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Women who've found themselves thrust into the throes of perimenopause know that symptoms in the years preceding actual menopause can be extreme. The family members who live with perimenopausal women are well aware of it, too, bless their hearts and stable hormones.

So when a tween boy talks about his mom's perimenopause period the same way a parent talks about their child going through puberty, it's an apt comparison. But when it's delivered with a deadpan delivery using terms like "cougar puberty," it's comedy gold.

Kristina Kuzmic and her 11-year-old son, Ari, hit the nail on the head with their video comparing perimenopause to puberty, and people can't get enough. Ari sits at a kitchen counter in a robe, coffee cup in hand, and says right to the camera, "My mom is going through puberty—cougar puberty. I knew this day would come—I just didn't think it would happen this fast."

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"This is a very confusing time in her life," Ari continues. "There are some complicated feelings. I don't even know if she knows how to process them all."

Uh, yeah. Accurate. The video goes on to cover "coug-erty" realities like mood swings, bodily changes, sleep disturbances, fashion choices, hormone replacement therapy, and shifts in attitude, all while Kuzmic cries over cheese, shaves her face, wears PJs and slippers to the store, and shoves ice down her shirt.

"At the end of the day, it's my job to love her through it and remind myself that this is all normal development," Ari concludes before telling his mom, "Growing up is tough, but I'm really proud of the woman you're becoming."

Menopause Hot Flashes GIF by Kino Lorber Giphy

Ari's delivery and Kuzmic acting it all out is perfection, and women who relate are sharing the video widely with commentary like:

"Calling menopause cougar puberty is hilarious and sounds so much better than menopause 🤣🤣"

"My mustache is coming in and soon my sons will be coming in too. At least we have something to bond over."

"BUT… why is this 100% accurate?!"

"This is so accurate! I haven't had this many bodily changes since I was a teen 😂😭"

"But why do I have to hit cougar puberty as my kids are hitting theirs? It's a perfect storm. 😵💫"

"I’m so glad that perimenopause is being talked about. I’m currently in menopause but would have loved knowing more years ago."

Menopause GIF by Better Things Giphy

Perimenopause is no joke, but it's something that simply wasn't talked about—or even studied on a large scale—until fairly recently. Most of us grew up hearing about menopause and learned that it's when women's menstruation ends. We may have heard hot flashes come along with that change, but that's about it. The fact that the hormonal changes start years before menopause happens and that there are dozens of possible symptoms—many of which no one would guess could be associated with it—has only been a recent revelation to the general public.

As Kira Merman writes for Yale School of Medicine, "Long-lasting misconceptions around menopause linger. A simplistic view of menopause as a sudden, binary change has shaped decades of inadequate care. We don’t expect any of our other organs to shut down overnight as we age; why is it that we’ve come to expect such an abrupt change for our ovaries?"

There have been more studies since the 1980s, when the term "perimenopause" first came into use, but some of the conclusions from the research have been confusing. For instance, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) became widely used up through the 1990s, but when some research showed it increased the risk of breast cancer and other health problems, its popularity dropped. Since then, more research and analysis has come out that counters those risks, but not all medical providers are fully educated on the subject. Considering that fact that half the population will eventually go through this transition, the lack of knowledge and training is bizarre.

Doctors need to be better prepared to help patients through perimenopause.Photo credit: Canva

Berman shares that even OB-GYNs don't receive adequate education on the subject: "A 2023 survey found that over 90% of obstetrics and gynecology residency program directors in the U.S. agreed that residents should have access to a standardized menopause curriculum, yet less than a third reported that their programs actually offer one. This critical knowledge gap risks leaving many health care providers ill-equipped to address menopause causes and symptoms effectively, ultimately compromising women’s access to appropriate care."

As helpless as many women feel during perimenopause, access to knowledgeable caregivers needs to change. In the meantime, we can keep talking about it and laughing about it. It's much better than crying into our cheese.

You can follow Kristina Kuzmic on Instagram and TikTok.