There is a lot of territory between “a special celebratory moment” and “a horrible, scary, shameful time.” How about matter of fact support?

Anonymous wrote:Looking for a gift to get my daughter for her first period. I want it to be a special celebratory moment for her and not a horrible, scary, shameful time. She's 12 and it can come tomorrow or in 2-3 years. It wouldn't hurt to have a gift just ready and waiting. Any ideas? Her interests are video games. LOL! So nothing related to what she likes is very helpful.

This is a thing? Periods aren't shameful, but they're nothing to celebrate unless you're worried about an unplanned pregnancy.

This is a terrible idea. My daughter is younger than yours and got her period this summer. She was upset despite all of our talks and books. She wanted to be left alone.

Instead I had a few boxes of pads ready and in the bathroom so they were day when the day came. I reminded her that she could try them out and difference between pads and panty liners. We went through all this before but now it was real. I bought several kinds of period underwear but she didn’t want them snd has never wore them.

As for a present, she would have hated the attention. She wanted to watch tv all day and have take out for dinner so we did that. She was in a better mood the next day but has never wanted a lot of attention about this. 6 months later she’s not ashamed but wants to treat it as any other day.

What about a sticker book like the ones we used to give our kids for pooping?

The only “gift” either of my kids ever wanted was for me to quietly buy whatever supplies they put on the shopping list each month and otherwise mind my own business.

Give her tye gift of you finally budding out

This is common in many Asian and African cultures. Maybe ask them what they do if you are not already a part of that culture, OP.

Aleve, microwavable hot pack, and other supplies. Give soon. A present is weird.

This is really weird.

Anonymous wrote:The book about puberty that I gave my DD has a section about gifts girls might get for their first period, including a pearl necklace or (I kid you not) a dinner out with Dad. Just no, I can’t believe this is a thing.

OP, get her some basic supplies and yourself a case of wine and a few boxes of tissues, cause it’s about to get hard(er).

A pearl necklace. Omg no. It has such a bad sexual connotation.

A gift for getting a period?

In normal times, I would suggest getting a manicure together or going for a nice lunch. But a video game seems materialistic and has nothing to do with “growing up.”

I was super duper excited to have a box of every type and brand of pantiliner, pad and tampon. Like I remember staring at the box and reading instructions. And I had a book about a girl getting her period and how it was normal and okay.

Some of those makers of period panties -- Thinx is one, I think -- may have baskets of panties/useful things for the occasion. But I like the PP idea that mom gets the supplies and makes them quietly available before the event happens. As far as I know(?), no girl wants a celebration for this. Celebrate something else, like her 13th birthday, but please let the girl have privacy when it comes to her body functions!

My mother convinced my dad he should congratulate me at the dinner table. I was mortified!

Don’t do it.

I love this idea and this is very common in some Asian cultures. Traditionally the father will bring home flowers and have a small celebration at home. How about cake, chocolates, and then a pretty pouch with a few period essentials inside (thick period underwear, pads, wipes, etc.)?