Ok it's inevitable it's going to happen wether we like it or not and more than likely sooner then we'd like for our kiddos!! PUBERTY!! It's also an uncomfortable topic to talk about and Doctors are...let's be honest, useless on this topic. So we rounded up some Parents who have been there done that and below is the answers to some questions that came up during our meeting.
For Parents of Girls:
How did you explain what was going to happen to her body? bleeding? Kept explanation simple and waited till it happened and explained that she was o.k. and that it will go away in a few days. Another mom with a cognitively typical child said only answer the questions asked add little to no elaboration till or if further questions come up. This book was a help for some girls http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-care-and-keeping-of-you-1-valorie-schaefer/1114274144?ean=9781609580834 For the bleeding in diapered girls, I guess not a lot has to change the diaper will catch that as well, but birth control can be helpful to keep it under control. For potty trained, cognitively impaired, girls it was widely recommended to use Mirena or Depo to limit or stop all periods as soon as cycling starts. You don't have to be a certain age to use birth control if you are menstruating you are old enough. There was some fear of their menstruating daughters being raped in a facility situation or in school etc so, yes you are not the only one with that fear!!! Even with birth control there will be behavior changes during that time of month. It's good to track behavior to find a pattern because more then likely you will find a pattern and this will help you better be prepared when that time of the month is approaching.
For Parents of Boys:
Lots of questions about boys "handling" themselves and YES all the time...especially when the penis is set free during diapering. Morning wood is an issue with diapered boys and causes issues of peeing in their face...and yours. It also causes diapers to be dry but other things around them are soaked. Inappropriate touching of the opposite sex can be a problem. One mom said her son liked touching female aides/teachers on the butt or breasts. They've had to work on curtailing this behavior and it seems more under control or he has just narrowed down his type.
Both Sexes: Pubic hair and breast buds seem to appear pretty early in our kiddos. Man-scaping and lady-scaping a must especially with diapered kiddos...pubic hair and poop, not a good mix!! There was concern about shaving pits and pubic area with a razor for kids that are more mobile...maybe nair during bath time? Arm pit body odor will appear unexpectedly and you will think it's something else and will clean under the furniture, search your kids room for hidden food and then you will sniff your child and voila...puberty!
Behavior is altered in both sexes during puberty and will either get better then before puberty behavior or get extremely worse and more irritable. Sometimes they can become more violent. Some parents have to keep Geodon IM (intramuscular injection) on hand at all times to gain control over a violent episode. One mom has luck with frankincense oils from a reputable company that offers 100% pure oils.
Well I hope this helps shed a little bit of light on the taboo topic of puberty!! Please feel free to comment to this blog if you have additional, helpful, advice and experiences to add!!
For Parents of Girls:
How did you explain what was going to happen to her body? bleeding? Kept explanation simple and waited till it happened and explained that she was o.k. and that it will go away in a few days. Another mom with a cognitively typical child said only answer the questions asked add little to no elaboration till or if further questions come up. This book was a help for some girls http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-care-and-keeping-of-you-1-valorie-schaefer/1114274144?ean=9781609580834 For the bleeding in diapered girls, I guess not a lot has to change the diaper will catch that as well, but birth control can be helpful to keep it under control. For potty trained, cognitively impaired, girls it was widely recommended to use Mirena or Depo to limit or stop all periods as soon as cycling starts. You don't have to be a certain age to use birth control if you are menstruating you are old enough. There was some fear of their menstruating daughters being raped in a facility situation or in school etc so, yes you are not the only one with that fear!!! Even with birth control there will be behavior changes during that time of month. It's good to track behavior to find a pattern because more then likely you will find a pattern and this will help you better be prepared when that time of the month is approaching.
For Parents of Boys:
Lots of questions about boys "handling" themselves and YES all the time...especially when the penis is set free during diapering. Morning wood is an issue with diapered boys and causes issues of peeing in their face...and yours. It also causes diapers to be dry but other things around them are soaked. Inappropriate touching of the opposite sex can be a problem. One mom said her son liked touching female aides/teachers on the butt or breasts. They've had to work on curtailing this behavior and it seems more under control or he has just narrowed down his type.
Both Sexes: Pubic hair and breast buds seem to appear pretty early in our kiddos. Man-scaping and lady-scaping a must especially with diapered kiddos...pubic hair and poop, not a good mix!! There was concern about shaving pits and pubic area with a razor for kids that are more mobile...maybe nair during bath time? Arm pit body odor will appear unexpectedly and you will think it's something else and will clean under the furniture, search your kids room for hidden food and then you will sniff your child and voila...puberty!
Behavior is altered in both sexes during puberty and will either get better then before puberty behavior or get extremely worse and more irritable. Sometimes they can become more violent. Some parents have to keep Geodon IM (intramuscular injection) on hand at all times to gain control over a violent episode. One mom has luck with frankincense oils from a reputable company that offers 100% pure oils.
Well I hope this helps shed a little bit of light on the taboo topic of puberty!! Please feel free to comment to this blog if you have additional, helpful, advice and experiences to add!!