My son turned 12 two months ago (he's currently in 7th grade) and just last Friday, I took him to the pediatrician for his yearly check-up.
When it came time for him to "drop trou" so she could "check the plumbing", I was honestly shocked to see that he still shows no sign of development (and just a heads up, this is about to get slightly TMI but I don't want to leave any detail out that might be important).
In addition to having no leg, underarm, facial, or chest hair (which I already knew he didn't have), he also does not have any pubic hair.
Size wise, he's about 5'1" and a little on the a chubby side, but not fat per-se.
His private parts are still the exact same size as when he was a baby. Obviously I don't have an exact measurement but if I had to guess I would say that his penis a little under 2 inches (excluding his overhanging foreskin, which still can't be retracted at all).
His voice is still a soprano and he doesn't really have any muscle or a visible Adam's apple.
The odd thing about this though, is that he's average height and his face doesn't look any younger than the other boys in his class. But, from what I've seen at the pool, most of the boys in his class have hairy armpits already.
How rare is it for boys his age to still not have started puberty yet? I understand he's still young enough that it isn't a serious problem, but I don't think it's "normal" per-se.
In addition, I noticed that DS got really red in the face when the pediatrician acknowledged that he "still hasn't started puberty" and even after she reassured him that he was normal, he still seems really insecure about it.
I feel like this insecurity not only stems from comparing himself to other boys, but also from his twin sister. She's 4 inches taller than him, has worn a bra for 3 years, has shaved her underarms and legs for a year and a half, and has had her period (as of last month). I still remember when she got her first razor, he asked if he could have one too.
He's already very competitive with her, so I have a feeling he's really embarrassed by this.
Is there anybody that's had any experience dealing with anything like this that has any advice they can give on this? Thanks.
When it came time for him to "drop trou" so she could "check the plumbing", I was honestly shocked to see that he still shows no sign of development (and just a heads up, this is about to get slightly TMI but I don't want to leave any detail out that might be important).
In addition to having no leg, underarm, facial, or chest hair (which I already knew he didn't have), he also does not have any pubic hair.
Size wise, he's about 5'1" and a little on the a chubby side, but not fat per-se.
His private parts are still the exact same size as when he was a baby. Obviously I don't have an exact measurement but if I had to guess I would say that his penis a little under 2 inches (excluding his overhanging foreskin, which still can't be retracted at all).
His voice is still a soprano and he doesn't really have any muscle or a visible Adam's apple.
The odd thing about this though, is that he's average height and his face doesn't look any younger than the other boys in his class. But, from what I've seen at the pool, most of the boys in his class have hairy armpits already.
How rare is it for boys his age to still not have started puberty yet? I understand he's still young enough that it isn't a serious problem, but I don't think it's "normal" per-se.
In addition, I noticed that DS got really red in the face when the pediatrician acknowledged that he "still hasn't started puberty" and even after she reassured him that he was normal, he still seems really insecure about it.
I feel like this insecurity not only stems from comparing himself to other boys, but also from his twin sister. She's 4 inches taller than him, has worn a bra for 3 years, has shaved her underarms and legs for a year and a half, and has had her period (as of last month). I still remember when she got her first razor, he asked if he could have one too.
He's already very competitive with her, so I have a feeling he's really embarrassed by this.
Is there anybody that's had any experience dealing with anything like this that has any advice they can give on this? Thanks.