t really notice what’s going on with the boy. The most important thing for a parent to do is to emphasize that this is a long process over many, many years and you want to respect your peers, whether they’re early in the process, late in the process or right in the middle. Someone’s got to be first. And I think it’s hard to be first. But if you teach your child to respect the person who’s first, then it’ll go a long way towards building that kid’s self-esteem.