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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to have sanitary products on display?

265 replies

Howvery · 29/01/2019 19:26

And by on display I don’t mean on a golden stand under a spotlight but on a shelf in my bathroom.
We have had friends and there DC (dd 8 and ds 6) to stay this weekend.
I have a box of tampons and packet of sanitary towels on a shelf in the bathroom. I went in and noticed they weren’t there, after hunting found them in the cupboard under the sink with the cleaning products, I put them back on the shelf. Just assumed it was DH who has form for throwing things in the nearest cupboard when ‘tidying’. Went back to the loo later that day and noticed again they had been put in the cupboard.
I went back in the lounge and said to DH, can you stop putting my stuff away in the cleaning cupboard. That’s when friend pipes up ‘oh I moved them I don’t think it is appropriate for them to be out especially where the DC can see them’. I was quite perplexed by this, but carried on the rest of the weekend, sanitary products hidden away as to not scar the children.

AIBU to think this is a totally bizarre way of thinking??? Firstly it’s my bathroom, can have things out if I want and find it rude that someone would put them away but secondly to think it is inappropate for children to see them, especially as she has a DD who is 8!
It’s a silly thing but the more I think about it the more flabbergasted I am!!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
cricketmum84 · 30/01/2019 07:03

I bet she is one of those who puts the knitted doll creepy thing over loo roll to preserve her guests modesty.

YANBU. She is rude to move things around!

Aventurine · 30/01/2019 07:07

Yanbu. What goes on loo roll is worse, so does she hide loo rolls under a crinoline lady? Hide her loo rolls when you next visit her.
We are an all female house since dh died and someone always has their period so they are left out

BertrandRussell · 30/01/2019 07:14

“'m intrigued by the "attract germs" comment”
Me too. Presumably special unclean woman germs?

GobblersKnob · 30/01/2019 07:16

I have used washable pads for years and years. They go in the wash with everything else, get dried on the line or radiators, though they live in a box in the bathroom. Both dc's sort and put them away for me and have done for years. One of their jobs it to put all small laundry items away as well as all of their own. I don't see why you would hide menstruation from kids.

Aventurine · 30/01/2019 07:18

I'm sure if men had periods there wouldn't be this squeamishness about visible sanitary products

catsmother · 30/01/2019 07:56

Ha ha - I'm an 'older' person at 54. I even still have periods shock horror !! My sanpro, and/or my daughters, isn't out all the time in an effort to keep the bathroom tidy - but when either of us is on it's not uncommon for various boxes or packages to be out on the shelf for convenience sake. Particularly in the downstairs loo which is tiny, without any kind of cupboard, so as to avoid having to keep going upstairs for supplies. I really don't get the pearl clutching - what can possibly be offensive about unused hygiene products. OP - your friend was incredibly rude to move your stuff, whatever it was - it's not as if it was something dangerous!

BertrandRussell · 30/01/2019 08:12

@catsmother- it’s amazing that you’ve got such a grasp of technology at your age-and imagine you being able to use the internet! Grin

TadaTralala · 30/01/2019 08:15

Mine are in full view of my DD who is 8 (cupboard under the sink as I have no bathroom shelf, it's in there with make up, hairbrushes, hairstuff, etc etc etc)- and always have been. She will also come across a stray tampon in my bag when rooting around for my phone/sweets/tissue etc.

greenelephantscarf · 30/01/2019 08:25

yanbu
I would be seriously pissed off if a visitor to my house did this.
I have a sensible supply (and a bin!) near every toilet. on a shelf visible to all.

thegreylady · 30/01/2019 08:32

I am reminded of a camping holiday when I was 10 so 1954. It was an extended family holiday, grandparents, aunts, uncles cousins etc. I was in the days when sanitary protection was only thick pads with loops and a belt. I will never forget my 5 year old boy cousin coming out of a tent whirling a pad by its loops on each hand shouting, “I’m a helicopter!”.
Everyone laughed though my auntie, his mum, whisked him away very quickly. We still tease him about it though he will be 70 soon!

HexagonalBattenburg · 30/01/2019 09:48

And my spare loo rolls, spare shower gels, stockpile of toothpaste when it was on cheap and random Lush bathbombs are all squirrelled away in a cupboard too (it's bliss compared to our old bathroom with no storage where everything was on show constantly) - so I'm not just a sanitary protection hider. Makes everything easier to clean if you're not moving a million bottles of random stuff more than anything else - current bottle of whatever's in use out - rest put away.

castielchace · 30/01/2019 11:55

@jasperkarat...good for you X making no deal out of breast feeding just makes it normal..which it is but seems to horrifie some parents XX

Iooselipssinkships · 30/01/2019 12:14

My DS aged 6 got a video camera for Christmas and has been making blogs of everything. The other day he decided to do film everything in our bathroom, as you do. Hearing him go 'So these are Tampax. Tampax Pearl actually. Nice little blue box they're in. And this is our towel...' me and DP were in hysterics listening.
He doesn't know what they are but they're on show, it's surely no big deal.
I remember when my Mum would have hers in the bathroom I was fascinated with reading the pamphlet when using the toilet.

MrsCatE · 30/01/2019 12:35

YANBU. My mum would always comment when I left sanpro 'on display' in my first house. I now keep in bathroom cupboard but only because I have the storage space and like it as uncluttered as possible. I think your friend was being ridiculous and I would be seriously pissed off at them rummaging about in my cupboards.

BTW re mum; she's bonkers - she has always handwashed her enormous knickers and hung them to dry in her bedroom when she comes to stay. My new house has underfloor heating so no radiators for to drape them over, I had to buy a mini clothes horse for her personal use. Her cross your heart Playtex bras are deemed acceptable to go in the washing machine and hung out for the whole world to see and perhaps inflame the senses of the unwary. She's always been like this and always manages to find someway to secrete her shameful pants away from prying eyes.

themoomoo · 30/01/2019 12:40

My then small child asked what I was putting up my bum to which I replied "a tampon".
he obviously misheard and for a long time afterwards would quiz me as to why I was putting tadpoles up my bum.
Just thought I'd share that

BasiliskStare · 30/01/2019 12:53

When I get tampns etc from supermarket with Ds I always ironically call them " Ladies's requisites" He know exactly what they are for. If you have the cupboard space then I would tend to put them away ( in the same way as new toothpaste / deodorant etc just to remove clutter ) But absolutely fine to have them out if no room to stash or just handier - e.g. in a basket with loo rolls.

But I give you this , which was done in response to a chap who did a tongue in cheek post to Bodyform saying how come periods can make you good at snowboarding etc - re adverts. I think it is funny and so did my son. Indeed in our house for unrelated things we now have a saying " You did this Richard , you "

PopCakes · 30/01/2019 12:56

lol bloody hell. I wouldn't want used sanitary products on display but in a packet like you'd see at the supermarket any day of the week. She needs to get a grip.It's not like it's a jumbo dildo or something.

Hotterthanahotthing · 30/01/2019 13:11

Dd have baskets by the side of our toilets.Hers is the one visitors use and it never occurred to me to hide sanpro.We also have flip top bins that get emptied post periods so OPs friend would have had to hide bins too.

castielchace · 30/01/2019 13:19

@themoomoo..lol nearly chocked reading that,so funny bless him..that is so what life's about though X that's definitely the best share of the day😂

motheroftinydragons · 30/01/2019 13:19

What a rude weirdo. Mine live in the bathroom cupboard most of the month for the sake of tidiness, then when they're needed they live on the shelf next to the toilet for a few days along with nappy sacks to bin used items.

My mum always kept her in the airing cupboard, then out in the bathroom when they were needed. Didn't scar me or my brother for life!

What does she think will happen if they see them?! The mind boggles.

E20mom · 30/01/2019 13:25

Two things.

  1. She's got strange period issues,

and

  1. She's a cheeky fucker.
onlyjustme · 30/01/2019 13:25

Reminds me of this...

AIBU to have sanitary products on display?
E20mom · 30/01/2019 13:27

I don't have a bathroom cupboard so no where to hide them away.

Mia1415 · 30/01/2019 13:45

Mine are out on a shelf in the bathroom. My DS knows what they are for!

I'd have actually been really annoyed if a friend had moved my stuff and put it in a cupboard.

Bloatstoat · 30/01/2019 13:52

YANBU - agree with everyone that friend's attitude is weird and rude to move things in your house.
But this thread has made me realise - I have a drawer storage tower in my bathroom, where I put my sanpro - everything else pretty much is out on the counter top except for DH's razor which is safe on a high shelf. DC1 who is 3 is well aware that they're there and likes to open drawer and get one out when I need one, so I'm not afraid of him seeing them! So why hide them away when it would be easier and quicker to stack them by the loo? I've realised now it's automatic behaviour after living with my parents (which I haven't done in 20 years!) as my dad disliked having 'those women things' in the bathroom, so my sister and I kept them in our rooms, no idea what my mum did as presumably he wouldn't have wanted them in their bedroom either! So I have hidden them away for years for no reason, madness. Now planning to free up much needed bathroom floor space and keep the packs by the loo!