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Original poster

Puberty, now compared to the 70s

38 replies

Spliffle · 14/12/2022 18:54

I'm old now (dc grown) but I hear every now and then about girls starting puberty quite early compared to my lifetime. When I was at school periods started around 13/14 but now I hear of 11, 9, 8 etc. Is this a thing that we've moved back a few years? How has this happened?

OP posts:
LowbrowVictoriana · 14/12/2022 18:58

Things may have changed a little because children are bigger now, and larger children go through puberty earlier.
Reaching a certain weight triggers the release of the hormones responsible.
Children were thinner in the 70s!

PenelopeTitsDrop3121 · 14/12/2022 19:00

I think girls weights are influencing puberty. I'm sure I read this. My daughter was 9 when she started. I was 14.

CantFindTheBeat · 14/12/2022 19:03

I'm sure this isn't you, OP, but I always worry when people start general conversations about young girls and puberty on here.

Too many weirdos behind the screen.

Not you, but they flock to them 🤬

SofiaSoFar · 14/12/2022 19:04

As above, it's said that weight is more influential than age in starting puberty, in girls at least.

More overweight girls means more early puberty.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 14/12/2022 19:04

I know women who were born in the sixties and started their periods under 11y0.

Cahveeare · 14/12/2022 19:07

My Mum started at 10, as did I and I’m quite confident my daughter will be too. None of us overweight.

I don’t think this is a new thing to be honest, we just live in a more open society these days where we talk about things.

GloomyDarkness · 14/12/2022 19:07

I was 11 still at primary and not only one - my DDs one was 13 and one just before both well into secondary school.

I've seen headline saying it's now on average about a week earlier than 1970's

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/10/girls-puberty-year-earlier

I think weight of girls is part of it.

Original poster
Spliffle · 14/12/2022 19:08

I was quite underweight as a child, so that's interesting.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spliffle · 14/12/2022 19:09

& nutrition has improved a lot since then. Says someone who was brought up on boil-in-the-bag everything and instant mashed potato.

OP posts:
SleekMamma · 14/12/2022 19:09

We are all getting taller and fatter and so heavier. That's what triggers puberty. It is awfully young though

dementedpixie · 14/12/2022 19:09

My mum started at 11 (she's 78), I did too (I'm 49) and so did dd (19 now)

I wasn't the only one at that age and neither was dd

IAmTheFire · 14/12/2022 19:12

Both my Grandmothers (in their 80s now) started their periods at 10. My mother and her sister at 11.

I started age 16 (I’m 36).

DD1 at 11
DD2 at 10

Neither are/were even close to overweight, let alone obese. They did, however, reach the same height (or very close to) me at those ages (I’m fucking short) and both are taller than me by 2-4 inches (so far).

pursuedbyablackdog · 14/12/2022 19:14

Dunno, but in the middle ages girls were okay to get married once puberty started, some records suggest from 11. (Very unlikely to be well nourished or fat back then!).
I think genetics is much stronger influencing factor.

IAmTheFire · 14/12/2022 19:14

My ex is around 6ft 5, I’m 5ft 2 so I’m unsurprised that my DDs are taller than me (5ft 6 at 14 and 5ft 4 at 12, both still growing).

Fluffygreenslippers · 14/12/2022 19:24

My grandmother got her period at 11, my mother at 9, and me at 10. We grow very quickly in my family, I stopped growing at 11.

Fluffygreenslippers · 14/12/2022 19:25

I wanted to add boys too. My brother could grow a full beard by 12. I’m not exaggerating.

Blummf · 14/12/2022 19:36

My mum is almost 60 and she started her period at 10.

Maybe they just didn't talk about it back then so it seemed like it didn't happen and people are more open now?

lili2308 · 14/12/2022 19:38

@LowbrowVictoriana 90s kind here - got my period at 10 and always weighed below average. I def think that it seems kids are going through puberty earlier but I'm not sure if it's 'size' related ...

Shlomping1234 · 14/12/2022 19:41

Myself and my sisters were all 11. My mother 12. My grandmother was 9. None of us were overweight. Girls develop at different ages. Two of my friends didn’t start until they were 15 and 17.

Freddiesextrateeth · 14/12/2022 19:48

I feel really upset that my dd's will have to deal with this, I was 11, an aunt just 9, it seems just so young to deal with, let alone all the hormones on top 😢

Anon778833 · 14/12/2022 19:49

Not in my family. I was 14. My other DD's were 17, 12 and the 13 year old hasn't started yet.

Cuppasoupmonster · 14/12/2022 19:51

LowbrowVictoriana · 14/12/2022 18:58

Things may have changed a little because children are bigger now, and larger children go through puberty earlier.
Reaching a certain weight triggers the release of the hormones responsible.
Children were thinner in the 70s!

Yes I think this. Skinny girls generally aren’t very developed compared to the bigger ones in early teens.

TheMoth · 14/12/2022 20:05

My mum was 10 or 11. Early 60s. V slight woman. I was 5'6 or so at 11 and didn't start until I was 13, but then didn't have another one until I was 14. I continued growing until I wasnearly 6ft.

Dc is 11 and still very much a child. I can cope with my oldest having a bit of bum fluff and vice breaking, but I am struggling with the thought of the second one hitting puberty.

loislovesstewie · 14/12/2022 20:17

I'm 66,i started my periods at 10. Lots of my school friends had started by the end of 1st year at grammar school.

PenelopeTitsDrop3121 · 14/12/2022 20:18

Freddiesextrateeth · 14/12/2022 19:48

I feel really upset that my dd's will have to deal with this, I was 11, an aunt just 9, it seems just so young to deal with, let alone all the hormones on top 😢

Yes my daughter is 11 in February and been having periods since 9 and a half. She's still so young to be having to deal with it :(

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