My daughter is almost 12 and is in the first year with all girls aged 12 and 13. You see the girls taking shape and seeing them struggle with it. With my daughter, everything is still fairly shapeless, which usually means that she will not have her period for a while. But I still see (still mainly) mothers struggling with how to discuss this. Because how do you prepare your daughter for her period?
How did that actually work for me in the past? I was the oldest so it wasn't like I had already learned it from my older sister or something. I really don't remember my mother having a conversation about this with me, and unfortunately she is no longer here to check. I knew immediately what was going on when I saw a few drops of blood on the bath mat before I got into the shower. And I also knew that I had to look for sanitary pads. I was 12 years old just a few weeks ago.
My mother probably told me something, and I read it in girls' magazines that a friend of mine subscribed to.
Make the advice about menstruation practical
It's quite common for girls to not want to talk about their periods, because their bodies are changing, and this is often accompanied by shame. 'Embracing femininity' is nice, but they are still very young for that. First it would be nice if it were normalized.
It's best to talk to your daughter about menstruation in a practical way: 'I don't know if you want to hear it, but if you're getting your period soon, just know that it's normal. Look, I'm probably laying out tampons, sanitary towels and menstrual underwear here. You can also put a sanitary pad in your school bag, in case you get your period at school. And if you leak at school, you can call in sick and come home.'
If the time comes, don't make it a solemn moment, neither will Dad. If your daughter wants to talk about it, you will notice it.
Family members may awkwardly comment on a girl's changing body: "You're getting boobs already!", and recently I heard an uncle say, "Did Dad hit you on the back too hard?" Do not. Would you also say this to an adult colleague? No, don't do that.
I have already bought a very nice book by Milli Hill for my daughter; It's called ' Cycle Superstar '. In this book Milli tells everything about the cycle and menstruation in a very accessible manner
kidney. She can learn from this how her cycle works and why, and also what positive energy she can get from it. Something I only learned very late. This book can be ordered from Samsara Publishers via the link.
Useful tools
You can also point them to menstruation tracker apps. These are apps in which you enter the dates on which you have your period, and the app will then predict when you are in which phase of your cycle. In combination with the information from the above book, your daughter can keep track of when she is most creative, or when it is best to stay home with a good movie or a good book. Good apps for this are: Clue , or Period Tracker .
Break the taboo
If your daughter is open to talking about her period, you might be able to take it a little further in terms of feelings; "I know it will feel weird, at least I thought it was pretty weird myself, but you can ask me anything." You prefer to discuss the subject as normally as possible, including with other family members at the table, for example. And if you don't think it's a fresh topic during dinner, you can also do it after dinner at the table. It's nice if it can be discussed, and it's also good to say that many people find it very exciting, but that all girls start menstruating and that it is actually very strange that it is so exciting.
Then maybe you can explain a little about what your period is and what feelings can come with it. Also good for the rest of the family to know this. By discussing it openly and in a positive way, you contribute to the overall experience surrounding the subject and help to remove it from the taboo atmosphere.
It would be nice if no one ever had to ask in a whisper: "Do you have a tampon?" Every person with a uterus will menstruate at some point (provided everything works properly), approximately half of the world's population will have their period at some point.
During the first period of menstruation, it can sometimes be quite heavy in terms of bleeding, which can have a serious impact. If you want to know more about this, read our blog about heavy menstrual bleeding .
Period pants for a teenager
Moodies has developed Period Proof underwear especially for teenage girls . These menstrual pants collect menstruation without the need for tampons or sanitary towels, and are made of soft bamboo. They are available in black, blue and pink. Rinse, wash and wear again. That's what you want for your daughter and her period, and it saves the environment a whole mountain of waste.
Try it and if you don't like it you can return it within 40 days. We only want satisfied customers.
And menstruation is the most normal thing in the world!
