First period - something to celebrate?

[DarthVader]

I am making plans with my 8 year old about how we will celebrate her first period! How did other people celebrate this milestone with their daughters?

I am pretty sure it would have been Steve Hillier or one of his collaegues, pointy. Definitely ovaries

PMSL!

Yes that would be quite an arresting image

thnaks tamum. Var ibteresting and not at all magical

I agree totally with F&Z and DV.

My mum never talked to me about periods, so they turned into the unknown, and to me the unknown = scary.

If I ever have a dd I would like celebrate. Yes, periods can be a pita, but they are a symbol of our fertility, and to my mind this should be celebrated.

Hurrah! There are some more celebrators out there!

I think the type of celebration can fit the individual mother and daughter - it could be whatever they would like and could have as much or as little publicity as desired - I'm not proposing to ram anything down my child's neck that she doesn't want!

And I'm not really spending 4 years working up to it to create a fixed and definitive masterplan for the big event, if that is what anyone thought - just talking openly and positively with my dd when she brought the subject up.

I would like my child to be happy and confident about her body and her sexuality - and I don't think our society as it is right now makes that very easy. The joint plan to celebrate is just one way to help her feel confident and positive. Perhaps we will both change our minds before the time comes, who knows, but right now it seems like a nice future idea to both of us!

AbbeyA - I don't think that is the same point of view as me btw

You sound like a lovely mother DV, and I'm sure whatever you and dd decide will be good

And what about our boys?

Which milestone should we celebrate with them - and how?

Happy Wank day cards, a niche market if ever I saw one!

'We always knew you'd 'make it'
And this we know is true
You finally got to shoot some out
So happy wank day to you!!!!'

MB - lol (and eurgh!!!!)

Aww, thanks Tamum.

Well, boys' milestones, that is a question...one for the dads to call perhaps?

My mum bought each of us a small present when we got our period. She got my sister some kind of plant, I think, I can´t remember what she gave me. I do remember being really embarrassed about it all and feeling mortified knowing that she´d tell my Dad.

I guess everyone is different but I would imagine what your daughter thinks she´ll want to do will be very different in 3 or 4 years time when it actually happens.

It was a different view entirely SpawnChorus-I was just saying you will need to wait and see if it is suitable for your DD, it may be, but she might hate it when the time comes.

boys - wet dreams

Let's celebrate, you are producing spunk, you can have children. huzzah

I was initially tempted to post something about how to celebrate a boys' coming of age.

Someone told my dad who insisted the whole family go out for a meal and then made us toast my 'entrée into womanhood' (or some such). I wanted to crawl under the table and die.

Even if the hormones turn your daughter into a screeching banshee who would rather flagellate herself than spend time with you when the time actually comes, I think just planning a celebration now is nice anyway. It makes it seem normal and something to be pleased about. When she's through the nightmare of being a teenager I bet she'll be really glad you talked about it so openly.

AbbeyA - Ah, I see

you know this is a very interesting thread and unusually not one I remember ever seeing before

I didn't know there were any slightly contentious subjects that hadn't been done to death on here

All 3 of my DD's would have been really embarresed and upset if we celebrated thier first period.

I have just picked myself up after reading Anna8888 post. Fair enough if you can't get excited about periods, but is that for real??

Strangely enough, I've just read a great article about periods in The Mother, twas very interesting.

I think that it is a very interesting thread, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to it. It is a subject that has to be approached sensitively, celebration might be right for some but to others (like me)it would be dire.The idea of dancing up mountains with red cords would be an utter nightmare! It is just as well that I don't have DDs as I would most likely do the wrong thing!! .

I actually agree with Anna. First off, having periods doesn't actually mean you can make a baby - most girls have several months if not years of periods before starting to ovulate - and we all know plenty of menstruating women who can't get pregnant. Secondly, increasing numbers of Western women are choosing to remain child-free, so celebrating the possibility of fertility seems almost anachronistic. Thirdly, starting to menstruate doesn't seem to me to be any kind of an achievement - any (female) numpty can do it, so what's to celebrate? Fourthly, I had a (prehistoric version of a ) mooncup years and years ago, it's a vile invention and does nothing to make menstruation any easier - hurrah for disposable pads and lil-lets, I say. And fifthly, no, I am not remotely bothered about menstruating and yes, I have tasted my menstrual blood - cheers for that interesting idea, GG.

"celebrating the possibility of fertility seems almost anachronistic"

I find this an extraordinary sentiment

F&Z I am hoping this thread makes it to the homepage!

Bluestocking, a minority of women choose to remain child free - and the operative word is choose - isn't it worth celebrating that there is an option?

And would you NOT celebrate birth/death/birthdays...just because "any numpty" can do it?

What are your memories about starting your periods?