Does your son know what a period is?

[TheSippyCupSociety]

hey all

just curious here (no judgement either side) but I was never told when I was growing up to expect a period and the same happened to my mum when she was little. So it came as a surprise and I learnt about it and dealt with it myself. I also never had the conversation with my dad. I am now raising two girls and a son and it’s made me wonder how many people don’t talk to their children about it and how many do - but particularly sons (my son is the eldest so around the time we’d have these conversations where as my girls are toddlers).

if your son was with his friends say at the park and one of the girls started her period and was upset or worried, would your son understand enough to be able to support her? Even if it’s just giving her a jumper to tie round her waist if she has leaked?

also if you have a son and didn’t want to talk to him about it I’d love to know why?

as I said absolutely no judgment here either side!

Ah that is so lovely.

You’ve definitely done parenting right Globules

My son knew when he was a child in the 1980s. It seems that society has got more, rather than less, prudish in the intervening decades. Also see: gender stereotypes.

i had a tough relationship with my mum so my dad explained about periods to me when I got mine ages 9.

my son has known in an age appropriate way since he was about 3 and noticed tampons etc. We are a blended family, and he brings his older sisters pain killers, chocolates and hot water bottles now (he’s 12). There is zero mystery as they are incredibly open and as such he is very sympathetic and accommodating. There is an openness about it now which I never experienced growing up, and I’m very glad it’s swung this way!

Yes he does, I've talked to him about reproduction and how it all works ever since he was old enough to start asking questions. As he gets older the questions get a bit more technical/anatomical.

Having house-shared with some spectacularly sheltered lads at uni I was determined not to turn another one loose upon the world 😆 He will reach 18 with a full understanding of personal hygiene, basic anatomy, sexual health, the ability to wash clothes, shop for and cook at least basic balanced meals, use a hoover, and clean up after himself.

Of course. It's basic biology. My 10 year old has known probably since he was 5. All the ' about my body's ' about growing up ' books cover it anyway, although it came up in conversation in our house before he had these read to him.

My son is six and knows all about it. I'm very open.

Our son (15) knows about periods. He has been with his dad when he has bought me sanitary products and a bar of chocolate from the corner shop. His sister has only recently started and when she was in her room after school feeling a bit uncomfortable, he asked to pop to the corner shop and came back with a bar of chocolate and a teen magazine for her. He used his own money for them. He has also once passed me his phone when a parent of a girl in his class called to thank him for giving their daughter his pe tracksuit bottoms when she had leaked on her grey school skirt during last lesson. He gave them her to use to get home without being embarrassed on the bus. He has a habit of taking both his shorts and tracksuit bottoms each pe day. The parent asked to speak to me and up until that conversation, I had no idea that it had happened that day. He hadn't mentioned it at all.

Yes, my son is 8 and has known since he was small. He was very much a "where Mum goes I go" child so I couldn't have hid it if I'd wanted to (which I didn't). I think normalising these things, especially for boys, is extremely important. I've met grown men who think we can hold periods in, that blood comes from the urethra...all sorts. Thankfully my son will not fall into that category.

It's a very normal event to him. As it should be.

Don't think my boys knew much before learning at school but at that time I took my chance to talk about how they needed to be kind, considerate. Not to embarrass them, to respect their privacy etc

Lol yes our dog was in season and when he saw me buy pads I had to explain that mummy's have a sort of season too 😅

Yes, my sons know about periods since they were about 7. They never asked questions about period products or what I was doing on the toilet that I can recall so when I covered the puberty basics with them, it included information on both boys and girls, just like I did for my daughters. I also covered that there are other reasons why they might find blood in the loo/underwear.

I seriously doubt that a girl would look to a boy for support for this, and I doubt a boy of that age would feel comfortable or confident to offer support in this scenario even if he knew about periods (which he would, because it's taught in school).

I did. When I was 8, I found blood when I went to the loo at school, and asked the first person I saw that I thought I could trust, which was a boy, if he'd walk with me to the school nurse because I felt nervous.

I don't recall him having an issue, he seemed fine with it, but I do remember our teacher pulling me aside the next day to tell me off for having talked to a boy about periods. It was very awkward because the blood I'd found wasn't period blood. I'd learned by the time I would have my period 4-5 years later that I trusted the guys my age more than I trusted adults of that time who'd either shush me or laugh at me for these things.

There are some lovely stories about kind, thoughtful and well informed boys on this thread. Wonderful to read.

Yes, he is six and has known for some years.

Of course. I mean, he was coming to the loo with me and seeing me change a tampon when he was too young to be left outside a cubicle, and then had a mixed sex fruendships group throughout primary school, so it would be very odd if he didn’t see it as a normal part of women’s lives.

My 5yo DS does
My mum never spoke about them with me, when I started mine age 11 I thought I was dying

Since my dc followed me around all over the house as toddlers they very quickly learned. My ex had to ask me about them though when we got together, boys school, only child.
In this day and age I'd expect it to be known about, there's adverts on the tv etc

My son is 15 and has known about periods for some time. Pretty sure he would help a girl if she needed to go buy something or a jumper to cover up etc.

I've heard of grown men not knowing those things. It's shocking.

I have 3 sons and have always had open conversations with them and from the age they could show care they have and as teenagers would often pop to the shop if I needed tampons without hesitation. They understand if I'm not feeling great and as little ones would often say.... Come on mum we have pms with you let's share ice-cream 🤣 it's a part of life and one that I wanted them to understand. My mum wasn't open with me and I started in primary school and was terrified. I was adamant I'd always strive for an open relationship with my own children

This is great advice!

I’ll be teaching my Y6s about this in a couple of weeks, and we have taught it for several years.

No kids but I was one of 2 girls in my year whose mother didn't tell them about periods until very late on. I remember one of the girls at school vaguely saying something in the playground but I thought it sounded too weird to be true. We had a letter sent home that we were getting "the talk" and before that my mother told me, through tears, what was going to happen. It was very awkward.

I think it's great that parents these days are much more open about these things.

Yes-from very young. And I would expect my son to be practical and helpful in the circumstances you describe.

Yes! He’s 13 and has just gone to the shops with his dad - they have a list anyway cos dh is doing a roast and I asked them to put tampons on it 😂
Ds has 2 older sisters and has known about periods for a long time. He’s very caring, asked me this morning if I needed anything and has been in a few times to lay and watch telly with me because in addition to being on my period (which usually is fine) I’m bedridden with a grotty lurgy.
So important that they are aware of these things and that they’re not just kept as ‘women’s troubles’.
I will add, he wouldn’t usually be especially aware when I’m on my period, it’s not an announcement I make and I’ve suffered from PCOS for longer than he’s been alive so they’re not been very regular but he does know what they are and why we have them.

Two sons, 6 and 8. They know about periods but probably both a bit vague about the detail. The older one obviously understands/remembers better than the younger one but I explained to both what they are