When (and how) did you start talking about periods with your children?

[youngwildandni]

The other day in the supermarket, dd (4.5) spied me chucking a box of tampons in the trolley and asked what they are. I said something along the lines of 'they're tampons to use when I have my period'. She asked what a period is and as I was wondering how to respond she saw a friend from school and promptly forgot all about it. I want to be prepared for when she next asks but honestly, I have no idea how to talk about it in a way that she will understand and is appropriate for her. I'm going to be avoiding talk of 'special time' and I'd rather stay away from 'aunt flo' isms too. Growing up we never talked about it at home and I want it to be different for dd.

When did you start talking about periods with your children? Any tips on what to say to a 4.5 year old if (more likely when) she asks again?

Anyone?

I examined it as ‘grown up ladies have eggs that can turn into babies. When the egg doesn’t turn into a baby the egg comes out and blood comes out with it. These are like special nappies for ladies to catch the blood’ or something like that! She was quite happy with that explanation and didn’t mention it again! That was a few months ago. My mum never talked about periods or bodies or anything and was all weird no cagey about it growing up. I don’t want it to be like that for my daughter.

This is what I told my daughter at that age. There's a room in a lady's body where babies can grow. Each month it gets ready for a baby, makes it cosy and comfy with squishy walls from blood. When no baby comes, it gets rid of the squishy walls and you use a tampon to soak it up to stop your clothes getting messy.

My dd is 8, and I take the scientific approach with everything. Proper names, no squeamishness.