When exactly do children start going through puberty?

Question

The reason I ask is because i have a 9 year old daughter and I've begun noticing that she's having mood swings. If things go her way she's a great person to be around but if they don't she has a attitude. I started noticing when i tell her to do things or ask her to do things I hear the huffs and puffs. (she does the same with her dad). You can't say anything critical to her because she takes everything so personal. She's interested in boys now and talks on the phone with her friends. i even notice her gossiping. Now if she was 13 or 14 i would know that this is regular behavior for a teenager, but I can't remember being this way at 9. I was telling a co-worker of mine that Im finding it harder to have something nice to say to my 9 year old but its like my 2 year old is GREAT. and she's a terror (terrible two). I need some help on understanding if there is a pre puberty stage that kids go through or what?

Answer 1

children are going through puberty earlier and earlier these days...i dont mean to sound rude but i see your avitar is african american... i took a human development course and research showed that african american girls enter puberty (for whatever reason) generally before caucasion girls... give her space but be there for her because eventually she will come to you if she needs advice or just someone to talk to

try to give her privacy and room to grow but keep a look out for any behavior that seems completely abnormal... maybe talk to a child psychologist if you are really concerned... these could just be the signs of entering puberty early which can last a year or so or just a phase shes going through with friends

good luck

Answer 2

Anytime from 8-18 for Girls
& 11-15 for boys.

Yep, I hear UR concern but there there, trust me Puberty can either go 1 way or t'other.
If the Terrible Twos R the worse thing UR kid can subject U 2, Puberty's gonna B fun.
They either glide thru Or have 2 B dragged kicking a screaming as Growing Up Seems 2 B far 2 scary 4 some of 'em.
Get her some informative Books that explain all the New stuff she's going 2 have 2 expect & get used 2.
She'll B fine & what age U were can predict the start/gauge but they're individuals so there's no guarantee.

Answer 3

Things that we would have gone through at 13-16 yrs of age, are now happening to the children a whole lot earlier. I have no idea the reason for this, but I can tell you that it's probably not puberty. It's just her throwing a fit because she's not getting what she wants or thinks your asking too much of her to do a simple task or chore for you. And I can remember having "crushes" at 9 or 10 yrs old, so that's probably not too unusual. She still has a few years to go before she hits puberty. I would sit her down and talk to her about why she's acting out like that, or I would just be blunt with her and say, "Look here little missy... You are NOT the queen of Sheeba, nor a Princess that deserves to be pampered. We are your parents and if we ask you to do something, we expect you to do it with little to no complaint. You are just as much a part of this family as we are and as a family, you are expected to help out around the house. So lose the attitude and get with the program. Just remember, I can make your life so much worse than you THINK it is right now." This is what my mom threatened me with during my years of fit throwing.... It works for a while, but you'll have to keep reinforcing the issue every now and again as I'm sure after a while it will seem like everything you told her went in one ear and out the other. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 4

Mood swings are normal. You have to keep in mind that around this age the teasing in school also gets heavy. She might be frustrated due to some bodily changes she's seeing maybe, or a quarrel with some girlfriends. But, the adolescent stage begins at age 8 in girls and she should get her monthlies between 8 and age 18. If not by 18, she better see a doc. But, she'll come through. This is the age when you have to start growing up. So give her time. She'll pass this "stage". Don't stress too much,and don't frustrate her too much either. Just act as if she's normal. You might once in a while curiously as "So, how's everything going? School Okay?" or ask about a girlfriend of hers,etc. This is the tough age! She might event like someone in her class, a crush or something.

Answer 5

Stages have changed over the new generations. I would know. I'm 14.

The mood swings are coming earlier. They don't have much to do with puberty. They're more about trying to find out who you are as an individual.

It really varies with the children, but don't think she is abnormal.

The Pre-teen years will be worse. It's the most dramatic time in a child's life. The pre-teen's body is developing either faster or slower than everyone else's and things don't seem to be quite right. Whatever you do, let the child tough out the next few years. Avoid common prescription drugs.

That's the last thing we all need.

Eventually, she will mature and realize her faults. Then, she will be more loving. Usually this happens around 15 or 16, but sometimes, in other cases, after individuality is claimed and the child is no longer a child anymore, emancipated.

<3
Stranger.

Answer 6

Yes. In general, 9 is a very appropriate age for your child to start puberty. Puberty normally occurs in a series of five stages (Tanner stages) that typically begin within the ages of 8 and 13 for girls and 9 and 14 for boys. Puberty is consider early (precocious) if it occurs before the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. And puberty is considered late or delayed if it has not begun prior to the age of 13 years for girls and 14 years for boys. Recent studies have shown that puberty is occurring at an increasingly earlier age in children though.........

more info at website below.

Answer 7

Girls can go through puberty at any age between eight and 14, and boys generally go through puberty between the ages of 10 and 16. So don't worry, your daughter is just in the age range.

Her behaviour is typical teenage hormonal behaviour, and it just happens she's started that a little earlier than usual, as the average age is around eleven. Don't worry, but keep up the discipline, and remind her she can always come to you for advice. Personally, I'd be worried if a teenager wasn't acting that way!

Sorry that the teenage bug has bitten earlier than you had expected! Best of luck to you and your daughter. :)

Answer 8

Those aren't mood swings..she's just being a brat about it. Puberty has nothing to do huffs and puffs when being asked to do something, it's physical changes. The reason teens act like that is because at that age they think they know everything...at 9 years old, your daughter is just being snotty.

Answer 9

As quoted:
Some of the most complete reference data are available for American children and is included here. Average age for first signs of breast development in girls is about 10.5 years.

Also:
Puberty as a neurohormonal process
The endocrine reproductive system consists of the hypothalamus, the pituitary, the gonads, and the adrenal glands, with input and regulation from many other body systems. True puberty is often termed "central puberty" because it begins as a process of the central nervous system. A simple description of hormonal puberty is as follows:

The brain's hypothalamus begins to release pulses of GnRH.
Cells in the anterior pituitary respond by secreting LH and FSH into the circulation.
The ovaries or testes respond to the rising amounts of LH and FSH by growing and beginning to produce estradiol and testosterone.
Rising levels of estradiol and testosterone produce the body changes of female and male puberty.

The onset of this neurohormonal process may precede the first visible body changes by 1-2 years.
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So yeah, 9 sounds about right. Her neurohormonal process has already begun. You'll see physical changes in about a year.
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As far as you not remembering it being so soon, that's b/c it wasn't. Puberty is occuring earlier now due to all the hormones injected into our food.

As quoted:
Historical shift in the onset of puberty
The age at which puberty occurs has dropped significantly since the 1840s. Researchers refer to this drop as the 'secular trend'. From 1840 through 1950, in each decade there was a drop of four months in the average age of menarche among Western European female samples. In Norway, girls born in 1840 had their first menarche at average 17 years. In France in 1840 the average was 15.3 years. In England the 1840 average was 16.5 years for girls. In Japan the decline happened later and was then more rapid: from 1945 to 1975 in Japan there was a drop of 11 months per decade.

The most likely cause, as is generally accepted, is the increase of weight gain in the world's youth. Some scientists and researches hypothesize it may be caused by hormones and other additions in processed milk and meats.

Answer 10

My daughter is 9 and was going through the same stuff. I stopped the attitude stuff short, though with the fear of death. I also talked to her--yes the whole sex and development talk. It helped. Now she isn't a terror, just a young girl developing early, as many girls now days are.