BloomBox
2022
Today, children are faceing significant health risks influenced by the social environment. This project is focused on addressing premature puberty in children, offering a fun and educational approach to help them navigate bodily changes with greater confidence and ease.
Precocious puberty
Increasing early puberty in China
Studies are showing that the onset of puberty for both boys and girls is occurring earlier and earlier, a phenomenon defined as precocious puberty.
Figure 1.A) Breast development stages at different ages in girls. B) Testicular volume at different ages in boys. C) Pubic hair development stages at different ages in girls. D) Pubic hair development stages at different ages in boys.
Figure 3.Probability curves for breast, genital, and pubic hair development, and menarche in Chinese children.
Research and interviews have revealed that children with precocious puberty are at a higher risk for psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. For instance, these children may experience teasing or bullying because their physical development differs from that of their peers. This can lead to heightened psychological pressure and difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation, which can ultimately impact their behavior, learning, and social adaptability.
The main challenge of early puberty in children is that they struggle to understand and accept physical changes beyond their age. Therefore, the key is to help children naturally understand their body changes and develop a healthy sense of self-awareness and acceptance.
However, in China, many parents tend to avoid discussing sexuality education due to cultural or traditional beliefs. This lack of communication can further increase children's confusion and anxiety. Bloombox uses stories and toys as a medium to help parents and children engage in Comprehensive Sexuality Education more naturally.
Children can choose different toys to play corresponding growth stories, helping them understand emotional management, body changes, and puberty knowledge. Parents can freely select and combine different story toys based on their child's developmental stage. Bloombox not only allows children to face their changes with a healthy mindset but also provides parents with an effective communication tool. It helps reduce parents’ discomfort in education and enables children to build a healthy self-identity and acceptance through independent exploration.
