Puberty: What your teen girl needs to expect!

The transition to puberty is something most teenagers find difficult to accept. If you ask some, they would rather remain in the childhood stage than transition to the new stage. This is also a stage where most of them are confused with the changes popping in their body.

At this phase, you see some what sad expressions with the recent development going on in their body? lol. I was in this category. I vividly remember being sad over the fact that my breast was growing out. I didn’t want it to. As far as I am concerned, I was contented with having a flat chest.I did some silly things to prevent those breasts from popping out. I wrote a post on my fear of growing up here.

Puberty is a stage of life in which an individual get physically mature. Adolescence could be a dramatic transition. These periods could be exciting for them if properly treated but depressing if not handled with care; which is why they need to be led into this stage well ahead of time before the signs starts rearing up their heads.

At this stage, their body goes through a lot of changes. At the same time, their emotions might feel stronger and more intense. The age range for puberty usually lie between ages 8 and 14. Females often times start puberty before males do.

The changes of puberty have left many teens feeling depressed, scared and alone? Some wonder if something is wrong with them because of the sudden takeover of their bodies by foreign bodies.

More than anything, this is the period they need the assurance that there's nothing wrong with them. 

You may feel you have lost your teen girl once these emotions begin to play out. She may incline towards being by herself instead of being with the whole family. She could find some fun things you do together as boring. You may even find out that you might have to enter her room (if she has one to herself) by invitation.

These are changes that come with the stage they are in and you will do well to try not to take it personal. As much as they want to be on their own, don’t stop listening or communicating to them. This is the time to intensify efforts to be close as they need you to answer the many questions tugging their heart.

One fact to note is that puberty doesn’t come at once. It happens in stages over a long period of time. Some signs may come up early while some may come up later as they progress. The pace for puberty differs from teen to teen; this is because our bodies differ.

Walking your teen through this stage is something you should prioritize. They need to be told what to expect. This includes:

• Hormones triggering hair growth in her genital areas.
• Body growth otherwise known as growth spurt
• Skin changes. At this stage, the pores in their skin will produce more oil particularly on the face. This may lead to a break out of acne in their face. this requires that they wash their face often.
• Body sweat: The sweat gland becomes more active here which means they will sweat more. You will have to encourage and ensure they wash daily to avoid accumulation of sweats in the body consequently leading to body odour.
• Her breasts, hips, thighs and buttocks enlarge gradually.
• Vaginal discharge. Your teen girl will be concerned when she sees the yellow and white stains on her undies. This is one way the vagina cleanses itself and it is absolutely normal as long as the discharge doesn’t have an odour, nor causes irritation and vaginal itching. In this case, you need to consult a doctor as there may be a possible case of yeast infection. A vaginal discharge usually precedes monthly menstrual cycle.
• A monthly menstrual cycle! Some girls see their first period between the age of 12 & 13.however, people have different clocks. I started seeing mine at the age of 13 or thereabout. This could be frightening! You can’t imagine how I felt when I started seeing my monthly menstrual cycle. I felt so awkward and found it difficult to adapt in my early years. The thought of passing through this every month terrified me. But then, all these are signs that their reproductive powers are developing and yes; they are perfectly normal!

Also, you should note that some other changes like interest in boys, relationships, and romantic feelings will surface. Cultivation of wholesome relationships should be encouraged here.

Much Emphasis should be placed on the fact that puberty is a normal phase of life and that it is also normal to act and feel strange at this period. However, you can’t totally rule out the fear, the anxiety, the excitement, and confusion that tag along with it which is why we need to take time to explain to them what to expect so as to lessen the fears.

Encourage them to talk to you or trusted adults as this will go a long way in helping them on this journey. Truth is, we adults have gone through this stage and are in the best position to give plenty advice on the matter.

Introduce safety methods at each stage of this phase mentioned above. The need to develop a good hygiene should be encouraged.

Most importantly, be there for her!

Got some concerns? Share in the comment section.

Written by:  Nancy Herberts. 

Photo: by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash.