Was anyone else’s DM really weird about periods when they were younger?

[BiscoffAddict]

I’ve just been thinking about this randomly today. When I was younger and lived at home I wasn’t allowed to leave my packets of sanitary towels anywhere my DF or DB could see them. DM insisted that they shouldn’t have to look at them and she’d go mad if I ever so much as left a wrapper lying about. So they lived in my knicker drawer in my bedroom. But then I’d go to other people’s houses, use the loo and see packets of tampax or whatever on the bathroom shelf next to the other toiletries.

Then last year I moved back in during lockdown and without thinking left a packet of sanitary towels on the dining room table after I’d been shopping. She snapped at me to move them quick ‘in case your Dad sees them’ because obviously seeing a packet of always ultra is going to cause him distress isnt it? God knows what she thinks when she goes to DB and DSIL’s house and uses their look because DSIL leaves hers on a shelf next to her shampoo etc, you know like normal people do.

It’s such a weird attitude to have and it feels worse now time has gone on. Was anyone else’s DM the same?

Yep. In our house we pretended none of that happened. I won't be doing it that way with my girls.

That is weird but judging from threads on here previously not all that uncommon. My mum was pretty open although as a teenager I would have been mortified if she had left sanitary products out 😂 my dad wasn’t bothered either though. Now I don’t care, I will happily answer questions if the DC see any packets around, they’re still quite young and haven’t asked much so far. My husband also isn’t bothered and doesn’t mind me talking about my period. Not that I do a lot, just a moan here or there.

Yes me too. My mum came round and was shocked that I had tampons and liners visible in a basket near the loo.

Oh god yeah. My DM still refers to monthlies and thingies for sanpro. Still gives me the rage.

I make no effort to conceal sanpro in my house, my son can deal with it.

Yes!

Yes to the having to smuggle them in and out of the bathroom! I often wonder if she tells me DF to ‘look away’ when they are out shopping and have to pass the feminine products. She was a bit funny about stuff like that in general and would stuff like ‘your nan is having trouble underneath’ rather than saying she had gynae problems.

My mother never even spoke to me about periods and stuff. Never bought me sanpro at all

@DDIJ

I remember discussing this with a schoolfriend in primary and we both concluded men didn't know about periods, such was the weirdness.

My DB once had my female cousin and I and hysterics when he said that we ‘have a wee in tampax’. He really did think they were like nappies. This was in the 90’s and he would have been about 12 at the time.

My dm never told me about periods... Luckily I started as a friend's house and her dm sorted me out.
Dm never refered to protection as anything other than 'things'..

My DM was definitely weird about it. Once I got into trouble as I’d left my wardrobe door open in my bedroom, and my DF or DB could have seen my pack of sanitary towels on my shelf had they walked past.
Her attitude made me treat my own DD in a very different manner. I never had to give her a talk about periods and related topics, as it all happened gradually and naturally as questions arose. I also never hid anything from my DD either. She once told my DM that ‘Mummy takes tablets to stop her having babies.’ She was about 4 at the time and that did not go down well with my DM at all! She told me off for that too!

Not so much about hiding them (we were regularly sent to the corner shop with a note for her big squishy packs of Happy Shopper sanitary towels) but she was very odd about us girls using tampons.

She openly disapproved, and stated she 'didn't believe in them'. Like they were the tooth fairy or something

Yes, I remember by mum and both my step mothers being weird about leaving them out. My ex DH was NEVER bothered about stuff like that, he’d buy them for me, talk about them etc. Never been an issue.

My mother turns the tv channel if an ad for sanitary products comes on.

My mum nevee talked about them to me at all (or anything else important for that matter...). Thank God I read magazines.

@ShirleyPhallus

My mother never even spoke to me about periods and stuff. Never bought me sanpro at all

Neither did mine. I found out about periods from my friends older sisters. Then I’d either have to buy my own san pro out of my pocket money or pinch hers from her drawer, then she’d notice and buy me a new packet. But she would never think to pick me some up otherwise. How much easier and better it would have been had we had a basket in the bathroom that was topped up regularly and I could help myself to when needed?

Gosh yes, it baffles me to this day. Me and my sister both had to hide always in our knicker drawers and even our the used ones in a plastic bag in the drawer too and empty it at the end of the week.
There is something quite empowering for me to be able to just leave the packets avaliable in the bathroom now.
I will be an open book with both my children on the topic, one day my daughter will have them and one day my son may marry a woman who has them, so they both need it normalised

My mum was weird about periods as well. I remember her literally breaking out in a sweat when she was explaining them to me (I knew about periods already by then 🙄). And I distinctly remember her saying we weren't to use tampons because they had to retrieve lost ones out of girls "all the time"!! She was a nurse/midwife too

Yes very strange. Never spoke to me about it. When I complained about period pains I was told my grandma had a prolapse and never complained, so I should consider myself lucky. My mother in most ways is reasonably normal, and I'm only 42 so it's not like this was in the dark ages!

Yes, my mother was exactly the same. Not allowed to leave sanitary products in the bathroom, wasn't allowed to mention the word 'period' in front of my father and two brothers at all. Had to flush all used products down the toilet. Wasn't allowed to use tampons as that would mean 'I was no longer a virgin' ...

I started using tampons when I was 18, still living at home...but by that point I was buy my sanitary products myself so there was nothing she could do about it. I last stayed with my mother when I was 41, left my tampons in the bathroom...she still really wasn't happy with them!

Mine denied it was happening. Never ever spoke about it. She never bought me Sanpro resulting in me feeling shit about asking for it, so I bought it myself or used loo roll. When my girls were about 10, I filled up a basket with all sorts of san pro, wipes and bio bags. Also put a bin in their rooms as well as the bathrooms. You can probably understand why I went all out on the subject

Yes!
We weren’t allowed to have them visible. Had to be smuggled in and out of the bathroom.
She was also very anti tampon.
Thought it was normal till I went to friends houses and they had pads and tampons on display in the bathroom.

@SharpLily

Yep. In our house we pretended none of that happened. I won't be doing it that way with my girls.

Yep

And DM called it The Curse

I had to get the sanpro I needed from her drawer, and it just wasn’t up to what I needed.

Yep mine was useless about it. No help whatsoever. Had to hide them, wasn't told how to use or dispose of them. Shame all round.