Raising An 8-Year-Old? You Need To Know About 'Adrenarche'

Adrenarche typically impacts girls from the age of eight and boys from the age of nine, says Dr Sasha Howard. Recently I stumbled across a video from a therapist talking about how, in her experience, eight is the most common age when kids start therapy. In the video, shared on Instagram, therapist Carol Kim said it’s “not a coincidence” that many children begin therapy at that particular age. “At this stage, kids are going through a major developmental shift,” she explained in the caption.“They’re becoming more aware of themselves and others. Friendships are getting more complex. Emotions are bigger and harder to navigate. And many are starting to compare themselves to others, which can lead to self-doubt and sensitivity.”As if all of that isn’t enough, around the age of eight kids experience a hormonal shift called adrenarche, which the therapist described as a “kind of mini pre-puberty”.“It can bring mood swings, irritability, and emotional intensity that even they can’t always explain,” she said. What exactly is ‘adrenarche’?Dr Sasha Howard, an expert in paediatric endocrinology at Queen Mary University of London, told HuffPost UK that adrenarche is “the start of hormone changes typically associated with adolescence, where hormones from the adrenal gland start to be produced”.She said this change can lead to the development of:underarm and pubic hair,body odour,spotty skin,increased height,mood and behavioural changes.While Kim suggested in her video that it can start around the age of six to eight years old, Dr Howard suggested it’s usually a bit later – between eight to 13 years in girls and nine to 14 years in boys.“Adrenarche is not the same as puberty, but usually occurs alongside pubertal development,” she continued.“Puberty is the increase in oestrogen in girls and testosterone in boys that lead to development of adult body proportions, secondary sexual characteristics (breast or penis/testicle development) and ultimately fertility.”According to the Cleveland Clinic, adrenarche tends to lasts about two years – and then puberty begins. How can parents support their kids through this period?Dr Howard said it’s helpful to be aware of the hormonal changes that may be taking place at this age – and to understand that your child “may be experiencing mood or physical changes that are novel (and may be scary) for them”.Keep the lines of communication open. It can help to give kids a heads up about these bodily changes before they happen – or at the very least explain why it’s happening when the changes begin to take place. That way kids “do not feel that there is something wrong or unusual taking place”, added Dr Howard, who recommended giving kids “the time and space to discuss their feelings and concerns”.She said some parents worry their child will suddenly be going through puberty if they develop new body hair, but “it’s helpful to be able to reassure the child and parent that adrenarche is a common stage that can happen in healthy children as early as eight in girls and nine in boys”.The expert said parents who notice changes related to either adrenarche or puberty before the age of eight in girls or nine in boys should seek advice from their doctor.“While adrenarche before eight to nine years of age is usually not worrying and doesn’t need intervention, it is best to have this assessed by a GP,” she added.Kim concluded that you don’t have to “fix” your child if they’re feeling “extra emotional, reactive, or sensitive” during this period of development.It’s simply a good idea to be aware of the change – and to know that so many other parents and their kids are in exactly the same boat.Related...34 Tweets About The Unique Joys Of Parenting TweensI'm A Travel Pro, These Are The Best Holiday Destinations To Take Kids And Teens (By Age)This Is What 'Catches Almost Every Parent Off Guard' When Kids Become Teens

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