Boys and Puberty. Get Ready.
October 20, 2008 at 4:30 PM by Cafe Kierna - Comments (9)
photo by RatPoohDozer
You want to WHAT?! No son, noooooooo!!! This is exactly how CM Mom 3gifts.from.god poses her desperate question about what to do about her 10-year-old son's sudden interest in kissing his "girlfriend." Now although I've put girlfriend in quotes, you can believe that to this kid, the girlfriend thing is very real. It sounds to me that puberty has struck the poor guy (and mom!), and yes, everything is different now.
According to keepkidshealthy.com, the normal rage for the onset of puberty in boys in the United States is between 9-14: The first physical change that is noted in a boy is the enlargement of the testes and the lengthening of the penis. In the second stage of pubertal development, the skin over the scrotum begins to thin and redden and there is the beginning of a sparse amount of pubic hair at the base of the penis. Because most parents are no longer seeing their children fully undressed in early adolescence, these very early changes in boys may not be noticeable to the parent.
You've got that right. Before a mom notices these kinds changes in her boy, she's more likely to be confronted with something like what 3gifts is facing--an interest in girls, or a pretend lack of interest in girls (which, of course, means he's interested in girls). He's growing, he's sleepy, his sweat stinks! Is his voice cracking? All of this is perfectly normal. And really, in terms of freaking out, robinann5 put it simply and best. "I think the important thing here is that he came to his mother to talk about it. Don't discourage his openness."
Talking about his feelings is the best approach to getting trough puberty. There's nothing wrong with reiterating the family rules and expectations, but hearing him out is key. If you still feel intimidated about the stage your son is entering, try reading this book together, What's Happening to My Body? Book For Boys: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Sons and have him check out this kid friendly site that addresses many of the changes pubescent boys face. Don't worry yourself crazy, moms of pubescent boys, this too shall pass. (But before then, tell us what going through puberty with your son is/was like!)
FILED UNDER: puberty
Want to leave a comment and join the discussion?
Sign up for CafeMom. As a member you'll be able to leave comments, join groups, share photos, and more. Already a member? Click here to log in.
Or, leave a guest comment (guest comments are moderated and won't appear immediately)
ditto or till they seem old enough and responsible
But I do think it's a good sign that this 10-year-old boy could talk to his mom about his girlfriend--and kissing his girlfriend.
Thanks for the tips. I have some time, but I need a lot of years to mentally prepare for this. :)
my boy is 12. i personally feel he is imature for his age. yet in other ways he acts his age. I've been told he's a mommas boy. and I'm ok with that. But this puberty thing does make me nervous. Just yesterday his dad called me to talk about it.
You see when we divorced, Me and the kids moved into a 2 bedroom trailer. So my 12 yo boy and soon to 8 yo girl have to share a room. But my boy usu. sleeps on the couch. My ex was just concerned with them sleeping in the same bed. I understood his concern.
So far, the only thing that I have noticed is he likes this girl that he goes to church with. I had to put a stop to all the dang phone calls. He was getting to where thats all he was thinking about. It has improved tremendously.
Anyways....so if you have any other advice, please swing it my way. thanks
Hey momstarr, for more advice definitely check out the links I provide in the post. The book for boys seems great, but if that's not something you can get right now, just check out the kid-friendly website on the subject. Good luck!
Hey,i am a 12 year old boy and this is exactly what EVERY boy goes through so just stop worrying about it!let him kiss her it will make him happy!I think u people are way to over-protective!
Check out some of today's most popular Journals:
my children will not be allowed to date till they are 16
Lynette Oct. 20, 2008 at 5:03 PM