Best way to start the discussion about menstruation/periods...
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Anonymous
| ... for a 7 year old. I've kind of glossed over it before, but it's definitely time to have a more real conversation about it. My parents left that discussion up to the school, which obviously was a terrible idea. Appreciate any resources/books/etc. that have been helpful for you with your DDs. |
Anonymous
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American Girls book the Care and Keeping of You is the gold standard of puberty books for girls.
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Anonymous
| Agree with what the PP suggested. DD started hers right before her 10th birthday and knew what it was. There was no panic or tears. I showed her hot to put the pad on her underwear and how often to change it but the rest of it she was good. There’s a book called Hello Flo too, that’s a good one.. |
Anonymous
| Above PP again… this one HelloFlo: The Guide, Period.: The Everything Puberty Book for the Modern Girl https://a.co/d/e3IM7Q4 |
Anonymous
| Books are good but talk to your daughter. Its not shameful. She will take her cues from you. If you make it weird, she will feel weird about it. Also don't have just one big sit down, have little conversations here and there. Tell her about your experience. Show her where you keep your stuff. Its just another normal thing about the human body. |
Anonymous
Op here, totally agree! Just wanted to have some resources as well. |
Anonymous
+1 Books are great but she needs to know she can talk to you. I took my daughters with me to shop for tampons when I needed more. Over time they started asking questions that lead to more questions and lots of discussions about our bodies and the changes that will come. |
Anonymous
| I'm not sure I've talked with DD as much as I should but she's seen my supplies and knows what they're for. You could bring it up when unpacking the shopping. |
Anonymous
| Agree my mom made it weird and was so private about it when we were younger and then tried to have a big conversation and make it super special later on. Ugh. I’m matter of fact around my son if it comes up on occasion (I need to put supplies on the family grocery list, I’m feeling poorly due to cramps, etc) |
Anonymous
| Also when my daughter got to the time when we felt like it might start, I gave her a little pencil case with a pad in it that she could keep in her backpack so she didn’t have anxiety about what to do if it started at school. |
Anonymous
| I feel like the conversation naturally happened, usually in the bathroom. Little pieces here and there and eventually more detailed. Mainly bc when very young, we would be in bathroom stalls together when out and she would ask questions. |
Anonymous
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It wasn't a terrible idea that you learned about it in school
When she is likely facing this, btw, she's not coming to you. She'll talk to her friends. This is not a moral issue where parents need to inject themselves, it's biology. Of course be open to questions but you are years away |
Anonymous
I've heard some criticism of this one introducing the idea that you should hate your changing body. If your DD is feeling really secure about herself, a book all about how it's ok to feel weird about your body isn't maybe what everyone is looking for. |
Anonymous
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We talk about it in regular conversation here and there. As she's gotten older, I explain more. I have an IUD, so I don't get a period, but if you do, that would be one way to look for openings. If she's curious about the things you use etc, answer her questions as they come up.
Kids are curious, and if you don't shut down the conversation, this type of thing comes up really easily. Just watch for the openings. Like my 8 year olds asks when she's getting boobs. That's an opening to talk about puberty. That type of thing. |
Anonymous
+1 We gave our daughter a copy (of the version for younger girls), and she reads it from time to time and will sometimes ask a question about something she read. It's been a good way to start discussions at her own pace. |