I have been parenting teens for a few years now and each child is different. However one thing that remains the same is the awkwardness of starting ‘the chat’. To help parents and carers find the tools to have those conversations about puberty, periods and growing up Boots have initiated the ‘Teen Talk’.
Did you know that:
– 68% of parents find it difficult to approach puberty topics with their teen
– A quarter of parents avoid the #TeenTalk altogether
– 1 in 5 parents are unsure about how to start the puberty conversation
– 33% of parents wish they could talk more openly with their teen
Therefore if you feel awkward you are not alone. Puberty can start anywhere between 10-15 and personally I find the early puberty stage challenging. This stage is often emotional and happens before the physical changes are noticed. It took a while for the penny to drop with me that it was puberty wreaking havoc on my children’s emotions. I became aware of slamming doors, short tempers and lots of tears with both Chloe and Dylan before the physical changes became more obvious.
Dylan hit puberty hard, fast and relatively young. I wrote about it earlier this year in the post My honest thoughts on having a manchild.
This is the second year I have supported the #TeenTalk campaign which aims to support parents as they navigate their teen through the exciting but often confusing time of puberty. The campaign is evolving by providing parents with the advice and support they are looking for and empowering them with the confidence to navigate the #TeenTalk.
To do this P&G and Boots are teaming up with Gabby Logan, her daughter Lois and a panel of real parents and daughters who have all undergone the #TeenTalk experiment which involved having the teen talk every other day for a week. They will share their experience on Boots.com to help offer reassurance and support to other parents and teens who are navigating this new lifestyle together. Boots also bought together a group of influential bloggers to share their thoughts and experiences during a round table.
Watch This
As parents we want to arm our children with the knowledge they need to navigate the changes their body is going through. Therefore as parents we to need to be armed with up to date information which needs to include Teen Talk with Gabby Logan: How to start ‘the chat’ . During the round table discussion many of us shared where and what we learnt about puberty. It was pretty clear that many had picked up myths along with knowledge in our own teen years. Whilst many parents may believe that information is so easy to access now due to social media and the internet we also recognised that this information may not be reliable or accurate.
On hand to give her valuable input was the lovely Sarah Newton, a well respected teenologist, who I admire greatly. You can find out why I adore her over on her website. She speaks so positively about parenting teens which is something I always strive to do. I love parenting teens and want others to embrace and not shy away from talking about parenting teenagers. Most of them are doing exactly what we want them to do, despite what the main stream media often present.
Be Empowered
From the 10th May – 6th June, Boots will be giving away a free #TeenTalk guide with the purchase of any Venus, Always and Tampax products. Boots will also be running great value promotions on P&G trusted products. As an added bonus, parents and teens will also receive a free gift for their teen daughter with each purchase.
Using the internet can help and pointing your child at great resources can be empowering but we need to make sure they are finding the right information. A great place for more tips and advice on #TeenTalk and product information is at Boots / Teen Talk
Do look out for it next time you are in Boots and if you have a tween or teen approaching this stage, grab one and put it away until you need it. Being prepared is the key to making the transition easy and also it helps with starting those conversations.
3 Responses
This is such a useful post. I hit puberty at 9, which was so young. My mum didn’t really have much to tell me. I am making sure that I am open with my children and hope they reach puberty later than I did!
What a fab post. My parents never had ‘the chat’ with me. I was quite mature for my age so kind of knew what was happening and I learned a lot through reading/hear say and school. My mum used to make fun of me and my body so it was a relief to not have to ask her anything. I just hope that when my boys start going through all this (we’ve got years to go yet) that they feel they can approach me, or at least feel comfortable talking about it xx
Oh gosh, I can’t imagine having teenagers, let alone having ‘chats’ with them! I know it will come round sooner than I realise! x