I’m still apologizing to my mom for my behavior during the last stretch of puberty. Sorry again mom, if you’re reading this. I’m also still thanking her for not letting me get my bellybutton pierced on my 15th birthday, even though I threw a tantrum and ruined my own day.

I don’t know what it’s like to parent a child through puberty, but I do know what it was like being parented. I wanted to shave my legs, wear a bra and wear eyeshadow because all the other girls were doing it. And I learned what a period was on an episode of Degrassi when a main character bleeds through her white mini skirt and is humiliated in front of her class. I was traumatized. So if I have any advice, it’s to talk to your kids early.

But thankfully, there’s a lot of advice out there other than my own.

If you need a refresher on what changes your kid is or will be going through, start here. Mamaloders have provided tips for raising girls, boys, and kids who are gender nonconforming.

Sometimes you end up talking about puberty in unexpected ways. You could accidentally have to explain what a threesome is to your son, or your daughter will ask her dad to attend a lecture on periods.

If you need professional help, Lindsey Doe has videos on how to talk to your kids about sex, where babies come from, and menstruation and what kind of sex ed your kids are getting.

Laci Green has a YouTube channel that, in my opinion, is geared toward kids in high school or older. But that’s up to you as parents. Either way, she is not a parent, but has some great tips on talking about sex with your kids.

HelloFlo has a great resource for parents, which emphasizes getting away from Google and seeking help from a professional. Their Master Class covers hormones, brain development, biology and what kinds of things kids are going through at school and seeing online.

So good luck Mamaloders! We hope you’ll write and submit your parenting through puberty successes, failures and especially any advice.

***

About the Author

Erin Loranger

I'm an intern at Mamalode and a student at the University of Montana studying Journalism, Political Science, and Women's and Gender Studies. In my spare time I find myself lecturing anyone who will listen on the values of sunscreen and feminism.