Lets Talk About Puberty.

The 9 year old is in year 5 at school and this half term they are starting to learn about puberty.  I grew up in a very "private" household. My parents were from a different era so any bodily functions weren't talked about. I learnt it all from school and the playground.

When we had children Mr.M and I decided we would try and be as open but age appropriate as possible. I'm happy to lie about Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy but I want my kids to have a fairly good grasp of what's going on in their bodies and not feel embarrassed by them.

So this week the 9 year old tells us he's learning the proper words for body parts. Being a boy who laughs at burps and farts; he revels in telling us about his anus, rectum, butthole (not sure that's on the school  list!).  Then he goes on to say there's a word that begins with D and ends in O.  There's only one I can think of and it isn't a "real" body part.  I ask him what the word is as I can't think of anything. He says "dildo", ah it was the one I had in mind.  Does he know what it is? No, so I explain it's a sort of plastic penis. Thank God he didn't actually ask why you would need a plastic one!

Yesterday we spoke about the physical changes that will happen, I explained his voice will get deeper, his muscles will get bigger, he may or may not get spots but he will certainly get hair.  This is the most appalling part for him I think. 

He doesn't want a hairy bum like Dad!