Is this weird parenting?

[JillAndJenTheFlowerpotMen]

I have one dd who is a young teenager and who hasn’t yet hit puberty. I have been thinking that when she starts her period, I might buy her a small piece of jewellery to give her, to mark her transition to womanhood. And take her mind off the fact that she’ll have hormonal shit going on for the next forty years or so.

something like this: https://www.johnlewis.com/auree-hampton-gold-vermeil-pendant-necklace/gold-ruby/p111668104

Am I being weird? Or is this a nice thing to do?

She is behind school friends but not behind her sports cohort. Helpfully alongside the physical training there is a lot of information made available to her about nutrition, sleep, injuries, and female health as there are parts of the cycle when women are more prone to injury. She also knows that because her body fat is quite low it is normal to start later, so is not bothered by it.

I think she'd be mortified. Most girls like that to be kept private. I wouldn't over-emphasize her starting her period anyway. It doesn't signify becoming a woman in our culture. I'd give it to her when she becomes a teenager, for her thirteenth birthday.

Ew. This is so weird

yup, the Leslie Kenton era.....I don't think it was as common as the books made out......

@Bubblebubblepoppop

'A belt? Sorry I'm lost... Why?'

I was 9 when I started my periods in 1976 and sanitary towels did not have a sticky back, they were held in place with a belt! They were also the size of a house brick! 😬😂

I find it very weird, but then I'm of the generation that never spoke of these things.
Except for whispering about it with my friends....

But she’s not ‘a woman’ just because she’s got her period. You’ll probably freak her out.

And….did you choose this because it looks like a drop of blood?

No. Bit weird. I’m another vote for her favourite chocolate and a hot water bottle!

It’s a nice idea. Many cultures throughout history have marked such transition.

Weeeeiiiirdddd

I think it's a really lovely idea! Better than hot water bottle and chocolate to reinforce that for the rest of her menstruating life effectively one quarter of it can justifiably be spent comfort eating chocolate and wallowing on the sofa 🙄

As some other (rather unkind) posters have pointed out the phrasing of the gift will be key in her mental framing of it - "period necklace" ffs! 🤦

The more of us who can get our daughters to see periods starting as a positive milestone the better, too much negativity already associated with being female imo.

The necklace is beautiful too, Op 😍 just editing to add I would actually get her a necklace in her birthstone from somewhere like Etsy instead, though - much more personal to her and less likely to be linked to blood! (unless her birthstone is Ruby 😆 most months have a couple of stones associated)

I mensturated for 35 years and never had any 'hormonal shit'.

So do not give your daughter the idea that womanhood is something that must be endured.

That really annoys me.

I think it's a lovely idea

I don’t think many teens would appreciate a drop of blood 🩸 necklace for a beginning their period present.

I think if your phrase it as a " well done on your transition to womanhood" gift , it is a bit weird. I think if you phrase it as " here I got you this to cheer you up" it's slightly better. Just make sure she's not expecting a 115 pound necklace every month !!

WTF

I was nearly 16 whenI started my periods. I did long distance and fell running.

I didn't even tell my mother because I was almost an adult,why would I?

I’d find that extremely weird and I’d have been mortified if my parents had felt the need to commemorate my some blood coming out of my fanny with a piece of jewellery. I think I just got a big sympathetic cuddle off my mum and my dad got told to add extra pads to the list for the weekly Tesco shop.

I don’t really get the whole ‘periods make us special, wombs are amazing, women’s bodies are incredible’ thing at all, though. It’s just biology. It’s not an achievement and I don’t think periods are any more of a miracle than having a shit. I’d much rather never have had to experience them.

I just find ‘Congratulations, now you can reproduce’ quite an odd celebration. If you had a boy, would you buy him something to commemorate his first wet dream?

Herbert

OP do what YOU want to do irrespective of others opinions. I would add a lovely pamper basket. There are people that do breastmilk keepsake jewellery or ash keepsake jewellery to remember a loved one. In fact where my mother in law comes from they do whole ceremonies to mark a girl's transition into womanhood as do some other cultures. You will get mixed opinions but ultimately it's your choice.

Who doesn't want a nice gift? Why do you worry that your own kid will think you're weird? She probably does think you're weird. You're her mother.
Buy her a present. Don't make it a "period present".
Just a general, it's been a big year, growing up etc present. What sport is she into? Would she prefer something special about her sport though if she's that into it? Does like that kind of Jewelry you've linked or would she prefer a diamond basketball? Make sure it's for her and not for you to give her. Iyswim

My mum did. Still find it a bit weird decades later. Username actually not to do with that!

Yes, it IS weird

Not to mention wedding rings

Or eternity rings etc after a new baby. Jewelry to mark a new era on your life isn't uncommon, only with periods. And that's probably because we've been so weird about them traditionally.

Some people believe in wearing red around their period :)

I suppose at least the blood stains won’t show