Are you starting to have trouble with relating to your pre-teen/pre-adolescent? Are unexpected emotional outbursts starting to creep in? Do these make sense to you?

According to the Child Mind Institute, until recently, the average age for puberty was age 11 for girls and age 12 for boys. Now many experts consider any age above 8 or 9 to be normal. 

Puberty is a key stage in a child transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It is marked by physical, hormonal and emotional changes making them capable of reproduction.

Experts cite many possible causes for early puberty, including genetics, the food they eat/nutrition, environmental cues such as pollutants and even chronic stress and trauma accelerate/speed up the onset of puberty.

Sandra L. Whitehouse, PhD, clinical psychologist, explains that children experiencing early puberty may be going through these changes before they are emotionally mature enough to handle them. Before they can manage their impulses, feelings, and behaviors. She likens it to a car with the accelerator fully on, but kids can’t reach the brakes or steering.

This is where parents start to experience overwhelming feelings, moodiness, and outbursts from their tweens.