menstruation taboo... strong as ever?

I am very open about menstruating with my children (DD1 is 7 and DD2 is 4). I never seem to get a minute in the toilet by myself so they have seen sanitary towels and my mooncup now I use one. They have borrowed party liners before to play with as nappies for their dolls.

They are not the least bit bothered and not very interested really in periods as they are so young. I want them to just grow up with the idea the same as they have grown up with the idea that everybody has bowel movements, boys and girls have different genitals, etc.

I think there is still a fairly general taboo. I hated the taboo more than the actual periods when I was young so try to be matter of fact with my own children.

Always keep a couple of tampons in bag just in case (although not a mo as pregnant). According to my african grey parrot they are the best toy ever - he will go searching through said bag and emerge triumphant with a tampon which he will then proceed to take appart. In the absense of tampons he now goes for the mobile phone :).

Never been aware of a taboo.

But I would not leave tampons, ladyshave, waxing strips, facial bleach , piles ointment, etc on the open bathroom shelf just because they are personal items, not because I am ashamed of them

If children don't ask about periods or how babies are made etc, are you supposed to bring it up yourself?

I had a policy of being open if asked, but despite me being pg last year dd(7) wasn't in the least bit curious. She loves science etc so I'm quite surprised, how long do you leave it before having a little chat? My sanitary products are left on the windowsill and apart from ds scattering the "rockets" all over the house, they go unnoticed .

I don't think it's as taboo as it was. Not among my circle anyway. I wouldn't announce it but I wouldn't hide it either.

my dd is 6 and I am currently trying to work out a way to let het in on it...she see my santitary towels...I dont hide them...but she is very sesitive about blood and I can't think how to tell her that blood comes out of me once a month and will also happen to her!

She freaks out at the mere sight of a drop on a cut knee.
I have never liked the way it's called "bleeding" ..its not really is it? It's more like "shedding"

Old womb lining coming away...but I can dress it up as much as I want...she will still see blood.

I don't know anyone who hides them though! My Mum used to ask me if I was "unwell" and did I need some "things" bless her!

I wouldn't change a tampon in front of ds, it should have said

I was putting a tampon in a few weeks ago and DD (21mo) had to be, as always , in the loo with me. Next day she picked one from a box and pretended she was doing the same (she was clothed, obv).

No taboos in this house, I wouldn't change in front of DS-he's 8 and it would be embarrasing for him- but I wouldn't shave my pubic hair in front of him, either, for the same reason, so nothing to do with menstruation per se. He has known about reproduction for ages, since he was 3 or 4.

blimey my son is ten this year

Boys learn about it at school, age 10, if they don't know already by then.

i'll play my sons that song 'only women bleed' will that do it

whoops sorry about the random £ sign

My first ever period was anticipated by my father. A real mans man "I'll get your mother" type of dad.

I remember having terrible backache and thought I was getting flu. My Dad turned to mum and quietly said "are you sure she's not getting her period?" and lo .... that afternoon he was despatched to buy sanitary towels.

I think boys need to be made aware of menstruation, its a fact of life ... a old friend of mines husband used to insist she stayed on the pill as he thought periods were dirty. They have a dd now, not sure how they managed that with his "£aversion".

I don't find this familiar either. My kids know what periods are.

When I have my period the tampons are handy just by the toilet. They just soak up body waste. Seems akin to keeping the toilet roll by the toilet.

I have never felt there to be a taboo.

It's not something I ever have any desire to chat about but maybe because my periods don't trouble me that much.

I hide away sanitary products ion teh same way I hide away spare toilet roll, kitchen roll or soap.

SOmething happened to my post. Damn.

i do say i have period pain loudly quite alot. maybe i should try at work would be interesting. though we only have about four blokes in my department

i had three older sisters and not one of those told me about periods either, i just sort of knew, school had two lessons maybe i understood from them. when i got my first period my mum said 'oh you;ve started then' and that was that

It's a thorny one in my house. Have discussed with DS and he's very matter of fact about it.

I appear to have married a complete dinosaur though. No sanitary products on show anywhere, no visible wings in bed, and he won't even pick up a shopping bag if they're in it

His attitude is fucking ridiculous and I've often told him so but he won't change

exactly, some things can be private without us announcing it just to be open

i had placenta previa and my son thought for ages that you bleed like mad when you go into labour. i did explain that

anyhow children aren't thick generally, they understand without us explaining it all in depth

In our house periods aren't a taboo subject but a private subject.

we don't really talk about periods in our house and i keep my mooncup tidied away rather than on open display but i don't think it's taboo, i was told very early but brought up not to talk much about menstruation or about bowel movements and i'm not really one to discuss pubic hair removal, not because it's taboo but because it's private.

i don't tell my office mates when i have my period. but i also don't tell them when i've had a shit or off to have one. both very natural but not really nice topics of conversation.