Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

When did you talk to your DD about periods?

41 replies

Barmymummy · 29/07/2009 09:03

My DD is about to turn 7 and hasn't asked any questions really about how babies are made etc. I wasn't told anything about periods, sex or anything like that and I am determined that I will do this differently!

I want to be able to sit down and talk to her properly about starting periods and have her ask questions without any embarressment that will surely come if I leave it until she is older.

So, is she too young to be told yet and if not can you recommend any good books that are suitable for her age?

OP posts:

SausageRocket · 29/07/2009 15:45

DD is almost 7 and the nosiest child on the face of the earth so she has known what periods are, what causes them and why we have them for about 2yrs now. She also knows how babies are made.

My policy has been age appropriate info all the way through rather than suddently dumping a load of overwhelming info on her when she turns 10 (or whatever).

DH was convinced I'd scar her for life with this policy. He has never had the birds and the bees convo or indeed any sort of drip feed with DS1 & 2 who are now 17 and 15.5 .

alexpolismum · 29/07/2009 15:49

My mother never told me anything about periods or anything related to sex, reproduction, genitalia or even breast development. I wish she had. Fortunately for me, one of my uncles had a much younger wife who was very open and approachable and only 10 years older than me, and I asked her - she was shocked that I didn't know what a sanitary towel was and I asked her what it was for when I saw it in her bag. I was already 13 at the time and it's just as well she prepared me - I started periods not long after!

I intend to start talking to my own daughter from around the age of 7 or 8, it will largely depend on how ready she seems to me, but I will also try to be as open as possible up to that time.

TrinityRhinoIsInDetention · 29/07/2009 17:31

canute, thats what I thought you meant but you were saying it to me and I had already said that they always saw me from very small using tampons and asked me what they were and I told them

and I then disagreed with foofi cause she was shocked and laughing at the toddlers being told and I thought she was crazy

flatcapandpearls · 29/07/2009 17:35

I was wondering this myself, dd has seen tampons, knows that I bleed every now and again but there has been no talk. I may do it next week she is . She is 8 mid september.

She once announced to the trafford centre that mummy has pink wee and a stick up her bum.

KingCanuteIAm · 29/07/2009 17:35

Yes, I had a re-read just then and realised I had got myself all confused - again - sorry

foofi · 29/07/2009 17:36

I wouldn't want my toddlers (not that I still ahve toddlers) to know that there even is a hole there, let alone that adults shove things up it!

fruitful · 29/07/2009 17:39

Hmm. I have been working on the policy of answering questions when asked. Dd is 7.3 and so far knows that babies grow in some place in mummy's tummy called a womb, mummy's babies came out when the doctor cut a whole in her tummy, and there needs to be a daddy to make a baby. Is that not much for a 7yo then?

I don't have periods so she is never going to see anything to ask about!

KingCanuteIAm · 29/07/2009 17:40

Why? Most of them find it themselves at some point!

FWIW none of mine have decided to give it a go themselves at any point!

KingCanuteIAm · 29/07/2009 17:44

Fruitful, everyone is different, my 5yo knows in basic terms that we have periods when we are not having babies so our body can get ready to have a baby again, babies grow in a womb and come out of the same place the blood comes from and that having a period can cause tummy aches and bad moods...my 7yo ds knows the same.

Howver, I know a lot of girls in dss class know nothing at all about it - their mums do not feel comfortable discussing these things with such young children.

TrinityRhinoIsInDetention · 29/07/2009 17:44

foofi, I think you need to breathe

fruitful - I would say that not much at all
she is completely old enough to know the whole lot and should before she starts hearing stuff in the playground
also before she starts to think that mum doesn't talk about this sort of stuff and stops asking

Original poster

Barmymummy · 29/07/2009 17:47

Wow thanks for all the replies! PMSL at some of the comments the kids have made

Have been drip feeding her specific answers to her questions without elabortaing unless she asks but I think she needs to know the bigger picture iykwim now. My SIL is about to have a baby at xmas so can see lots of questions coming up soon!!!

Will hunt around for a decent book I think, one she can keep and look at on her own in the future should she need to. Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

stuffitlllama · 29/07/2009 17:49

I waited until the school told her the basics. Age 11 I gave her a towel to hide in her bag in case it started at school and she didn't want to go to the nurse.

I'm embarrassed by it and don't hide it, I did say, this is embarrassing, let's do the thing and talk about it. I didn't want to be embarrassed about my embarrassment. It's still a private thing. We had a bit of a laugh about it being embarrassing.

I think girls nowadays, lots of the early teens I know, are supremely unembarrassed about it. I'm hoping my daughter will be the same.

stuffitlllama · 29/07/2009 17:50

"Mummy laid an egg" is good, maybe a bit young but still a good one for starters.

lingle · 29/07/2009 20:21

glad you're doing it soon. I was told at 10 at school and fainted from the shock of it.

bruces · 30/07/2009 09:48

My Mum's only period advice was"stay away from boys or you'll get pregnant"
So when I had my first DD we gave her what we consider "bite size info" and was always straight and honest she first asked why i was using a pad when she was 5,gave her a brief explanation and she was cool.
We have also spoken to our 9 yr old son,as we feel boys should understand and my Dh told him this was a time when men need to buy chocolate,red wine and always agree with partner

mrshibbins · 30/07/2009 13:54

my SD started asking about what my tampax where and why I had that bit of string sticking out of me (if she saw me on the loo) when she was 6 and I told her that every month a lady makes a nest inside her tummy just in case a baby decides to grow in there, but if a baby isn't growing in there then the nest comes out (with a bit of blood), ready for a nice new nest to be built - since then she always remarks with disappointment that there is 'no baby' if she sees the tampax in the bathroom. I've elaborated on it a bit since then (she's 8 now) and will answer a straight question in appropriate language if I am asked ... but so far apart from that she's had no curiosity.!!

Flip

1 2