Don’t put off having “The Talk” with your kids about the changes that come with puberty.

If you wait too long, they may learn the facts of life from kids on the school playground instead of from you.

“Certainly, it is nice to educate children before they go through it so they know what to expect,” said Dr. Naya Antink, a pediatrician for Saint Alphonsus Medical Group.

And that might be earlier than you think. The average onset of puberty, usually breast development in girls and testicular growth in boys, is ages 10 and 11, respectively.

But normal breast development can start as early as 8 years old, and some girls start their periods at age 10, although there is a lot of normal variation.

Kids, who often grow up on a sexualized diet of television and explicit popular music, may have questions that make parents blush. Be brave and answer as directly as possible.

If you can’t get the words out, buy a book or check one out from the library to help jump-start a conversation, Antink said.

Schools play a role, too.

The Boise School District teaches kids about their bodies in increasing detail as they get older.

Seventh-graders, mainly 13-years-olds, learn about changes in their bodies, while eighth-graders learn about the “basic structure and function of the reproductive system,” according to the district’s Web site.

Parents can opt to keep their kids out of parts of the abstinence-based health curriculum, but very few do, said Patti Bellan, health and physical education teacher at Riverglen Junior High School in Northwest Boise.

“We appreciate their trust in what we are doing,” Bellan said.

One of the best things parents can do to help their children through the seismic changes in their bodies and their minds is to give them ample opportunities to talk.

Parents also can help by reassuring kids that the changes in their bodies are normal.

“Normal” covers a lot of territory. Some boys may not get a growth spurt that takes them to their full height until they are 18 years old. On average, girls reach their full height by the time they are 15 years old.

In junior high, which starts at age 12, kids may push their parents to the sidelines. That time also is an integral part of their development, Antink said. Their friends take center stage.

Pediatricians can help ease transitions during annual checkups, she said. Checkups are recommended annually from ages 7 to 12.