Puberty and Conversations

BY LISA S.T. DOSS

“She’s five and in kindergarten. It’s too early to mention it. I’ll wait until she’s a little older.” Before parents think their daughter doesn’t know about the very questions they fear, the words come tumbling out! Most likely, you have already addressed questions about the body, and why boys and girls are different. Take the teachable moment, and answer honestly. The body, in all its shapes and sizes, is a vessel of pride. Just by having the conversation, your child will come to you with questions and concerns.

The Changing Body An educated child is a safe child! Pediatricians will tell young patients of three and four, “No one touches you in private places!” The conversation does not end in the doctor’s office; continue the rhetoric. As doctors will recommend, it’s vital as a general rule to use anatomically correct language, such as penis, vagina, and breasts. • Explain scenarios and examples of inappropriate touching as well as what constitutes appropriate situations. • Discuss the family rule of honesty, and that there are no secrets from Dad and

Mom. Honor an agreement to be truthful to each other! • Validate feelings. If a child describes butterflies or pain in the stomach, it’s important not to judge or dismiss the statement. In sharing, a child will openly inquire as they become older.

Provide non-fiction and fictional books to encourage conversations about the body. Librarians will gladly offer ageappropriate recommendations. Pubescent Changes From the hormones in various proteins, such as meats and milk, girls are likely to develop breast buds and start their menstrual cycle earlier than expected. By the age of seven, some girls may need a sports bra, while boys begin to use deodorant and experience voice changes, although usually a little later.

Every subtle change of development or observations occurring among classmates opens the door for conversations. Statistically, some girls receive their first period by the age of 16; yet, others begin as early as 9. Ask your daughter’s pediatrician when to expect the arrival of a menstrual cycle. On the other hand, boys start puberty around the age of 10 with signs of development or the first ejaculation. Some children may feel self-conscious, while others, not yet at the stage, will seek to wear a bra, for example, to have a sense of belonging. Whether your child is at the beginning, middle, or late-blooming, it’s normal to feel awkward.

Fifth Grade Sex Educational Classes Science will cover topics of mating through discussions about animals in fourth-grade; sex education itself is a fifth-grade class that separates boys and girls to learn primarily about menstruation and training bras or erections and changing voices.

Parents should receive the curriculum in advance to be well-prepared to discuss questions. Girls and boys may not understand why some of their classmates are well- or under-developed. Puberty arrives at different times for everyone, along with acne, mood changes, and growth spurts. Address the following topics: • Puberty lasts two to five years. • A form of sexual development occurs through growth spurts. The range for girls is between 8 and 13, and 10 to 15 for boys. • Both sexes have hormones. They arrive for girls at 8 and 9 for boys. It stimulates pubic, underarm, and leg hair. • For girls, changes in the body emphasize the hips, legs, and development of breasts. • A boy’s arms, hands, and feet will grow faster than the rest of his body. Body shape will develop broader shoulders, and through weight gain, muscles. • Boys’ penis’s and testicles grow larger, voices deepen, while facial hair appears. • Acne is common for children between the ages of 9 and 11. • Boys sometimes have wet dreams, which means they ejaculate in their sleep. • Monthly menstruations last three days to a week. The use of sanitary napkins helps to absorb blood. • Menstruating occurs because the uterine lining fills with blood to prepare for a fertilized egg. Without fertilization, there is only a period. Fertilized eggs result in pregnancy.

Boys and girls have a lot of questions about their changing bodies. They will seek to know what is normal and why they are early or late bloomers. Puberty conversations lead to a wide range of topics, from feelings for, and attraction to, the opposite sex, and body odor to mood swings. Let daughters and sons know they can ask you anything, anytime, and you will provide answers!

slow. As consumers seek out ways to quickly get in and out of stores without touching terminals, demand for payments that reduce contact at the point of sale has amplified due to the pandemic. Credit card issuer MasterCard said that it had seen more than 40 percent growth in contactless transactions globally in the first quarter of 2020. Further, 80 percent of contactless transactions were for less than $25, a range typically dominated by cash. American Express said in a May survey, many businesses are adopting contactless because it is faster than cash and more convenient than swiping, adding that 58% of consumers who have used contactless payments in the past are more likely to use them now than ever before. Hurdles do remain. A June survey from CompareCards by LendingTree found only 51% of consumers surveyed could correctly identify the wave-like symbol (pictured, top left in this article and resembling a WiFi logo turned on its side) on credit cards that signifies contactless payment capabilities, and that familiarity and usage varies by gender and generation. Entertainment

With all of this time at home, changes in entertainment consumption are taking place. A May survey from Vivendi Brand Marketing takes stock of these changes, and found that 89% of respondents discovered new Will Habits Shift in the Post forms of entertainment during the pandemic that they had not previously considered, including digital media and services. COVID-19 World? Overall, 71 percent tried out a new digital activity, 60 percent stated While it’s hard to say which habits created by the pandemic will stick, it’s clear that consumer attitudes around digital services have accelerated. The importance of technology in helping Americans cope with crisis is shaping what will become our post-pandemic money habits. that they used more paid services than before and for one in five, it was even the first time they had paid for such services. Television programs, movies, and television series topped the list, while reading books rose 22 percent, with even higher percentages for families with children. These shifts are situated at the crux of many trends and are anticipated to have long-term impacts on consumer attitudes, from how we shop, to how we bank, to how we save. The survey indicated new practices look set to stay, with half of the respondents intending to change their former habits for good, and 23 percent saying they want to consume more digital content at home, especially families with children. Online Grocery Shopping Emergency Savings Truliant No surprise here: use of online grocery delivery and pickup services has steadily increased. Both order frequency and household penetration are continuing to rise, according to the June 2020 Grocery Shopping Survey from Brick Meets Click/Mercatus. Online grocery sales grew more than 9% month-over-month to a record-setting $7.2 billion in June, compared One of the major lessons of the pandemic is the importance of creating emergency savings to prepare for financial shocks. A new Bankrate survey released in June said Americans’ top financial regret was not having enough emergency savings to withstand the crisis. to May’s $6.6 billion. Bankrate added that 28 percent of American adults have no emergency Those figures tower over the August 2019 total of $1.2 billion. The total number of customers who ordered groceries online for delivery or pickup reached 45.6 million in June, compared to 43 million in May, the study reported, adding that just a year earlier, the total was 16 million. savings, and that while one in four have a rainy day fund, it is not enough money to cover three months’ worth of living expenses. The survey showed Americans biggest financial priority going forward is paying down debt (22 percent) and saving for emergencies (17 percent). More retailers are following suit. In June, Target announced it would enhance pickup and drive up services to include fresh and frozen grocery One way technology can help: automated saving helps eliminate temp tation and gets consumers in the habit of saving money. items. More than 400 stores will have the service by the end of June And how much is enough for an emergency fund? Experts typically cite and more than 1,500 will have it by the holidays. Target’s fresh grocery three months, but financial fitness guru Suze Orman says that’s not enough. program is free, and doesn’t require a minimum order amount. She recommended in June on the Pivot podcast that an emergency fund Contactless Payments lose your job, you don’t have income, nothing’s coming in anymore, you While contactless payment through Apple, Google and Samsung pay have can still pay your bills and you don’t have to freak out.” been offered for years, beyond Gen Z and Millennials, adoption has been Federally insured by NCUA. should cover expenses for eight months, “so that at times like this, if you