How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her First Period

A girl's first period is a special event and should be treated as such. A little girl should never be made to think that her menstruation is a sad event. Menstruation, which usually occurs when a girls is 12 or 13 but can happen any time between she is 10 and 16, is a rite of passage into womanhood and a cause for celebration.

Instructions

    • 1

      Answer her questions honestly. If you are having a period then they are going to see your sanitary napkins and may inquire about them. They may even start asking questions about their own bodies when they are just toddlers. For example, your daughter may ask why only girls have periods. Explain that boys change in different ways during puberty. Answering truthfully and providing a good foundation about human anatomy will help her accept menstruation when it does come.

    • 2

      Make small mentions of menstruation over a long period of time, rather than having one overarching "talk." You should constantly discuss puberty and the changes she can expect as she starts to reach that age, and even before.

    • 3

      Sound excited and enthusiastic when you explain her passage in to womanhood, and be sure to show this excitement when it comes to your own cycle. If you have a negative view toward your period, your daughter likely will pick up on that and come to resent it as well.

    • 4

      Remind your daughter that every girl's first period is different and comes at different ages. She should be looking forward to that day. Clap and hug her when it happens, but make sure no boys are around.

    • 5

      Help your daughter be fully prepared. Demonstrate how to put a pad on by using a clean pair of underwear and allowing your daughter to pull off the strip and stick it to the panties. Also show her a tampon and describe how it works, so she can decide which sanitary product she would prefer.

    • 6

      Spur a conversation if your child is reluctant to ask you questions about menstruation. Good times to strike up a conversation would be if you see a commercial on TV advertising PMS medication or while walking down the feminine hygiene aisle at the store.

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