Information for parents of girls

As caring parents you know that the changes that your daughter is going through are part of her journey towards womanhood. Whilst you see her as a child, her body is making changes inside her body and out. Everyone goes through these changes at different ages and at different rates. The average age is about 13, but some girls can begin puberty as young as 8 or as old as 16 and this is quite normal. The start of puberty is usually noticed when your daughter suddenly begins to grow taller. The arms and legs grow quicker than her body, so she will seem to be a bit more awkward or clumsy than before. This growth spurt is a sign that her periods will start in about 6 months to a year’s time.

Her breasts will also gradually start to develop. First they grow as small bumps, called breast buds, then continue to develop gradually over the next 2 to 3 years. It is normal for one breast to grow quicker than the other, so your daughter may need to be reassured that this is normal. You may want to start to look at training bras for your daughter, especially if she plays lots of sport. It is important to make sure that she gets a correct fitting bra for both comfort and self-confidence. When your daughter’s period begins, it is very important to show your daughter how to check her breasts each month. This is good practice for life so that she learns what is normal for her.

6 months after her growth spurt beginning, she will start to go through a stage where she cannot get enough to eat and will start to put on weight, which is normal. 50% of ideal adult body weight is gained in puberty. In girls, the proportion of body weight in fat increases from about 16% to almost 27%. This gain in body fat will make her appear curvier read more