I was raised by my grandma, and I adore her, but when it comes to periods she’s definitely “old fashion”. I guess you could say she warned me about my period in her own subtle way, but I got far more information from friends at school than I did from her. And to tell you the truth, I really didn’t want to hear “that information” coming from my grandmother, it mortified me! I was always (and still am) totally embarrassed to talk to her about anything period related, and I attribute these feelings to the way she always made anything related to the subject seem so taboo.
When I finally did start my period on Easter Sunday when I was eleven years old I didn’t tell her. I used toilet paper to absorb my blood until I had a chance to sneak off to the store and buy a box of pads with my own money. I did everything I could to hide my period from her. Believe it or not, I still to this day have not told her I started my period, although four children later I’m sure she’s figured it out!
Now that I have three girls of my own (and one boy) I do everything I can to make sure my kids are informed and feel comfortable talking to me about everything.
All of my children have seen me change my pads, and when they asked why I was bleeding I very openly told them I was having my period, it’s normal and every girls has one when she gets older. I never made it a big deal, and it certainly is not a taboo subject in our house. When my oldest daughter (now 12) was in 4th grade, we went to a mother/daughter class together about menstruation & “the birds & the bees”, it was amazing. We had a wonderful, open talk after the class, and I was so happy to see she didn’t feel embarrassed talking to me about it.
Then, the day after the 4th of July when my daughter was 11 years old, it happened. She came to me and told me that she had started her period! I couldn’t help but tear up, but did my best not to get all sappy. I gave her a big hug and we went out for brunch & pedicures to celebrate! I am so happy that her experience was so much more positive than mine, and that she knows periods are certainly not taboo or anything to be embarrassed about.
So why am I sharing these stories with you? Because I want to encourage everyone to talk to their children about periods, it is so important. Just be open about it, and let your kids know at a young age that it’s normal, and certainly not taboo. Help your girls feel proud & excited about their period, and help your boys understand that it’s just a normal fact of life for girls. Break the chain of periods being taboo, your children, and future generations will thank you!
By Terri Babin
“Helping Moms Go Green, Without Going Crazy!”
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