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Curves Ahead!
Surviving – and Helping – Your Preteen's Body Image
By Sue Marquette Poremba
On the flip side, early bloomers may need a little more intervention. "Girls who develop early tend to be treated more like the way they look than their natural age," says Mary Muscari, professor of nursing at the University of Scranton. "Early developers are at a higher risk for problems such as eating disorders, depression, panic attacks, distorted body image, problems with school and increases in risky behaviors."
This, unfortunately, combines with other signs of sexuality that young girls are introduced to. They look at their bodies as something sexual at an early age, Nichter says. "Even bras and underwear have become sexual," she says. "Thongs are being marketed to young girls." An early focus on sexuality forces parents to deal with more than puberty issues. According to Muscari, one way to handle this is to place more value on what people do than on what people look like."
Early bloomers and late bloomers are the ones that stand out, particularly among their peers, but parents can help keep developmental changes in perspective. Jodi McWhirter of State College, Pa., says that even though her 10-year-old daughter complains about being too short or too fat, the reality is she and her friends are all developing at about the same rate. "This past summer, I asked her about bras, and she said yuck to that." McWhirter says. "I bought some anyway and put them in her drawer. She hasn't started wearing them – although she doesn't really need to, yet – but I have a feeling that once some of her friends start, then she will, too. She doesn't want to be first."