Reply to What age to explain periods to a girl?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Another from probably age 2.  I let my kids be in the bathroom with me, they've seen the tampon string, so we've discussed it in an age appropriate way.

Getting my period felt a bit shameful / like something to hide for me.  I don't think intentionally on my Moms part, just the outgrowth of not really talking about it. So I'm really hoping to avoid that with my girls and they see it as just another of those things that happens / changes for then as their body moves from being a girl to being a woman.  Plus I figure they are easier to talk to now then they will be at the time![/quote]

Sorry to be a dunce, but can someone please be more explicit about an age appropriate way to talk about this with 2/3/4 y olds? How did you phrase it? [/quote]

I'm an earlier PP.  When DD has seen me holding a tampon or pantiliner and asked what it is, I've told her the name.  She saw blood in the toilet once and I explained that it wasn't blood like I was hurt but was a special blood that helps a baby grow in the mommy's tummy.  And since there's no baby in mommy's tummy right now, I didn't need it.  "It's period blood, not real blood" was how I termed it.

Very fact based, non judgmental.  Not using made-up words, but still making the concepts as simple as possible.  [/quote]

PP you quoted here, and our conversations have been pretty similar.  To be honest I didn't think about it in advance - just answered questions as they came up, and tried to follow my kids lead about how much information to give at any particular time.  I think I referred to the tampon as similar to a bandaid, and that it was like how you used a bandaid for a cut.  When my daughter sort of pulled back I followed up with an explanation that it didn't hurt like a boo-boo.  Then some of the information on the body preparing for a baby as a response to the 'but why?' follow up question.  But I'd say those more detailed conversations have happened more in the last year or so since my oldest was 5-6.  Of course, since I always have a menagerie around when I'm using the bathroom the 4 year old has heard the conversations as well.

And it's really just been a part of some broader conversations about body changes that happen as kids turn into adults: growing breasts, hair in other places than your head, boys and girls starting to be more different physically, etc.  [/quote]

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