Puberty is arriving earlier for our kids than it did for most of us, and it can catch you off guard before you've worked out what to say. Feeling unprepared is a normal place to start, and small conversations are enough to get going.
The conversations that help most can begin well before the big questions arrive. This conversation gives you the words, the timing and the reassurance to begin.
In this episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White sits down with Dr Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, co-founders of Less Awkward and co-hosts of the This Is So Awkward podcast. Cara is a Harvard and Johns Hopkins trained paediatrician and the author of the bestselling Care and Keeping of You series, which has guided a generation of kids in the US through puberty. Vanessa is a bestselling author and educator who founded Dynamo Girl, a programme that builds girls' self-esteem through sport and body literacy. Together they wrote This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained, and they now bring the same science and warmth to classrooms through a health and sex education curriculum for kindergarten through to 12th grade.
In this conversation they cover the first signs to look for, what researchers think is driving the shift, and easy ways into the talk, from car rides to bath time.
You'll Hear About:
- What the first signs of puberty look like
- Why puberty is starting earlier for kids today
- When to start the puberty conversation
- How to circle back when the moment passes
- Why staying connected supports wellbeing into adulthood
A short chat in the car, a pause during a movie, or a second try after the supermarket all count as starting. Small conversations add up to a child who knows they can come to you.
Share this with a friend who has a child heading towards puberty and isn't sure where to start. And subscribe so you don't miss an episode of The Science of Motherhood.
Resources & Links
Connect with Dr Renee White
Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_
Connect with Renee on LinkedIn: Renee White
Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services
Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies
Connect with Dr Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett
Learn more about their work at Less Awkward
Connect with Less Awkward on Instagram: @less.awkward
Explore Less Awkward's digital health and sex education curriculum for kindergarten through to 12th grade, That Health Class, which blends science with joy. Find out more in the curriculum kit and read testimonials from schools.
A parallel parent curriculum sits in The Hub, so the lessons are fully transparent and adults can catch up on what they may never have learned.
Books mentioned in this conversation
This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained by Dr Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett
Teenhood: Confessions & Lessons for the Trickiest Phase of Parenting by Vanessa Kroll Bennett (releases 19 January 2027)
The Care and Keeping of You series by Dr Cara Natterson
Untangled by Dr Lisa Damour
The Curse of the Good Girl by Rachel Simmons
The New Puberty: How to Navigate Early Development in Today's Girls by Dr Louise Greenspan and Dr Julianna Deardorff
This episode is proudly supported by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village, with doulas available across Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart and Perth.
Disclaimer
The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.
