8 1/2 yr old needs deodorant and I'm losing it.

[nuala]

I see the girls around and I understand that "everything is much sooner these days".

Yet still I feel like I've jumped off a spaceship after being away for a couple of decades.

In the late 70's girls started developing around 12-13 years old. I developed at 10 and felt awkward and out of place with my friends around who still had no breasts/periods.

It just boggles my mind, that my slight 5 year old daughter may be developing in short three years...

[121804]

Originally Posted by Dea13

Thanks everyone! My daughter is excited about wearing deodorant. I doubt she'll remember every day but at least we can start making it part of the morning routine. I did end up getting a look of horror from my DH when I mentioned ages for girls starting menstrual cycles LOL! Serves him right for downplaying how I was feeling.

My daughter and I have started having little talks about odors and hair growing before this even started. I haven't discussed menstrual cycles and will probably hold off for a bit on that yet. We're going tonight to pick out a deodorant. I'm going to see if we can find some travel sizes so she can try a few to see which she will like better. I like to let her make her own decisions whenever possible. Makes her feel like a 'big girl' and lets me pick my battles!

Time goes so quickly. Sometimes I look at her and she still seems like a baby and other times I can really see how much she's growing up. It sounds so cliche but they really do grow up too quickly.

Dea

Sex ed in my district starts in 5th grade. Some, but not many, of my 6th grade girls had their period & dealt with it pretty good. That's about 11/12yrs old.
So, you got some time.

I only have boys & some days I do want a girl in our family just b/c of the bond. But guess I'll just sit & watch my dh teach our sons how to shave which is probably much sooner than I think!

While my dh is a great husband & daddy, I could see him "reacting" the way yours did. I think they just get worried their baby girls are growing up & they don't really know what female maturing is like, so they get a little worried & respond in many ways.

[Ladeebug59]

I am glad to know that I am not the only one out there that feels weird and a little upset over their preteen daughter developing and changing this summer. She got her first period this summer, at 11 years old. Now It seems to me that 11 is too young an age, esp when in comparison, I was 14. She told everyone... as if it was something to be proud of. I, on the other hand, remember being so embarrased that I wouldn't dream of telling anyone (except for my best friend, who started about the same time I did). So It seemed as though she accepted it quite easily & I was relieved that her attitude was so good. I realize that girls do develop at an earlier age now than they did in my day, but I really didn't think it would happen so soon... I figured she had a couple of years to go, like I had. I guess I am just not happy to be loosing my only little girl. Her mood has been so irritable and snotty, which is not like her at all. It seenms like she wants nothing to do with me anymore and suddenly she is more of A Daddys Girl. I am really depressed about it, I feel like we are no longer close....like I am suddenly the Bad Guy for no reason. I know it might sound silly, but not only is she my last child (baby), we have always been extremely close and got along very well together. I guess I am feeling Hurt and bewildered. When I ask her, she says that she doesn't know what is wrong with her, and acts angry and at the same time kind of quiet and withdrawn. I just wonder can Hormones be to blame for all this? It is like she has permanent PMS. .......So now, we are not only doing Deoderant, but sanitary pads and leg/underarm shaving as well. Jokingly, I asked her, "who she was and what she did with the real AD ? Like her, I guess I am scared and feeling that I am just not ready for all of this. I just want my old daughter back and I don't want to loose the close mother-dtr relationship that we have shared. It is funny.... She is starting puberty and I am starting the menopause years .... both are at opposite ends of the spectrum. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one experiencing all of this, so I would like to hear from other Moms out there going through similar situations.

[sincere1782]

wow, what a great post. My daughter is growing up way to fast. She is only 5 and i think she needs deoderant for her underarms because for some strange reason she draws an odor there quickly. At first I was scared but i guess they mature fast now days.

[Barbara anne]

My niece started smelling body oder on her 6 year old boy. She gave up milk with all those hormones. Now the children are on Soy Milk. With all these kids maturing so fast my niece was able to put this together. Her son no longer has BO either.


I think this milk situation is a big problem in our family.
All adults in our family who still drink milk are overweight. Maybe quantity for them might be the key. I am thin I never eat fast food or drink milk. I think after a year old it should be banned.
There are a lot of tasty and healthy substitutes out there.

[redjuel]

Originally Posted by Ladeebug59

I am glad to know that I am not the only one out there that feels weird and a little upset over their preteen daughter developing and changing this summer. She got her first period this summer, at 11 years old. Now It seems to me that 11 is too young an age, esp when in comparison, I was 14. She told everyone... as if it was something to be proud of. I, on the other hand, remember being so embarrased that I wouldn't dream of telling anyone (except for my best friend, who started about the same time I did). So It seemed as though she accepted it quite easily & I was relieved that her attitude was so good. I realize that girls do develop at an earlier age now than they did in my day, but I really didn't think it would happen so soon... I figured she had a couple of years to go, like I had. I guess I am just not happy to be loosing my only little girl. Her mood has been so irritable and snotty, which is not like her at all. It seenms like she wants nothing to do with me anymore and suddenly she is more of A Daddys Girl. I am really depressed about it, I feel like we are no longer close....like I am suddenly the Bad Guy for no reason. I know it might sound silly, but not only is she my last child (baby), we have always been extremely close and got along very well together. I guess I am feeling Hurt and bewildered. When I ask her, she says that she doesn't know what is wrong with her, and acts angry and at the same time kind of quiet and withdrawn. I just wonder can Hormones be to blame for all this? It is like she has permanent PMS. .......So now, we are not only doing Deoderant, but sanitary pads and leg/underarm shaving as well. Jokingly, I asked her, "who she was and what she did with the real AD ? Like her, I guess I am scared and feeling that I am just not ready for all of this. I just want my old daughter back and I don't want to loose the close mother-dtr relationship that we have shared. It is funny.... She is starting puberty and I am starting the menopause years .... both are at opposite ends of the spectrum. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one experiencing all of this, so I would like to hear from other Moms out there going through similar situations.

I'm going through the same things with my 13 year old daughter. She is constantly mad at the world. Everything I do is wrong. I'm either too mean or too nice. This morning when I was trying to wake her up for school, she told me I was annoying because I was being too nice. So I asked her if I should wake her up by yelling at her. That prompted the "just leave me alone". The only time she is sweet and nice is when she wants me to buy her something......imagine that! Ladeebug59: you are certainly not alone. It's the age - not you. I'm 100% sure that tons of other mothers of teenagers are going through the exact same thing as us!