Talking to Your Daughter Before She Gets Her Period #KotexMom

It’s very important for parents to talk with their daughters about getting their period — even if their daughters don’t want to talk. No one wants to get a surprise at school in the middle of P.E. class. It’s no fun when you have an Uh-oh my period is here moment — what do I do now? In fact it can be downright embarrassing when the entire class is around. Fortunately this never happened to me, but a few friends of mine weren’t so lucky.

No one prepared them for that time in a girls life when her period comes. Their parents were too embarrassed to talk to them, which opened the door for some not so funny embarrassing situations. The most memorable was the P.E. class incident where one of the boys noticed a stain, and broadcasted it to the entire gym. If you’ve ever gone through a situation like this, then you know firsthand how difficult it can be returning to school the next day. Eventually, the teasing stops, but it’s still a horrible way to start off the school year.

So as parents how can we help avoid situations like the one above? Do what my mom did. It’s really simple, have “the talk” with your daughter sooner than later!

When I was growing up my parents always kept an open dialogue. We were encouraged to share our thoughts, opinions and to always ask questions. My parents prepared us for any and every topic they could think of, so that we wouldn’t go looking for answers in the wrong places. When it was time for “the talk”, we didn’t have a women’s only day to celebrate my womanhood (remember the episode when Rudy starts her period on The Cosby Show), we just talked. In fact we talked for hours. My mom shared stories of her first period, the types of products (Kotex) they used when she was growing and a number of interesting stories about my aunties, and their embarrassing moments. It was a day I will never forget that was both fun, and educational.

Those talks really helped. By the time I had to sit through that boring week of school, when you talk about puberty, I already knew what to expect and wasn’t embarrassed like some of the other kids in my class. These talks also inspired me to create an honest and open dialogue, that is age appropriate with my children. So by the time I had to have the period talk with my oldest, I was well prepared. And so was she.

As parents we want to be the ones to educate our children, but if you are uncomfortable let someone who isn’t step in. Remember that it’s never too early to talk to your daughters about their period, but it can certainly be too late. Keep in mind different messages resonate different with different kids, so always keep the communication lines open.

Over the next few months, as a U by Kotex Tween Ambassador I will be sharing information to help you prepare for your daughters first period. Visit helloperiod for information and tips; it is filled with helpful information for tweens and teens.

Do you think your daughter is too young to have the period talk? You may be wrong.

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.