Schools Providing Sanitary Products

[Sansastark45]

Don't get me wrong periods aren't nice at the best of time but don't our schools have enough on their plates without now having to take on this??

Am i being unreasonable to think that if you have a daughter you should be having the conversation with her?? Basic own brand sanitary products are cheap enough to buy - our schools shouldn't be left to deal with this too!

There are many reasons why a girl would find it really helpful to have access to free sanitary protection at school.
I think this is a good initiative.

I have 4 daughters and I'm far from rich but sanitary protection is cheap, and they've never gone without.

Good for you now what about those parents who don't or won't? Or the parent who has to chose between heat or food with thier last £2? What are the girls supposed to do?
Do you want them to leak all over the place at school?

It's not coming out of the school budget nor your pocket so relax.

Personally I think they should only be given to girls who’s parents generally cannot afford to buy them

Pp have dealt eloquently with the hard of thinking. I will add that I am similarly someone who came from a well-off household, but one that was so repressed that I didn't ever have enough sanpro an couldn't talk to my DM about it; I regularly used toilet paper. I can remember the shame of it over 30 years later. I simply wasn't equipped to have these conversations at home as a young teen.

I work in a school and have had to use school-provided sanpro twice: once when I unexpectedly had my first period at work 13 months after having DC1. And again very recently when I bled through onto a chair while teaching. That was fun: thanks, Perimenopause!

I have also had a pupil leak through during a lesson. I could have cried for her. What I couldn't give a shit about was how much or little money her parents have.

I remember my first period and totally underestimating how many pads I would need for a whole day at school. Luckily I was able to get extra from the school nurse. This scheme is excellent.

I've had periods for 25 years and the fuckers still surprise me when they turn up, sometimes. I always have a purse of tampons in my bag but can totally understand teens being caught out.

It's for girls who come from chaotic or very poor home environments with parents who are unable/unwilling to provide sanitary products

Early in the thread, nailed it really.

We've been providing these for years at our school. We do a lot of 'parenting' things like providing deodorants, breakfast when it has been forgotten or family couldn't afford it. It's a shame but we're happy to help

Personally I think they should only be given to girls who’s parents generally cannot afford to buy them
So if a girl from a wealthy family gets caught out she should just flood through her clothes all day?
Christ on a bike how empathic are you?
I used to go through stuff hourly and I wasn't regular for years you would wish that on someone? Wow!

Let's ask for bank statements before we give out free Sam pro eh? Because no rich parent ever abuses or neglects thier kids either.
Now back in the real world....

The new initiative only applies to schools in England but the school my daughter attends in Wales has several Red Boxes throughout the school. These provide underwear and leggings as well as tampons and pads.

The school recently received a grant that they allocated to reusable protection. It was first offered to the 6th form girls at the beginning of the school year and now is being rolled out to all girls and staff. There are information meetings being held for parents and governors to explain the provision and encourage people to talk openly.

@crystal1717 - as a food bank user I only sometimes get san pro - it just depends what they have.

Personally I think they should only be given to girls who’s parents generally cannot afford to buy them
They might choose not to buy them for their daughter

For anyone wondering how it works, on my school it goes exactly like this:
Any girl at all: Miss, I need to use the red box.
Me: it's in the office, go in and help yourself.
girl walks into the office whilst I stand outside, she chooses whatever she needs in privacy
Girl: Thanks, miss.
Me: No worries.

That's it.

Ours are in the toilets so the girls dont have to ask for them

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss - but what's a SW going to do other than provide some sanpro? Seems an expensive way to go about it.

Yabu Drs some ppl don't have the money 4 tampons and pads...and if males were affected they would be free in public toilets like bloody loo roll

They should be providing reuseable sanitary products. Not disposable

That's never going to happen. They are not necessarily going to be washed properly in families with no washing machine, I know of families who still do their laundry in the bath because the machine is broken or they don't have one and can't afford or can't get to a laundromat because many towns don't have one and/or they don't have a car to get there.

As to reusable sanitary products... who is expected to deal with this?
TAs ?
Cleaning staff shouldn’t have to either.

I think this is a good idea.

Uts so easy to ge caught short. You could forget your bag one day and that's it.

Or be faced with an unexpectedly heavy period and use up your own supplies by lunch.

Parents should be able to be held accountable for neglect and not providing san pro fir your daughters is neglect.

But the best change of getting the hell out of a neglectful home is an education. Let's help girls get one.

@IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere , the new initiative is in Wales too, they've put £3million into funding period poverty supplies for Wales for this year and next. We've had a huge delivery into our primary and will get another 2 before the end of the year. My DD in secondary has come home a few times with arms full of packets of pads that have been just given out in PSE lessons. She's then been given packs from her friends who prefer using tampons, which is why she brings home more than one pack.

It was my thread the other day about reusables. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3793032-Would-you-appreciate-reusable-sanitary-items-for-your-dd
All areas have been required to spend some of their funding (not at school level, ordered by the authority) on reusables. Some mention of mooncups in secondary, but just fabric pads at primary. Some counties in Wales/authorities have spent all of their money on reusables, said our school nurse. Others, just a fraction.

Each reusable has cost the price of about 7 packs of disposables, and while they can save money if you have the ability to easily clean them, you need more than one of them, and the washable laundry bag that comes with them, which costs about £10. That's a lot of the budget spent on stuff that may not be used.

We were very poor growing up. There were several months where my mother couldn’t afford to buy protection for me and I had to wad up toilet paper and pray it didn’t look too bulky from the outside or leak.

All those piss taking young girls living it large with those free sanitary towels and tampons. Free loading little toe rags.

Some people need to take a long hard look in the mirror if they’d deny any woman sanitary protection when she needed it. Who gives a fuck what their parents bank statement looks like?

YABU.
Although you can buy cheap enough sanitary products not everyone can afford them.
There are probably so many young girls that need the school to supply it.
Maybe if people have spare cash for a pack of sanitary items they could donate to schools that could help even if it was just a £1 packet I'm sure that would help.
I've never really given it a second thought but I definitely will now and donate products.

• As to reusable sanitary products... who is expected to deal with this? TAs ?*

Many high schools don't seem to have TAs any more.

In the nicest way, this post just highlights how fortunate you are that you’ve never experienced total deprivation. I don’t blame you, because before I began teaching within a deprived area, I always said ‘what parent can’t afford pads, you can pick them up for literally £1’ but I have seen families who literally have £5 to feed themselves for a week. Teenage girls who have been caught stealing toilet roll because they have none at home and know that they are due on.

I always have a packet of pads, and a packet of tampons in my desk drawer. As well as baby wipes, tissues and cereal bars. As a teacher,
I’d love it if all my kids came to school with a full belly and with sanitary products. The fact of the matter is it doesn’t happen. I have kids coming in hungry, Girls getting caught short and girls who simply need a pack of pads. It’s important to me they know that I can, and will help them.

@walker1891 the letter was emailed to my school today, and I expect all schools, so the funding will be provided.