Puberty is the time when a childs body begins to develop and change as they become an adult. The average age for girls to start puberty is 11, while for boys the average age is 12. However, it's perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys. Some girls and boys may experience puberty much earlier or later than other children, and both early and late puberty can run in families.
Here are some additional details about the age of puberty for boys and girls:
- Boys begin puberty sometime between the ages of 9 and 14, about two years later than girls.
- Black and Hispanic boys tend to enter puberty a bit earlier than white boys.
- Black and Hispanic girls tend to start puberty earlier than white girls, around age 7½ instead of 8.
If your child starts showing signs of puberty before age 9 (boys) or 8 (girls), or if no signs of puberty have happened by age 15 (boys) or around 14 (girls), it's worth asking their pediatrician about these early changes or delay.
