Puberty Plight
Opal had worked the front
desk of the elementary school for nearly five decades. Long past retirement
age, this was not work; it was her life. Fresh out of secretarial school back
in the early-sixties, she found a position at a brand new school in the quiet
community she loved.
Having been the school secretary for such a span had given
Opal the chance to enroll kids in Kindergarten and watch them throughout their
early schooling—and then have some of them bring their own kids to enroll years
later. In the last of couple decades she’d seen a darker side too—child custody
issues, abuse, and drugs. But for Opal, it was still her life and even though
she saw the brokenness, the pieces were real children, and they were precious
to her.
Yet, one thing was an enigma to her—why were the girls
seemingly getting older so much faster?
She remembered in the early years how the school district nurse would
gather the 6th grade girls, mostly 12 year olds, and explain
puberty—and all of the changes to come. It was done quietly and respectfully.
Now, girls in 3rd grade were learning the same
things—and the boys too. Opal noticed that many of the youngsters still longed
to play like kids, not deal with something as serious as sex. But Opal couldn’t
deny that some of the 3rd grade girls had “blossomed” early. What
was happening?
What Opal has observed is something many others have seen as
well. An interesting new book, The New
Puberty, points to three key things affecting the onset of early puberty in
girls. Scientists have identified more than 800 chemicals that interfere with
human hormones—affecting the onset of puberty. Children should avoid
antibiotics in meat and dairy, the BPAs in plastics and cans, pesticides, and
the flame-retardants that are prevalent in kiddy clothes.
Then there’s the issue of obesity. Research shows that 20%
of kids and adolescents are now obese. That’s three times the amount that Opal
used to see. Body fat affects puberty onset even more than age does. Parents
need to provide a healthy diet and plenty of time for exercise. Great habits
for a lifetime too.
Last, researchers zeroed in on something that is so
prevalent in our culture—family strife. Scores of depressed parents, absent
fathers, higher divorce rates, low marriage rates, low-income families,
single-parent homes, all have been correlated with early puberty. Ironically
enough, early puberty causes even more stress for the child. Creating the
perfect family won’t happen, but creating a loving environment can.
It helps knowing that there are things we can control in a
world that seems to be spinning out of control. Opal knows that today’s kids
are tomorrow’s future, so at age 73 she opened an after school program where
kids can be kids—no screen time allowed, just playgrounds and board games. In a
world that has kids growing up way too fast, she’s a one-woman answer to
slowing things down.
