I got my period at 10.5, and I'm 45 now. I was wearing Carter's underwear the day I got it, and I screamed like a wild person, yelling for my mom to come upstairs.

I did some really gross things like putting pads not in the trashcan when I was babysitting.

Help her. Talk about shaming a kid who doesn't know what is happening or how to handle! I remember crying one morning b/c my friends were going to the pool and I had my period. I wanted to wear a bad in my bathing suit. I know we discussed tampons, but it was a while before I used them. These are not those fun childhood memories I like to think about. And my mom was supportive and helpful. But when you're that young, at least when I was going through it, I was mortified and did not discuss with my friends.

And who the heck cares if she is an outlier? She has her period. What does being right or wrong on the statistics have to do with the question?

10 is really young. Cut her some slack. Buy dark underwear and/or buy cheap ones and throw them out. 10 FFS!

Anonymous wrote:Thinx!!!! They really do work, and take the whole mess issue off the table. It took me many years to deal responsibly with my period, and I didn’t start till 14.

This. I love mine! They are a backup to tampons for heavy days (prevent leaks) and fine by themselves for light days. For a young child, Thinx prob won't fit. Try Knixteen. Just bought some for my DD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow 10 is so young! I'm not surprised she isn't mature about it, she got it incredibly early.

What? 10 is very normal. On the early end of very normal, yes, but not “incredibly early.”

10 is an outlier. Sorry.

When we were young yes, but 11yrs old is the country’s average so 10 isn’t an outlier. It usually has to do with weight. 90 pounds is the trigger for puberty to kick in. There are girls taller than teachers in elementary now and we have weight issues as a country. Not to mention pricesssed foods and dairy filled with hormones.

1. But dark undies
2. Soak them in Clorox 2 for a couple of minutes before throwing them in the wash.
3. Talk with her about the importance of hygiene. Wearing over-soiled pads is bad from a health perspective and must stink.

Anonymous wrote:I had trouble with period stains, because schools are absolutely awful about bathrooms breaks. When you need a hygiene break, you need it even if it's not convenient, even if the teacher said wait 15 minutes, even if you went yesterday during math class. My mom had my back with the school, but it's tough when you're still young enough to want to hide it from your peers.

Nail on the head right there.

Mine had some issues with her first few due to some teachers with crazy restrictive bathroom policies.

Since the middle school she was in at the time kept them clustered and they only needed to change classes by moving between 2 hallways, they only got 3 minutes between bell rings to change classes. A few of her teachers felt that that was more than enough time to use the bathroom. Great in theory, perhaps, but factor in teachers not letting you pack up until the bell rings and then getting to the bathroom, waiting in line, etc. it just wasn't enough time.

My daughter started at a little past 11.5. I feel so bad for her each month. She was watching an ad for incontinence briefs the other day and was like, "Mom, look, those should be better than wearing pads. I put forward the idea of tampons but she strangely does not like that idea. It's gotten better since she found out that most of the girls in her class have started their periods and even discuss it in code. I bought these for her and it works in the sense that even when it stains, it doesn't leak through to her clothes and the stain washes out easily.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX9YYD3/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My daughter was 10 when she got hers. She's had it a year and a half now, and I still do the underpants-washing for her. You don't want them to feel shame around it (ie, ugh, this is so gross, can't you do it yourself?) I remind myself she is very young and it's a big responsibility and very unpredictable. It's a learning curve. I think by the time she's 12 she'll be taking it over herself. I just want her to see how it's done. I deal with it pretty matter of factly.

She's so little, have patience. Developmentally she is very young to deal with periods. You have to be her reminder this year. I'm hoping my daughter is a late bloomer so she doesn't have to deal with her period too early.

Anonymous wrote:Why are you scrubbing? Just tell her to designate some of her underwear as "period panties" and she will only wear those during her period, and no big deal if they get stains.

Also, why are you scrubbing? Just hold it under cold running water and the blood flows right off. Which is something she should be doing not you.

dp, Not if it has dried and she put it in the hamper for days.
But Mommy, make her clean her own drawers

If she has a phone or other electronic device - there are apps to track your period. My daughter told me about it. All her friends use it. It gives you a reminder when it is getting close so she remembers to have something - and to not wear light colors. This might help her to know when it might be coming. It tracks based on your history so it is pretty accurate once it has enough data.

For the people suggesting dark underwear, I'd like to offer some counterpoints.

I preferred lighter underwear so I could see when/where I leaked. Sometimes I couldn't quite tell, and would be mortified if it leaked through my pants and I didn't know.

I also wouldn't be satisfied that the darker underwear was cleaned as thoroughly. You can easily see if lighter underwear is stain-free and you can bleach it to make sure. But with darker underwear, you may not clean as thoroughly because you can't see the stains as clearly.

Just my thoughts!

Ps. I also started my period early (late 10 or early 11).

Omg hope I never have daughters. I was nearly 15 when I got mine.

10 is so young, it is probably too much for her to deal with.
Be patient and supportive OP.

Have her take care of the mess, matter-of-factly and non-judgmental. But it's her mess.