Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy sanpro and leave them in the classroom

171 replies

HighwayDragon1 · 07/02/2016 18:10

I buy pads (just tesco value ones) and leave them in my classroom, in case any of them are caught short, I buy about one pack a month. The girls know where they are if they need them.

DP thinks it's weird, that the parents should buy them and it's not my responsibility. Now its not, but sometimes you just come on and school must be the worst place for it to happen.

It's not weird is it? How would you feel if your daughters teacher gave her a pad? Is it a line I've crossed? I'm questioning it now.

This is secondary school.

OP posts:
LIZS · 07/02/2016 18:11

If you don't have a school nurse or office which offers them on request it seems very sensible.

VimFuego101 · 07/02/2016 18:11

No, I think it's a good idea.

NorksAreMessy · 07/02/2016 18:11

You are a kind person. I would have no problem with this at all and be grateful that someone was caring for my DD

ivykaty44 · 07/02/2016 18:11

It's not a line crossed it called looking out for each other and knowing that feeling of doom.

Your dp has never had the feeling if doom and so wouldn't have a flipping clue

monkeysox · 07/02/2016 18:12

That's lovely of you Flowers

Curioushorse · 07/02/2016 18:12

Eh? What is your role? I think it's a bit weird for a classroom teacher to be doing this, to be honest. There has been a system in place for this everywhere I've worked.

spanieleyes · 07/02/2016 18:12

I provide them in primary too, there must be nothing worse than being "caught short" and some girls are incredibly shy about asking parents to buy them, the fact that there are some "just there" makes it easier somehow.

Eastpoint · 07/02/2016 18:12

I think it is a really kind thing to do. Can they go to the nurse & get them from her? Or is there a machine in the girls' loos? If there are either of those options then I can see what your husband means but a pack doesn't cost much and presumably you can afford it.

I have two teenage daughters and had erratic periods as a teen & would be touched by your thoughtfulness.

bigTillyMint · 07/02/2016 18:12

It is a great idea and very kind of you. Many girls might be embarrassed to have to make a special trip to a nurse/whoever to get one in an emergency.

StitchesInTime · 07/02/2016 18:12

It sounds like a very sensible idea.

ivykaty44 · 07/02/2016 18:13

I leave them in my bathroom in a basket on display, discreetly so if anyone visiting needs them they are available

Narp · 07/02/2016 18:13

We have pads at (Primary) school for this purpose. In this case they are in a cupboard accessible to KS2.

It's not weird; it's considerate. You'd give a child a plaster if they needed one, why not a pad?

LemonRedwood · 07/02/2016 18:13

I teach year 6 and I do this too. We do have some in the medical room but they are the size of bricks - I wouldn't want to use them!

DoesAnyoneReadTheseThings · 07/02/2016 18:13

Sounds like a lovely thing to do and I would appreciate it. Your DH obviously hasn't experienced unexpectedly getting his period somewhere like school, work and having no pads or tampons so he can't really have a valid opinion.

Terribleknitter · 07/02/2016 18:13

As a teen I would come on with a bang and did occasionally get caught short - the deputy head had a drawer in her office that we could go to whenever we had to and get what we needed. It was a huge relief to know we wouldn't have to fight with tissues or messy underwear for the whole day!
I think you're doing something kind and practical for the girls and I'm sure they're grateful for the times they need the pads.

supermariossister · 07/02/2016 18:14

I think it's kind, I got caught out at school and was mortified ended up wearing a jacket tied round my waist all day and praying for the end of the day.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 07/02/2016 18:14

My (male) mentor did this for me, because my parents didn't feel it was a worthy cost. I used toilet roll, and when I bled through once, he started buying pads and leaving them in the room so I could go and get them.

At the end of school, when we were reminiscing about people/things, about 40% of the year were getting sanpro from different teachers - varying reasons, usually either embarrassment at asking parents or parents not being able to afford it.

I think it's lovely. I'm very grateful to my mentor.

(I went to an all girls school, too, incase it's relevant).

Guitargirl · 07/02/2016 18:14

I don't think it's weird at all. I suppose depending on how discrete the supplies are a girl in the class may get teased? How do you communicate to the girls in the class where the supplies are kept?

ThomasRichard · 07/02/2016 18:15

That's very kind of you. I have a DD and would be grateful that she had such a discreet, caring teacher.

pippistrelle · 07/02/2016 18:15

How would you feel if your daughters teacher gave her a pad?

Grateful. I would also think what a wonderful, thoughtful teacher. Much less traumatic than having to go and ask at the school office/student services/wherever. Of course it's not your responsibility but I think it's warm, human and humane of you to do it.

Funclesmuck · 07/02/2016 18:15

That's really lovely of you. We were a dysfunctional family when I was growing up, and many times I was left with out pads because my parents had spent out or my mother simply didn't see it as important for a 14year old to have sanpro Hmm it would have literally meant the world to me if I knew I could get a pad now and again from my teacher Flowers for you and your kindness.

GreatFuckability · 07/02/2016 18:16

I wish teachers like you had existed in my school days, there'd have been less incidents of stuffing toilet roll in my underwear until i could find the cash to buy myself some!

Original poster
HighwayDragon1 · 07/02/2016 18:16

No machines in the girls loos or medical room that I know of. They're left on the shelf by my desk.

OP posts:
mygrandchildrenrock · 07/02/2016 18:19

I think it is very kind and thoughtful of you.

ravenAK · 07/02/2016 18:21

At the school I taught at most recently in the UK, the pshce department used to get endless free samples from one of the big sanpro companies.

Never mind the girls, half the teaching staff, myself included, were helping themselves gratefully! Head of pshce had a huge box in her cupboard & used to periodically Grin top up a basket we kept in the staff loo.

Students all knew she had this stash & would just nip into her cupboard & help themselves. It worked really well.