How do I talk to my daughter?

I have watched my little girl grow up quickly over the last 10 years. I knew that there were going to be uncomfortable talks coming up fast! How do you talk to your daughters about this stuff? Is it possible to really prepare them for the changes about to take place? When do you start these talks? Listening to my Psychology professor, one thing really stuck with me.

If your child has to ask about sex, it’s too late.

That comment reminded me that it is up to one person to make sure they were prepared for not just sex but life. I wanted to be the one that taught my girls about life. I wanted to be the one person that my girls could always come to. I looked at it as a challenge. If they have to bring up the tough topics than something is wrong. It is up to YOU as the parent to start the discussion and leave it open. Now while those who think that a 10 year old is too young to learn about growing up, GET OUT OF YOUR ROCK. These little girls are growing up faster than you realize. Here are some topics we have discussed.

PUBERTY

After a weekend away, I had Ashley try on a new shirt. I about fell on my ass when I realized that she was starting to develop!  I was a late bloomer so I thought she’d be as well. I had no idea what to say to her. Most the stuff I learned was from my friends. My mom didn’t even know I started my period for MONTHS. I decided to let her pick out some bras. There were limits.

• No pushups
• Must be light colored to be worn under clothes discreetly

Then I bought her two books. I bought her the books so that she could read about growing up on her own and come to me with questions AFTER I had my initial talk. The books I bought were Growing Up: It’s A Girl Thing and The Little Book of Growing UP. Her favorite book is the first one. Although the second one is a little humorous. We would talk and laugh about some of the stuff mentioned. It was fun. We even had a discussion with her pediatrician. He is fantastic about it! He makes her feel completely comfortable (even if DH is over in the corner squirming).

After being told that girls generally start their periods 12-18 months AFTER breasts start to develop, I decided to make sure she was prepared with supplies. She loves her cute little period kit from Dot Girl. It has everything she needs in case she starts. It is also cute and discreet!

Stay tuned for more posts like this! Possible topics may be clothes, boys, and friends. If you’d like to know how we handle certain situations with our girls, feel free to ask! I will be more than happy to write a post about it!