I know what you’re thinking… Can’t I just give my child a book about puberty instead of sitting down and having an awkward conversation with her?

No, you can’t. And here’s why.

When your child approaches you with a question about her changing body, and you brush her off and point her to a book, she gets this message: I shouldn’t talk about this with my parents. It’s shameful.

That is the last thing you want your child to believe during puberty—some of the most fragile and emotionally turbulent years of a child’s life.

You want to instill the message in your child that his or her body is good, and the changes they are going through are normal and also good. You instill this message by keeping the line of communication open with your child, even about a subject like puberty.

Now you are probably wondering…

Okay, but how do I talk to my child about puberty?

What if I mess up the conversation?

What if I say something wrong?

I don’t really remember going through puberty. What exactly is supposed to happen and when?

Because I’ve received these questions countless times from parents in my pediatric office, I decided…