Best way to start the discussion about menstruation/periods...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... 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.

Start with what she DOES know. She has never asked about why you have blood on your pad or what tampons are for or where babies come from or ANYTHING like that?

My 4 year old boy has a basic understanding of the above items. He knows babies stay in the uterus for approximately 9 months and when women dont have a baby in their uterus they have a monthly period like mommy. That when he was in my uterus as a baby I gave him air, food, and kept him safe and warm and my body did that using the extra blood that comes out when I dont have a baby in there.

And girls only get those once they are older. It is not a boo boo and it doesnt hurt that bad but sometimes I get a bad headache or feel really tired on my period. He knows about eggs in mommies. We talk about how some animal lay eggs and other animals, like mammals, have their eggs inside and then they grow in the uterus.

She needs to know about puberty. That it is normal. It will be different for everyone but by the time most girls are 15 they have their period so whether you start early or later, everyone is together in it eventually. She needs to know about the function of her system. She needs to know about the urethra, vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, etc. She needs to know that there are hormones in the body that start it every month and she needs to know the function of each of these. She needs to know once she starts her period, and even for a time before, she can get pregnant, so therefore, she needs to understand how babies are made. Not in explicit terms but by 9-11 she needs to know so that other people/kids with half-truths and lies dont distort her reality. It is nothing to be ashamed of and education is the one tool you have as a parent to prepare them. Be open about your own menstruation and dont talk about it in negative terms [ugh I cant wait until my uterus is taken out!!- she might think thats a possibility for her too ] but you can be realistic about the side effects. Make sure she knows the normal range of color of period blood and how much is actually coming out. Make sure she has access to pads and period underwear, a heating pad, etc.

I really like the website sexedrescue.com. It has lots of group topics and book recommendations as well as some articles with solid info.