Male Puberty: What Parents Need to Know
This page contains blog posts to help parents get a better understanding of puberty for male children (or children with testicles).
Puberty happens to all children, with many changes being the same, like growing taller and pubic hair.
However, some changes are different because of the hormones their gonads produce. Children with testicles (or males) will have changes that make their body more masculine, like broader shoulders, a deeper voice, and a larger Adam’s apple (or voice box).
A note about sex and gender. Sex and gender exist on spectrums. This page will use the term ‘male’ to refer to the sex assigned at birth. It will use the term ‘boy’ to refer to children who are cisgender i.e. a child who was born with testicles and identifies as a boy. The information will also be relevant for nonbinary children born with testicles. The information will not be relevant for transgender boys as gonads drive puberty, and their gonads differ. Click here to learn more about sex and gender.
You can find more helpful resources to help you with the puberty talk in my Puberty 101 page!
If you’re unsure of how to get started with these conversations, then the Sex Ed 101 page may be a better place to start. You might also want to sign up to my free sex education course for parents, Back to Basics, as it helps parents get the right information and deliver sex education the right way.
You’ll find some blog posts listed here that aren’t really about puberty, like erections and penis care, but because parents often ask me questions about them regarding puberty, I have included them.
Find practical tools to educate kids about puberty in the Sex Ed Shop
Looking for more puberty resources? Then visit my Puberty 101 page!