What does puberty mean?
Puberty is when a child begins to grow and develop into an adult.

Puberty For girls
The average age girls start to notice changes is around 11 years old.

• The first sign is often the beginnings of breast growth – this varies from person to person.
• Body hair will grow.
• They will sweat more (and it may smell).
• They may start getting spots and pimples.
• They grow! (About 2 – 3 inches a year).
• Their body shape will change – their hips will widen, waist gets narrower and they will have more body fat on arms, legs and upper back. This is normal and as long as children keep active and eat healthily, it is nothing to worry about.
• Periods (menstruation) usually begin around two years after you first notice early signs of puberty.

Puberty for boys
The average age boys start to notice changes is around 12 years old.

• The first sign is often testicles (balls) getting bigger and the skin of the scrotum (the sac that holds the testicles) getting thinner and redder.
• Body and facial hair grows, getting thicker and curlier as puberty progresses.
• Their voice will get deeper. As this happens your child’s voice might sometimes go squeaky or deep.
• Their penis will sometimes be erect. This can happen without warning, sometimes because of sexual feelings, sometimes for no reason at all.
• They may notice some swelling around their nipples, this does not last and it is normal.
• They have a growth spurt! (About 3 inches a year) and become more muscular.

Contact your 0 to 19 Torbay advice line for support from our school nursing team.
Tel: 0300 333 5352 (Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm)
Email: publichealthnursing.torbay@nhs.net