First period - how do you handle it with male members of family

[Anonymous]

My dd got her period for the first time. Handling it well. Did you tell their dad, male siblings. Do you discuss period out in the open? I grew up in a conservative household with this stuff so wondering what others do.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is the one who shared with everyone in the family. It is discussed openly in our house. No reason to hide it.

[Anonymous]

Follow your DDs lead. This is her body and decides when/how to share information about it. I would tell DH, but that’s it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is the one who shared with everyone in the family. It is discussed openly in our house. No reason to hide it.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is the one who shared with everyone in the family. It is discussed openly in our house. No reason to hide it.

Same.

same. We would be eating dinner, and DD would be grumpy. DS would ask her what's up? And she'd look at him grumpily and say, "I'm on my period." He understands. He has a gf. One time his gf came over, and she had not eaten much dinner, and when I went to talk to DS about something, she was asleep on his bed. I asked him if she was ok, and he said that she was on her period. TMI, but you get the drift. There's no "we don't talk about the unclean".

I grew up in a conservative household where my mom barely even spoke to me about my period. I never wanted that for my DD. I talk about everything with her. Yes, we've also spoken to DS at length about "safe sex"; he's 19.

[Anonymous]

I know that first periods are sensitive and I do not have daughters, but ever since my son was small he and my husband have picked up period supplies for me at CVS a few times per year. Sometimes they call or FaceTime to ensure they are getting the right thing. One time they went out on December 31st to spend a ton of our FSA dollars on basically an entire hand basket of period products. If I had a daughter I'd be sure to do this early and often to normalize that women have periods and that men don't have to act like that's some gross, alien, abnormal or funny thing.

[Anonymous]

I’m not going to not tell their dad but I will ask him not to mention it unless they do first. I doubt he would though, he’s pretty shy about that stuff.

[Anonymous]

we aren't conservative and we work in healthcare (nurse and doctor) which has meant we have always been very matter-of-face and clinical about bodily functions (from poop to periods to sex and whatever).

we never made a big deal when our girls got their first period (i didn't go out of my way to tell my husband or their brother) but neither did we hide it. it was a non-event.

[Anonymous]

My husband knows about periods and I have informed him About facts in our 15 years together.
My son has known about periods since the time he has been able to come into the women's lady room. Of course it's always been age-appropriate but now that he's a tween we talk very openly about things. Girls in his class are going through and how to respond appropriately. So yeah when my daughter gets her. She already knows all about it. We have a kit planned and all of them in our family. No one understand how to be supportive. It's a natural occurring event so I don't understand the taboo about talking about menstruation.... But we also talk pretty openly about our bodies and the changes that they will be going through. So we've had this type of relationship since they were born

[Anonymous]

We had sort of a "period party" where we celebrated her transition from girl to young woman with a lot of pomp and flair. We thought it was important to recognize the event with a grand celebration.

[Anonymous]

I asked my daughter if she wanted me to saying anything to my husband, only because he was out of town and they had a trip planned together in the near future. She asked me to tell him but said to tell him not to bring it up to her and she’d handle it.

We didn’t talk about her male brothers. At dinner that night one asked why she was in a bad mood and she openly said she got her period that day. He replied “oh” and that was it.

[Anonymous]

It's not taboo at all, but there won't be a family announcement, just like we don't announce when we poop or when I bought them their first bra or taught them to shave their legs. It's a bodily function. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had sort of a "period party" where we celebrated her transition from girl to young woman with a lot of pomp and flair. We thought it was important to recognize the event with a grand celebration.

So ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had sort of a "period party" where we celebrated her transition from girl to young woman with a lot of pomp and flair. We thought it was important to recognize the event with a grand celebration.

This is so interesting when compared to the non-event parents above. No judgment either way, just interesting that it’s so different,

[Anonymous]

We totally normalize discussing all such topics. I have an older daughter and younger son. I often think of my possible future DIL and the kind of spouse I would want my son to be her. This also sets up the kind of father he would be. It's part of my job to raise a decent man who respects women. Thankfully my DH also models this fairly well for a 55 yo. Not perfect mind you, but at least he models respectful effort.