Just wondering what you thought about this one, as I have been mulling over it (I have two dds).
In the last few weeks I have had a couple of conversations that made me think that the taboo about menstruation - that it mustn't be mentioned, that it is dirty and shameful - is still as strong as ever.
- I have a lillet in my car, just in case, and my friend got into the car and said 'oh, good job J (her 10 year old son) isn't here!'
- second friend expressed surprise that I leave my mooncup box (either empty, or the mooncup is in a little cloth bag) on a shelf in the bathroom. 'What if your father in law came round?' We then went on to discuss what we had told our children. Both my friends (one with 5 and 7 yo dss, one with 4 yo dd and 7 yo ds) said they would not let their children know that they were menstruating, they have always locked them out of the bathroom so they don't see. My friend with two ds's said one of her sons noticed some blood in the toilet once, and she did not tell him what it was. They both felt that telling their children about menstruation would be 'too disturbing' and 'upsetting' and 'scary'.
I was really surprised by this - I thought perhaps attitudes had changed but, judging by more small circle of friends, maybe not. Every few weeks we have a 'YUK! Mooncups! How revolting!' thread on here.
Why in the 21st Century is menstruation STILL such a dirty guilty secret among women?