Talking to your Daughter about the first period is necessary. Every girl has a different reaction to her first period. These reactions can be comfortable, exciting, fearful, and even depressing. The reaction may be anything, but, is she prepared for her first menstruation in advance? During her menstruation, a girl goes through a lot of stress. Many girls are even intimidated because of insufficient knowledge about periods. But the girls who’re prepared for it does not have much nervousness about it. But, before doing that, make sure that you have complete information about this topic and how to address it. Also, make sure that you make this topic a conversation and not a discussion.
When children walk through their adolescence, they go through many physical and hormonal changes. But, a major change comes in the lives of young girls. Especially when their periods begin. Periods are a natural process every girl has to undergo it, beginning between 12 and 14 years of age. Although in many cases it can start even at eight years. There’s always a time in a mother’s life when she has to sit with her daughter and talk about Periods. This is the time when you are preparing your daughter from her normal life to a life with her monthly periods.
The beginning of menstruation in any girl’s life is an important thing. Always remember that the first period in a girl’s life has its physical and emotional impact. It is the first step to her journey from being a girl to being a woman. So she should be prepared for it by giving her proper guidance and information about it.
In This Article
The right time to tell your daughter about periods is before her first period. When your daughter is of almost eight years, you can begin by telling her about puberty and the physical changes taking place in her body. By now, she has also started noticing the hormonal changes taking place in her body. Until now, you will also have noticed the physical changes like hair growth and breast development in your daughter. Most mothers all of a sudden notices an increase in height and weight in their daughters. Also, about six to eight months before her first period, she might notice a clear discharge through her private part.
So you can now explain to her what is happening in her body. And tell her that these signs mean she’s stepping in her youth and may begin with her first periods soon.
The first step to begin a conversation is to find out how much she already knows about periods. Decide how much information is worth sharing according to her age and understanding. If your daughter seems uncomfortable or hesitant in talking about this topic then let her take her time. Try to make her comfortable first like a friend. Often, you can also get help from a book or a magazine to talk about this. You can also begin the conversation by talking about the sanitary pads advertisements shown on the TV.
Girls often talk about it in school with their friends. To begin with, first, choose a quiet place to sit together and talk without disturbance. Then tell your daughter about being young and being a woman. Tell her, that she will soon pass through a change or an experience that every girl of her age passes through in her life. Raise a question by asking her does she knows about it? Does she know what a menstrual cycle is? Try to know whether she has already had a conversation about it with her friends. Tell her about your own experience. Tell her how you and your friends used to talk about this. Find out how much your daughter knows about it. And if she has any misconceptions, then try to remove them.
After sharing every information with your daughter, naturally, you will be flooded with many questions. She may question you why periods are only for women, and not men? Why you undergo pain during periods? How many days does it last? Can she go to school or play?
Do not think that this one time-period talk is enough instead, keep the conversations going. It’s important to end your daughter’s worries and doubts arising in her mind in this regard. You need to give her the right information consistently.
Tell her everything about the use of sanitary napkins, disposing of them, their alternatives, and her hygiene. Explain to her the right way to using them and how often she should change it. Explain to her why she should wash her hands after every use of the bathroom. Guide her how and where to dispose of the used sanitary napkins. Explain to her the importance of cleaning her private parts and undergarments to avoid infections. Also, talk to her about the menstrual cups available in the market.
You can also read Home Remedies for Menstrual Cramps which covers various home remedies that you can use to ease your period pain.
It may not be easy talking to your daughter about the first period and answering her questions, but keep in mind that a little knowledge or half of the information is always dangerous. So tell your daughter the complete truth about the periods so that she’s left with no doubts in her mind and be prepared to embrace the new change in her life.
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