How do I prepare my nine-year-old daughter for puberty?
Question:
I have a young 9-year-old girl and I'm trying to learn more about how to handle her upcoming puberty. It's going to be hard for her to learn how to handle her young sexual desires. I have no idea what it's like for girls. I'll have to lean on my wife quite a bit. I do remember what it was like for me. I remember desire racing through my body as a teenager. At first, I had no idea what it was. It sure was strong. If it was possible to put the same amount of desire in my body today that was there when I was a teenager I'd die in less then a minute. Although I would die with a smile.
Answer:
What your daughter will be going through will be different than what you and I went through. Instead of aggressiveness and rebellious emotions, women tend toward moodiness and hyper-reaction. A simple frown of disapproval will be interpreted as you always yelling at her. I have a friend whose daughter is going through that stage, only she got an extra-large dose of it. Poor lady, she constantly mutters, "just a few more years."
What you are going to be there for (other than emotional target practice) is helping her understand boys. Teenagers tend to romanticize things because they have no experience. Dads are the brakes at a time that teenagers are just learning where the gas pedal is. It means you get to be the bad guy who says "he's trouble" or "he's not good enough for you," while your daughter bawls that you are ruining her life forever.
Fun, huh?
For information to teach about puberty, see Growing Up in the Lord: A Study for Teenage Girls.
