When do I talk to my kids about Puberty?

I have three children: 2 girls and 1 boy. My oldest, an 11-year-old girl, has been instrumental in building In Full Bloom, MD. She’s been a sounding board. She reviewed the powerpoint and tested the workbook. She's the preteen authority of "cringe" or "slay." She’s also had her own puberty talk experience and could explain puberty to anyone at this point; The perks of having an OBGYN for a mom.

The youngest is 5, not ready yet to know what puberty is, but old enough to know when I get my pink scrubs on at night, it’s time for a “Pink Talk.”

My son is 9 and he has his own puberty journey, but he still needs to know about girl puberty. It's important with all of our inspiring outreach to females that we not forget our boys. Boys care so deeply for their mothers and sisters, and hopefully, eventually future partners. We want them to know about bleeding and period products to avoid confusion or embarrassment. If I've learned anything about parenting a boy, it's that they have lots of questions. The topic of Girl puberty has been no exception. 

-Dr. Quin