Moms of girls...

[mrsaboyer]

when does "it" start? The hormones, and the crazy "girl-ness"? Our Atha has started becoming uber-emotional at the drop of a hat, and she is only 7. I thought we had some time before this started! If she's this bad now, then I can't imagine what's going to happen when she gets to be, oh, 12 or 13. Oy.

[Nathalie]

Our girl is 9 and yes, I think the emotions started boiling up around 7ish... and not only that, she started smelling under her arms last year, too. Also her boobies are starting to grow .

[sinead]

My oldest is 8.5, and holy smoke, the drama!! I'm thinking that I've heard recently that "it" starts closer to 10 than 12 or 14, and I'm dreading it already.

We're all in the same boat, girls! I say we start a support club NOW!

[teachermom_Rach]

I'll join in! My Maggie is 10, and I'll second (or third, or fourth) the drama! I end up sending her to her room more often than not because I just don't want to listen to the whining, or repeat myself for a 4th time, or.... I've talked to her about how she feels when she's projecting that drama queen, to maybe help her pinpoint when she's feeling that way to maybe tone it down a bit. (I know when I'm short tempered, if I recognize it, I can sometimes minimize the outward appearance of my temper.) I'm thinking we're going to have to start talking about "it" very soon...not sure when though...don't want to do it too early, but don't want to wait until she starts either (that would be super scary for her!).

[IntenseMagic]

Also her boobies are starting to grow .

We won't even talk about this...my DD's started and never stopped!! My famous words most every day "Put your boobs away".
I do have to say she's not ever really been the emotional type...drama is not her thing at all. Usually when she's upset, she just gets really quiet and keeps to herself. I keep waiting for it (she's almost 17), but I really had more drama and emotional stuff out of my oldest son than I do her.

[juliesouthern]

My older daughter started a bit at 7 - the underarm odor especially. She was always a bit of a drama queen, so that didn't decrease any, for sure, LOL. My younger girl was later... probably 5th grade. All I can say is... good luck, and keep a secret wine bottle in your closeet

[Nathalie]

My older daughter started a bit at 7 - the underarm odor especially. She was always a bit of a drama queen, so that didn't decrease any, for sure, LOL. My younger girl was later... probably 5th grade. All I can say is... good luck, and keep a secret wine bottle in your closeet

Or I join Danyale and you in the corner with the mimosas...

[juliesouthern]

The more the merrier!

[lakauai]

same story here - I have boy/girl twins who are 9. Lael, my dd has always been a drama queen, but in the past year or so it has def escalated. Her bro, Caeden, is just as sweet tempered and easy-going as always. boys and girls, as different as night and day. We wondered for a long time if it was possible that one of them was switched at birth! Not really, but they were that different from day one.

[Trista]

I see what I have to look forward to... my little drama queen is 4 going on 40! EEK!

[SunshineTK]

My drama queen will be 8 next month. Can I join the support group, please??

[sinead]

Yes, Tracy!!

Just last weekend, my Maggie (ha, Rachel! There aren't that many Maggies anymore! ) and I were talking about blood donation and blood types (I have no clue how the conversation got there) and she was grossed out about the idea. I told her I'd nearly had to have blood when I had her (c-section), so it was a good thing. A few quiet minutes later, she says, "I know that most people don't have surgery when they have babies, so where do those babies come out?"

EEK!!!! I was SO not ready for that question! LOL. But I mustered up the words, and I told her. She's only 8.5, so I kept it fairly brief and simple. Later that day we were in the grocery store in the feminine products aisle and suddenly she wanted to know "what's that for?" UGH! Another one! Two in one day!!! So back in the car, I explained that to her, too.

I did explain, though, that these conversations are to remain between us and not to be discussed with her friends at school. I told her that they were Mommy/Daughter conversations and that her friends' moms needed to be able to have those conversations with their own girls.

So if your girls haven't started asking those questions yet, beware (and start thinking about your response!) because it's coming!

[Nathalie]

No Sinead, I simply don't want to, nope, no, never!

[sinead]

[juliesouthern]

My daughter was a reader, so I marched to the Bible book store and picked out a great book that explained things, and we read it together. That helped a lot!

The funny thing (now) is that my younger daughter Molly is extremely private - she actually got her first period at Disneyland on her 13th birthday. She didn't tell me - she asked her older sister Kate for help. I didn't find out until FOUR MONTHS LATER! Oy. I had spasms of failing motherhood for a while over that one.

[sinead]

lol At least she asked her sister!

[chloe]

Not thos issues here for a long time (I'm already dealing with my own "how do you make babies" questions... HOW do I make babies??????) but my collegue's daughter is 9 (she'll be 10 in october) and she had belly pains so her mom took her yesterday to have some tests, the doctors were afraid she'd have "early puberty". Her boobs are starting to grow, as is her hair... Apparently, though, it's not the case, but her mom was : "How could my baby have her period maybe within a year?? NO WAY!!!!"

[mrsaboyer]

Today, Atha was trying to put on some tights, and she came downstairs crying because the way I told her to do it didn't work. I took one look at her and realized that these tights were about a size 6 mo, and were only going up to her knees. Hilarious laughter all around, even for her, until she realized that she couldn't laugh about this, she had to be indignant, so she hit her face in her hands until she could force herself to stop laughing, and then very laboriously made herself cry again.

I guess I started my period when I was like 11. We aren't so far off. I'll have to go smell her armpits later, and see how she likes that.

[Charla]

Julie, what book did you find for her? TELL please!!!

Jasmine asked when I was pregnant how Hudson was going to get out. I kept it very simple and she was satisfied with the answer. Nothing more has come up and I'm not pushing the discussion at this point. She's almost 7 and very sweet and innocent.

Thankfully not a ton of drama at this point. I didn't start getting AF until almost 14 so hopefully she won't be super early. I think, from what I've read, eating a ton of meat can make it earlier (even before all the hormones were added to meats, but even more so now) so the fact that we don't eat a ton of meat is hopefully in her favor (and mine!)

[Sportsmom2018]

Well, my daughter is in 6th grade and will be 12 in August. She started last spring with the whole hormones, acne, breast buds, hair, etc. etc. but she is very active and muscular so her doc said she might hold off until after she turns 12. We're vegetarians (she has been since birth) so I don't know about the meat thing - age 12 still seems early to me but most of her friends have already started their cycles - some a year ago. I was almost 16 but I was an avid runner since the age of 12 and the doctor said that made me start late (at 14 I was running almost 10 miles a day).