Early enough
to know.

Perhaps you are becoming taller, growing hair in new places, sweating more or noticing that your breasts are tender. These can be signs of puberty. Puberty is the years when the body gradually develops from a child's body into a more adult body.

You may get pimples and notice clear, white or slightly sticky fluid in your underwear. This fluid is called vaginal discharge and comes from the vagina, a soft passage with an opening between your legs. Changes can happen at different speeds for different people. You can ask an adult or school nurse about what you notice.

When breasts begin to develop, you may feel a small firm or tender lump underneath the nipple. This is called a breast bud. One breast may begin growing before the other or grow a little faster.

This means your breasts may look different for a while. Small differences between breasts are also common later on.

Between your legs are folds of skin and several openings. The whole area is called the genital area. The outer parts are called the vulva. The folds of skin are called the labia. At the top, where the inner labia meet, is a sensitive part called the clitoris.

Pee leaves through a small opening called the urethral opening. Slightly below it is the vaginal opening. This leads into the vagina, a soft passage inside the body. Period blood and discharge, which is fluid the body makes, come out here. Shape, size and colour vary from body to body.

If you notice clear, white or slightly sticky fluid in your underwear, it may be vaginal discharge. This fluid comes from the vagina. The vagina is a soft passage that begins at an opening between your legs and continues inside the body.

The fluid helps keep the vagina clean. It can look different from day to day. Many people begin having discharge as their body develops during puberty, often before their first period. If you also have itching, burning or pain, tell an adult.

Your skin contains small glands that produce sweat. Sweat helps your body cool down when you become hot. During puberty, some sweat glands can become more active. Your clothes may therefore get damp under your arms, and your body odour may become different or stronger than before. This is a common part of bodily development.

Puberty is the period when the body gradually develops from a child's body into a more adult body. How much you sweat can vary. You can ask an adult about washing, clean clothes and what can help if sweating bothers you.

The skin contains tiny openings called pores. It also contains glands, small parts that produce substances including oil. The oil protects your skin. As your body begins to develop during puberty, these glands may produce more oil. If oil and old skin cells block a pore, a pimple may appear. Skin cells are the tiny parts that make up your skin.

Some people get lots of pimples, while others get few or none. You can wash your skin gently. If the pimples hurt or bother you a lot, an adult can help you get advice or treatment.

One day you might see red or brown blood in your underwear. This may be your period. Inside your body, low in your tummy, is the uterus. It is a small, hollow organ with muscles in its walls. An organ is a part of the body with a particular job. The uterus is where a baby can grow before being born.

The body builds up a soft lining inside the uterus. When a baby begins developing inside the uterus, it is called a pregnancy. If a pregnancy does not begin, parts of the lining come away. Blood and small pieces of the lining pass out through the vagina, a soft passage with an opening between your legs. This bleeding is called menstruation, or a period. It usually begins while the body develops during puberty.

A pad is a soft absorbent product that sticks inside your underwear and collects period blood. Period underwear is made to absorb blood. You can use either of these when your first period begins.

Ask someone you trust to help you find what you need. That could be your mum, dad, another carer, a sibling, someone else in your family or a school nurse. If you are unsure where the blood is coming from, tell them that too.

Find someone you trust and make a small period kit together. It might contain pads or period underwear, a spare pair of underwear, a small bag for used underwear and an extra item of clothing if you want one. You can keep the kit at home, in your school bag or somewhere else where it is easy to find. You can make it with your mum, dad or another adult who looks after you, an older sister or brother, aunt, uncle, grandparent or another adult you trust.

Aching or cramps low in your tummy can happen when you have your period. A period involves blood and small pieces of a soft lining from the uterus. The uterus is a small hollow organ low in your tummy, with muscles in its walls. The muscles tighten and relax to help the blood leave. This can feel painful.

The blood passes out through the vagina, a soft passage that ends at an opening between your legs. Some people have very little pain, while others have more. If the pain makes school, sleep or everyday activities difficult, tell an adult. A doctor can help find the cause and discuss treatment.

Perhaps your heart beats faster when you are frightened, you feel hot and clench your hands when you are angry, or you want to cry when you are sad. Feelings are reactions to what happens around you, what you think about and what you remember. You can notice them both in your thoughts and in your body.

You can feel several emotions at the same time. You can start by telling someone how it feels and get help from an adult to find the words that fit.

Feelings do not always come one at a time. You can be both excited and scared before your first day of school, happy and sad when something changes, or angry and upset after an argument. Several feelings can exist at the same time without any of them being wrong.

When you feel very scared, angry, sad or stressed, your body may react quickly. Your heart may beat fast, your tummy may tighten, your body may feel hot, shaky or tense, and you may want to cry, shout, walk away or become completely quiet. When this happens, it can help to find a little calm and support before you try to understand what happened.

Some people like being with someone they feel safe with. Others find it helpful to move their body, go for a short walk, draw, write, listen to something calm or take a break from whatever became too much. If feelings often become so strong that they make school, sleep, friendships or everyday things difficult, it is important to tell someone.

Puberty is the years when your body gradually becomes more adult. During this time, many changes happen in your body, brain and the life around you. You may start thinking more about who you are, friendships may change and your body develops.

Some people notice that feelings become stronger or change more quickly than before. What happens at home, at school and with other people also matters a great deal.

A boundary is what tells you whether something feels okay or not okay for you. Boundaries may concern hugs, touching, games, comments, pictures or other things. You can say no, say stop, move away or tell someone if something does not feel right. You can describe what happened using the words you know.

What we call a boundary is the difference between what feels okay and what does not feel okay for you. Boundaries may concern your body, your things, your room, who is allowed to be close to you, what you want to join in with or how others speak to you. Different people may have different boundaries.

What feels okay to you may be different for someone else. This means we cannot always know what others like without asking or noticing what they show us. Respecting boundaries includes listening when someone says no or stop, or shows that they want more space.

You might want a hug or to play a game once, and choose something different next time. You can change your mind while something is happening. You can say stop, move away or explain that you no longer want to continue. Other people are allowed to change their minds too.

People react differently when something does not feel right. Some can say no straight away. Others may become quiet or freeze because their body reacts to discomfort or fear. That is why it is important to stop if someone else does not seem safe or interested, and to ask if you are unsure.

You can ask: 'Would you like a hug?' Wait for the answer. If the other person wants one, you can hug. If the person would rather wave or say hello, you do that instead. Both people can choose to let go whenever they want.

Perhaps you are tickling each other or playing a rough game. A friend says 'stop' or moves away. Then you let go and give them space. If you are unsure, you can ask: 'Do you want to carry on, or shall we do something else?'

You can listen and say: 'Shall we find an adult together?' If a situation seems frightening, go to a safe adult and explain what you have seen. It is the adult who should help and make sure everyone is safe.

Touch means someone making contact with your body, for example with their hand or a hug. A hug you want can feel nice and safe. You can change your mind and say stop.

If someone touches you in a way that makes you frightened, worried or unsure, you can tell an adult you trust. You can also tell them if it felt okay at first or if you went quiet and could not speak up. How your body reacted is not your fault.

Sometimes you need help with washing, treating a wound or being examined at the doctor's. The adult should explain what is happening and listen to you. You can ask questions and say if something hurts.

Perhaps you want to close the door when you change clothes or keep a diary to yourself. These are examples of privacy. Private means that something belongs to you or that you want to keep it to yourself.

You can learn the names of all your body parts and ask questions about every part. This makes it easier to explain where something hurts or what happened. You can also talk to an adult about something private when you need help.

If a secret makes you frightened, sad, stressed or unsafe, you can tell a safe adult. You can tell your mum, dad or another adult who looks after you, a teacher, school nurse, someone in your family or another safe adult. You can tell someone even if another person has said you are not allowed.

You can start with a simple sentence such as 'Something happened that I did not like', 'I am in pain', 'I'm frightened' or 'I'm not sure how to explain it'. A safe adult can help you with further questions. You can also write it down or show someone a message if saying it aloud is difficult.

In a good friendship, you can enjoy being together, listen to one another and say what you think. Both of you can have other friends and interests. You can disagree and still be friends.

If a friend repeatedly decides whom you can spend time with, excludes you or pressures you to do things, you can talk to an adult. The adult can help you work out what you want to do.

Perhaps you want to play different games, or a friend has said something that upset you. When you have both calmed down a little, you can tell each other what happened and what you want. For example, you could say: 'I felt upset when you left without me.'

You can listen to one another and try to find a solution. An adult can help if you get stuck or feel afraid to talk to your friend.

Perhaps others walk away together without you, you are not invited, nobody sits beside you or you feel that you do not belong. Feeling left out over time can be very painful. If it happens often, you can tell an adult you trust at home or at school.

Being picked on can involve words, teasing, exclusion, rumours, pushing, messages or other things that make you feel unsafe or sad. When this happens again and again or you feel you cannot stop it yourself, adults need to know about it. You can tell a parent, teacher, school nurse or another adult you trust.

You have a right to feel safe and well at school. Adults at school must investigate what is happening and help improve the situation. You can speak up the very first time something makes you feel unsafe.

Perhaps adults argue a lot, someone at home is having a difficult time, you feel unsafe or you are worrying about something. You can tell a safe adult what is happening at home and how you feel. You can talk to an adult outside your home if you need support.

You may worry about a friend, sibling, parent or someone else. Perhaps the person seems very sad, frightened or different from before. You can share your worries with a safe adult and work out what you can do together. You can tell a safe adult and ask for help.

You can choose to end conversations and not reply to messages that make you worried. You have control over your own pictures and can ask a safe adult for help if someone keeps asking or pressuring you. If someone sends, says or asks for something that frightens or worries you, you can show it to an adult you trust.

Some body parts are private, such as your bottom, genitals and breasts. Genitals are the parts between your legs, such as the vulva or penis. If someone touches these parts for their own purposes, wants to look at them or asks you to touch their private body parts, this may be sexual abuse. That means someone is doing something sexual to a child that they are not allowed to do.

This can happen with someone you know or love, even if nobody hits or threatens you. You can tell a safe adult what happened, including if you did not say no or the person told you it must be secret. The person who commits the abuse is always responsible.

A safe adult should listen, try to understand and help you with what happens next. You can tell a little at a time. You can also write it down or show a message on your phone.

Sometimes the adult needs help from other adults to keep you safe. If the first adult does not understand or help you, you can tell another. You can ask: 'What happens now?' or 'Who do you need to speak to?'

It could be your mum, dad or another adult who looks after you, an older sister or brother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, teacher, school nurse, doctor or another adult you trust. It does not always have to be the same person. If the first adult does not understand or help you, you can try telling another.