fbpx
alt =" A teenage boy boy with many pimples on his face and trying to pop one"

When Do Boys Go Through Puberty? & How to Support them.

When puberty hits, parents are ask themselves , Where did our sweet little boy go? .

What is happening to me and how do I deal with it? the boy is asking himself.

Boys and puberty is a subject that if given a choice most parents would not want to engage in, In fact if it was in their power, parents would probably delay their boy’s puberty to late twenties if ever.

Unfortunately mother nature does not give us much choice on this subject. If it is time puberty will hit. It will find some families prepared and some unprepared.

Isn’t it funny that we, on average have at least about 11 years to get ourselves ready but for some reason, it still catches us unprepared.

Its Ironic that we want and desire them to grow but we would rather choose a different path than a puberty route.

It is a settled case our little boy will soon face puberty and there are two most popular questions asked by parents-When do boys go through puberty & how can I support him through it. If you are asking yourself such, you are at the right place. Hope you find your answers here.

Let’s be on the same page. What is puberty? Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child’s body matures into an adult. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads, which are the ovaries in a girl, and the testes in a boy.

So it’s purpose and objective is clear, ‘It’s  transition time from childhood to adulthood’.

When do boys start puberty ?

It usually kicks in between the ages of 9 – 14.

alt = "Precocious Puberty written on a tablet with the doctors stethoscope by the side"
Boy’s Early Puberty

In rare cases boys can have precocious puberty. Precocious puberty is when puberty begins before age 09 in boys. This can be due to some underlying medical conditions, it is always advisable that the child get checked by a doctor.

This is generally not something to worry much about because in most cases after medical examination, doctors scarcely find any worrisome cause of precocious puberty. It is just safer to check than to live with assumptions.

There are two types of Precocious puberty

Central precocious puberty – It is a condition that causes early sexual development in girls and boys

Peripheral precocious puberty – Secondary sexual development induced by sex steroids from other abnormal sources.

More on Central & Peripheral Precocious Puberty here.

An average boy start their puberty at age 12.

Early bloomers start between age 09 – 11

Late Bloomers or Delayed puberty kicks in between age 15 – 17

Signs of Delayed Puberty

  • The penis and the testicles have not grown by age 14.
  • Lack of physical growth ( boys with delayed puberty are in most cases shorter than their peers, they however still have a chance to catch up by the time their puberty kicks in. Most boys experiencing this kind of delay can find themselves under a lot of pressure mainly because they are unable to fit in the conversations their peers are having at that particular time) .

Patience is the best cure for this kind of condition especially when there are no underlying medical conditions. Alternatively puberty can be triggered through testosterone injections

What happens to Boys during puberty

  • The testicles grow.
  • Then the penis grows.
  • The boy grows Bigger and taller within a short period .
  • Pubic hair and underarm hair starts to grow.
  • More hair on the body and face ( beard).
  • The voice gets deeper.
  • Experience emotional struggle with fluctuating mood.

Boys Puberty stages.

Puberty stages are also known as tanner stages or sexual maturity ratings. They serve as a guide to physical development.

Tanner stage 1

At this stage, there are no noticeable physical changes.

Tanner stage 2.

This is the beginning of most of the physical development. Skin on scrotum thins, reddens and enlarges; penis length remain unchanged (9–11.

Tanner stage 3.

Scrotum enlarges further; penis begins to lengthen (11–12.5)

Tanner stage 4.

Scrotum enlarges further and darkens; penis increases in length (12.5–14)

Tanner stage 5.

The testicles and the the penis reaches their full growth .

How to Talk to Your Son About Puberty.

Boys and Puberty

The best that can happen to any boy is to start puberty prepared, equipped, knowing what to expect. If puberty find him unprepared, he might dig for information from sources that parents  do not approve.

Parents should assume the role of being a primary source of information for their kids during this stage.

Most parents are willing but do not know how to and when to start having this kind of conversations. This can be even more challenging for single mothers raising boys by themselves, but the work needs to be done.

Conversations can start before age 08, it can start as a some day conversation. Making him aware of what he already knows. That someday soon his body is going to change from that of a child to an adult .

Make him aware that the upcoming changes can affect him physically, socially, emotionally, mentally and otherwise

What to talk about?

Highlight changes that will be taking place i.e The voice getting deeper, growing pubic and underarm hair, penis and testicles growth, explain erections and ejaculations .

Explain that they might start having sexual thoughts and feelings. Equip them on how to handle such thoughts and feelings.

Explain in details and examples the responsibilities that comes with sexual engagement, give them confidence that they have the power to control themselves even if they don’t feel like it.

Talk about how to shave and deal with body odor.

It doesn’t have to be a formalized conversation, especially the first time, it can be done while driving, taking a walk or doing some chores together. This will give them a bit of comfort because they don’t have to keep eye contact with thee parent .

It doesn’t have to be a one time conversation, it’s ideal to have the conversation in smaller bits starting with the general and the basics and advancing into specifics and details on a later stage. Ride on the child’s interest and understanding.

It is best where possible for daddies to assume this responsibility, because they will not only be talking theory  but they can also talk from experience, but this should not exclude mothers. The home environment should be safe and conducive to accommodate this kind of conversations between parents and kids.

https://youtu.be/onggxBVl4qw

An elephant in the room is how do I exactly start the conversation. Check the tips below 

Spot teachable moments

What are teachable moments? These are moments that they start asking questions , My  eight year old twin girls once caught me of guard with a question , the question went like ‘mommy at what age will some dirt start coming out of our vagina’  My jaw dropped, I was never ready and I quickly dismissed the question but you know what –  with what I know now that was a teachable moment presenting itself.

My son whenever he see a sign of rash on his face , he will come rushing mommy  are these puberty pimples ? Another teachable moment right there.

Other moments can be moments like when presenting them with their first deodorant  you can start talking about why they are now having some body odor, what causes it and how to deal with it.

Some more tips :

  • Start with questions to assess what he knows
  • Follow your child lead  in terms of what he is interested in knowing now and how much information is he ready to absorb now, remember it does not have to be a once off long conversation but short frequent conversations are more effective.
  • Avoid where possible face to face conversations try to talk while cooking, walking or driving, it works wonders for the comfort of both parent and the child. I respect any adult who can talk about erections and ejaculations with an 11 year old on a face to face conversation .
  • Lastly read books and listen to videos on a subject together and discuss afterwards . Amaze has amazing Youtube videos on puberty which can be great conversation starters.
  • Don’t be embarrassed if you do not have all the answers, make it a research assignment that you will both embark on .

Common Puberty Challenges Beyond the Physical

Beyond the physical changes, puberty brings some noticeable changes in the social and the cognitive development.

Throughout puberty, there are changes in the structure and function of the brain. This non visible changes can be witnessed through change in behavior, slowly steering the individual towards independence.

Changes may include :

  • Extreme withdrawals
  • Minor or major depression
  • Mood Swings
  • In their pursuit of independence, they begin to value their friendships more than family relations
  • Being continually on an experimental mode  unfortunately because of peer pressure they are likely to to experiment with alcohol, smoking, drugs, sex etc. Parents should be proactive to  cover these subjects pre puberty and continue to talk about them during puberty, make them aware that they will be tempted on many occasions to experiment with such. Open their eyes to consequences that follows , it will help where possible and age appropriate to site examples of your own mistakes and their consequences during your experimental years. Keep close eye on your teen to spot any behavioral changes that could results from the above mentioned experiments.
  • Eating Disorders

Teenagers again because of pressure , depression and change in moods are susceptible to eating disorders, some become bulimic, while some become  anorexic. parents should seek professional help if they observe excessive change that can  be classified as the disorder in the lives of their children. For more on adolescents eating habits check this article here  

Puberty does Not Only affect the kids but it also somehow  affect the parents. How? 

Parents are likely to feel:

  • Rejected
  • Disobeyed or Disregarded
  • Lost sense of control
  • Can experience a sense of failure
  • Can experience heightened anxiety levels
  • Can feel that their once peaceful home has turned into a war zone as the young man unexpectantly asset his independence.

Tips for parents :

  • Breathe It is just a phase , it will pass.
  • Love the child unconditionally  & understand that he still love you, deep down he knows he does.
  • Be less judgmental, it will make it easy for him to come to you even when he has messed up.
  • Have clear set out non negotiable boundaries, communicate them clearly and together agree on consequences  and rewards if necessary .
  • Choose your battles, safe your energy for life threatening or future threatening decisions and behaviors , you will sometime have to overlook other thing for peace sake.
  • They will do a lot of wrong things, you do not approve but create a habit of catching them doing something right and praise and appreciate them for that.
  • He is not out to get you, he is not on a mission to destroy you or to disobey, he is transiting into an adult that you will soon look at and admire.
  • Make your home a safe haven for him, it doesn’t matter, he might sometime think he can do without you  but me and you know that he can’t.
  • Most importantly take care of yourself ,keep yourself sane & strong, nurture and love yourself as you sit and witness this great transition.

Final thoughts

Puberty can be a challenging , difficult time for both parents and kids because a lot of changes are taking place all at once. The continuous conflicts and misunderstandings can results in depression for both parents and kids.

Parents should be aware of signs indicating that their tween or teen is going through depression. i.e suicidal thoughts and hints of self harm, fatigue, nausea unexplained pains, feeling misunderstood and loosing motivation for school and things that used to make him tick, use of alcohol, drugs, cigarette smoking and more .

This is a break or make time when parents and kids can easily lose each other

Parents should empower themselves ahead on ‘how to navigate this uncharted waters together with their growing boy. If parents are empowered they will find it easy to empower their the kids.

More Articles on Parenting Teenagers 

Parenting Teenage Boys 

Teenage Boys can Smell Good too.

Boys Developmental Stages – Stages of Boyhood

Positive Affirmations for Teen Boys

Teen Car Tracking Device

Recommended Resources

Boys and Puberty

Boys and Puberty

 

 

 

17 thoughts on “When Do Boys Go Through Puberty? & How to Support them.”

  1. A very informative article about boys and puberty. It is true that this is somewhat an awkward conversation between parents and their growing children. And unfortunately there’s not a lot of education out there on how to handle this especially for parents. This is why I appreciate your article. If I may suggest, if you can write some examples of how to handle the conversation, how to start it, discussions about sex, etc.

    I have two boys and a girl myself and my firstborn is fast approaching his puberty years so this has definitely provided me with some information on how to deal with it. Thanks a lot.

    Reply
    • Thank you Mark for taking your time to read and for the feedback.

      I have noted your suggestion and will definitely update the article..

      All the best with your kids as they approach puberty . Continue to empower and equip yourself for the journey ahead. 

      Reply
  2. Yes I completely agree with you that the conversation about puberty should be discussed with boys as that will truly prepare them for what they can expect as they reach that stage. I think it also helps in making teenage life easier as opposed to not having that conversation at all with one’s parents. Things change around the house when a boy is transitioning into a man and a lot of awkwardness can happen. The only thing that’s on my mind is what would be a good conversation starter to open the topic to one’s kids lol.

    Reply
    • Thank you Ron 

      I like the way you put it , puberty conversations can make teenage lives easy. 

      Let us not shy away from them.

      Reply
  3. helllooo Bogadi Rammuki, thanks alot for sharing such an amazing post with us all, i was actually doing some research online when i saw these post online, it really has been helpfull alot to us all, i really learnt alot about boys puberty, i believe these educative article should be published more so as to help our young ones who will or has been going through puberty, thanks alot for the info

    Reply
    • I’m glad  you found it helpful

      Thank you for stopping by .

      Reply
  4. Hi; this post is another inspiring food for thought for many uninformed parents. It might sound untrue but many parents never take the time to inform their son neither their daughter about Puberty and what to expect and how to deal with it.

     Before schools are equipt with Student counsellors the deficit would continue on a wide scale. But now Schools Student Counsellors impart the information to students. Thus youngsters are informed about puberty and what to expect how to deal with changes etc.

    Would you say all boys take the information about puberty seriously and act as advised?

    DorcasW

    Reply
    • Thank you Dorcas 

      I wouldn’t say all boys take it serious but all boys should have access to this information that can potentially shape their future.

      And I also want to emphasize that this work should not be left to school counselors, it will make a difference  if parents play their part on this important stage of their child’s life.

      Reply
  5. When anything like puberty is mentioned, many people come out to link it with  the ladies when the truth is that it is also known to the guys as well. The way you write this post is very good because you are able to touch on all the different parts of this issu and also answer all the important questions as well regarding what puberty is and how it relates to boys.

    Reply
  6. Coming to the age of puberty is somewhat of a challenging experience for not just boys but girls too which is why it is always important for them to have some sort of guide or lessons which would help them navigate better through the ages of puberty and they’ll also learn to properly take care of their body. 

    Reply
    • Hi Bella 

      Thank you for stopping by The Incredible Boy 

      Yes puberty can be very challenging for boys and girls proper guidance is needed to navigate these challenging years.

      Reply
  7. Thanks for the great tutorial on boys and puberty, Bogadi! I’m glad you talked about puberty conversations in this post, as most parents need to be sensitized on educating and preparing their male children ahead of time. While children are still in their teens, this would be the best time to start letting those children know about the puberty stage they cannot do but pass through in life.

    It’s not about making every male child take the topic of puberty seriously, but getting children the right information on what they will experience in the nearest future.

    Thank you so much,

    Joyce

    Reply
    • Hey Joyce 

      Thank you for stopping by The Incredible Boy 

      Preparing our boys for puberty will shield them against lots of confusion and mistakes. 

      Reply
  8. I can only think back to the time that I had reached puberty, It was quite a challenging time as one gets to feel how your body is changing. My parents never sat with me through these type of conversations, I feel it’s important to have some form of guidelines and lessons that we should teach our kids to make this experience a little easier for them. Thank you for the great article.

    Reply
    • Hey Jean

      Thank you for stopping by The Incredible Boy 

      Sadly most parents overlook the important aspects of sitting with their kids down just to provide necessary puberty guidelines. Hope we don’t repeat the same mistakes.

      Reply
  9. I still remember entering puberty probably not as vividly as today because it was so long ago. My parents always grew impatient with me because I was what they called a rebellious child but I never felt I was. They just expected me to be an angel, ha ha. 

    Yes, the understanding of my bodily functions. Sometimes I felt really awkward. My mom would always refer to a penis as a bad part. In my adult years, I grew to realize that part of me is a gift. It is who I am and I must embrace it. I wonder how I will handle a teen boy if I have kids? Who knows? Ha ha. I am glad those days are behind me.  

    Reply
    • Hahaha . I also wish to know how you will handle a teen boy. Hope I bump into you those years.

      Bur whatever happens, give them a gift of knowledge and support during their puberty years. They will  forever be grateful. 

      Thank you for stopping by The Incredible Boy .

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Bogadi Rammuki Cancel reply

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)