When Did Your Kids Hit Puberty?

My son is 15 and for the past year he started getting hair in areas and facial hair, as well as his voice has become deeper. My step daughter that are now 14 and 16 started their periods at the age of 13. My other step daughter is 11 and has not shown any signs as of yet. My hubby has a niece that is the same age of his 11 yr old and she has boobs and her period. His other niece is 10 and has started to begin developing already. I never heard of what you eat makes a difference on when you start or how easy it makes it, but this will be interesting to hear about.

I'd say if that's a connection then now is the best time to go organic and offer foods without hormones. I've heard about hormones in foods, but this is the first I've heard it affecting when kids hit puberty. I makes sense, in a way.
I have 3 sons. And I bought half % for years. But that's the fat content. But it's hard to tell when they hit puberty, really, because guys can be so private and secretive around their moms, that it'd be anyone's guess.

I think one of the biggest factors in kids starting puberty early is their weight.

Kids are alot heavier now than when we were young.
A pediatrician told me that girls usually start their peroid when they reach 100 pounds.. which is about the lower limit of having enough body fat to support a pregnancy.

I was 13 when i started.. I just talked to my sister in law and her daughter (almsot 12) has a bit of hair growth but that is it.. no boobs to period.

There really are not FACTS to prove the claim that kids are physically maturing faster... Yes, it could be true. The hormones added to things are having an effect. But also look into genetics. ANd wonder why BOYS are not developing sooner also... How many 9/10 yr old boys have the deep voices of a 13 /14 yr old boy? lol Not many at all... Yet girls maturing "faster" is the only example people give for the hormonal effect.

I grew up on an ORGANIC dairy farm. We raised ALL our own cows (which we used for milk, meat, and cheese) sheep (meat), chickens(meat), and we had a huge garden every year. My family did eat store bought junk food (chips, soda, etc) occasionally... I started my cycle when I was 13... I have a friend I grew up with... Their family purchased their food from us and what we did not have they ate strictly organic. They avoided sugar and fried foods. A much healthier diet than I grew up with... She started her cycle when she was 9 yrs old... Her mom was 10, her 2 sisters were 8 and 11 when they started...

One thing that could also play into it is the higher amount of refined sugars and fats we all have in our diets today. Breasts are fatty... So the more fatty foods you put in the faster (or maybe larger) you will develop them. Also our life styles are more sedentary than any previous generation... Even if eating nothing but fatty foods, if our kids had to walk a couple miles to school daily and help out on the farms doing chores and helping do physical labor our bodies would be much healthier.

I do think that activity plays a part in it. Athletes that train really hard do get to the point that thier bodys cycle stops.

I do not blame ONE thing for changes. Its a dominoe effect. One thing leads to another.

Do what you can to avoid the hormones if that is what your worried about, buy milk that does not have it in, hormone free meat, if you can afford it... But also understand that it may not stop your daughter from starting her cycle earlier than you did. :-)

ps. my daughter is 8... no cycle... My niece is 12 and yes, she has some "buds" but not cycling yet...

I have boy/girl twins born in Feb, 1998; now in 6th grade. They were also born at 26 weeks gestation.

My daughter hasn't started her period yet, but is wearing a 32A cup bra and has the "hormonal acne" as I call it. SHe started with the buds at the tailend of 4th grade, and started wearing cami-bras in 5th grade.

My son, is showing no signs of development at this time. No body hair, no changes in voice, no hormonal acne. Pediatrician isn't concerned.

I started my period when I was in 5th grade, and wore a B cup in 6th grade. My periods stopped at age 14 and didn't start again until almost 18 yrs old. I married when I was 19, and it took nearly 11 years of infertility treatments to concieve our twins. My mother took DES when she was pregnant with me. It was a drug in the 1960's used to maintain a pregnancy after multiple miscarriages (my mom miscarried 6 times before cattying me, two more times before having my sister who was 4 weeks premature since she didn't take the DES with her). My past doctors attribute my situation with the drug's side effects. Now some are saying these side effects are showing up in the grandchildren as well (which would be my daughter).

Hormones in our food supply may be a part of early development, but there are/can be many other contributing factors as well.

I hit puberty when I was nearly 9....I started growing breasts and recieved my first period on my 9th birthday. This was in 1993 :) Good luck with whatever your doing with this info :)

Hi S.---My daughter was between 5th and 6th grade, I think. Puberty is probably a very 'personal' thing, depending on the child's health, height and weight. My daughter was a little on the chubby and inactive side.

I have 4 sisters and we all hit puberty at different ages. In my family, the date corresponded to our height. We were all quite athletic. The shortest sister started first and the tallest (6'1") started last. The rest, in between, but mostly around 13 or 14 years of age.

I do believe that hormones in food have something to do with the earlier ages girls are hitting puberty. Another culprit is the huge amound of plastics that we are using and exposed to every day. Plastics in the bloodstream mimic estrogen. DO NOT microwave plastics, at all. Heating increases the amount of plastics in the food. Excess estrogens also play a role in increasing the risk of some cancers. Eating alot of high fiber foods helps to remove excess estrogen AND cholesterol from the blood stream.

If you have any questions about any of the info I've shared, feel free to give me a call. I am taking a series of wellness classes taught by a Naturopath who has her Phd in Nutrition. I have access to all kinds of articles to help you optimize your health. I look forward to it. In health, D. ###-###-####

I hit puberty at around 8, when I started wearing a bra. That was in 1988-89.Period at 10. Every woman in my family went through it that young, too

My son started puberty the summer he turned 10. It was right before he entered 5th grade. Granted, he was ahead of his class in the exciting journey, but you asked! :)

Regarding hormones in our food, also consider the meet you eat. It's almost unavoidable. Even the nutrients that used to be in our food are impacted by the condition of the soil around us! An apple isn't even as healthy as it was 50 years ago. I recommend a high quality dietary supplement! (I can help with that too!)

S.

PS: I work in an elementary school and can tell you that all around me are fifth graders who are showing the "signs"!

My daughter is 9 and when we went for her physicsl. The dr said she needs to where a bra and that she will start her period with in the next year. Grant you she has my mother in laws jeans shes a big child. Shes about 40 pnds over weight for her age. Her metabulizium is low she doesn't burn calaries like her sisters and brothers. I started when i was 12 but he said (the pediatrician) she will with in the year. Also she has oily skin so shes been wearing deordarant since last year. I also have noticed in the last 6 months theres one week out ofthe moth shes more anal and crabby. Hope it help don really know what your trying to figure out.

Hi S.,

My daughter was born in 1995 and hit puberty last year in 2008 (actually started her period), but hormonally, she was prepubescent at 11 years old. The age of 12 is particularily hard for girls which makes it hard for us parents to have to deal with all the moodiness and PMS'ing. My daughter's 14 now going on 15, and things are much better now with puberty issues than they were a few years ago.

M.

I have a 2 1/2 yr old and a 6m old so they have not hit puberty but read "eat to live" by Joel Fhurman and "the china study" by Colin T. Campbell.
You will learn a little bit about the hormone thing, and dairy along with some other great info.
I loved those book.

Hello S.,

I agree that the hormones in the food makes these kids bodies mature much faster.I'm sure it does something to all of us in some way.
your question at hand. I have 2 girls my 12yr. old started her cycle when she was in 6th grade which was last year and she started with the bumps on her face and even started get getting boobs in 5th grade. my 11yr. old hasn't startedher cycle yet but she has boobs and both girls are bigger than me almost and i am not big at all. I still wear the same size bra i wore in high school. Its obvious that my girls will be bigger than me.
i hope this helps some.

Hi S.,
My oldest daughter "developed" in 8th grade, but didn't start menstrating until 10th grade (age 15) in 2005. My youngest developed and started menstrating in 8th grade (age 12) this year. My mother was 10 when she started and I myself was also in 8th grade (age 13); so I don't know if the hormones put in food play into it or not. Good luck with your survey.

My son is 15 and is just getting facial hair and continues to get taller.

My daughter is 12 and will probably start menustrating about the same time as me (13). I just took her to the pediatrician and she said that shortly after pubic hair appears, girls will start their period.

Does this help?

The reason my kids are at the normal age for puberty is because I am conscientious of what they eat, the amount of milk they consume (skim milk), they take supplements (which helps ease into puberty) and we use non toxic cleaning and laundry products.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions, I welcome them.

I talked to my doctor about this because my daughter started developing at the age of 10. I remember I went through puberty around 13. He said the hormones in the milk and meat do play a role in earlier development. We have started buying hormone free milk. She turned 12 in July and had her first period that month. Although she thought she was late as all of her friends started thiers at age of 10 and 11. It really concerned me and through me off as a parent to see my daughter develop so early. My son is 17 and it is harder to tell with boys - but he seemed right on schedule. However, he drinks a ton of milk - we buy 6 gallons a week for a family of 4. He is 6 foot 7 inches and taller than anyone in either one of our families. We have no idea if hormones played a role in that or not. My daughter is 5'6" at the age of 12 so she is tall too. Good Luck.

HI S.,
It is very true that children are entering puberty earlier. Not only are growth hormones used in mass production chicken and beef yards, but most of the chemicals in our household products act as xenoestrogens- that is they mimic the estrogen effect in girls and boys. Also phthalates are actually blocking human testosterone necessary for the masculinization of males. I have tons of health information- I can send you a link to the CBCDocZone in Canada for their documentary, The Disappearing Male, or maybe you can Google it. Also try googling CBC Toxic Brew, about chemicals in household products. Because children are being harmed by chemicals, I have a green products business- please contact me if you want any further info- I also have info about SIDS related to chemicals- very interesting info out of New Zealand.
Take care,
M.

S.,

My son is only five, but I have read enough research to know that our food is affecting our health and the future generations in many ways. This is why 'organic foods' are becoming more popular and easier to obtain in the stores.

It is not just the milk, but the meat as in the case of cattle... the stress hormones are also something to be considered. Cortisol levels in the animals for 'eating' if raised in a bad environment stay in the tissues that we ingest. Doesn't take much to figure out what happens after that.

This is why I do not raise much fuss when my son prefers water (purified) over milk - and I usually purchase organic or soy (both taste better to me anyway). Both of us also barely eat meat - and I know I feel better when I don't.

The research is out there and available. You just have to decide what you want to do with it.

It's funny because I used to eat more meat & dairy products a few years back. It wasn't until I trained for my work now that I scaled off - I found out what my body craved to do my job and what made me feel better. Not only that, but as someone that suffers from an auto immune disorder, I do notice some foods affect me more compared to others. If I eat more 'natural' foods the way they are prepared in nature - meaning in their skins and raw vs. prepared in the frozen foods section or canned; I have more energy and my aches/ pains are less. If I eat junk food or fast food for convenience, I suffer for it - my stomach hurts, as well as my body.

If you think about it - our older generations never had the health issues that we do now. I feel the over convenience of pre-packaged foods, the over-abundance of fast-foods and the push of 'fat-free/low fat' foods are indeed part of the issue. This stuff was never around in the earlier years for the older generations and there was less cancer and heart issues - as well as other health concerns. As well as less need for an abundance of medical prescription commercials.

UPDATE:
Here is one of the sites I frequent in my work:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12826028?dopt=Citation

There are other sites attached. (This is from a vegan site.) There are facts based on this research.

My daughter is 10 and has not started her period yet "knock on wood". A friend of mine's daughter started when she was 9 years old 6 years ago. I think that is horrible. I was 12 and I am hoping my daughter can outlast that age, 13 or 14 would be nice. I am not looking forward to this phase in her life at all.

my kid started her puberty at age 9 in the year of 2009