OK.. So what age to discuss periods with DD?

[Over40]

My daughter has a pretty good idea about the basics of the birds and bees - picked up through a combo of animal programmes, books and the occasional question. I'm always very happy to answer questions but prefer not to initate a conversation... wimpy I know! .
She is 9 and a friend is nagging me (in a very kind way!) that I really ought to have the periods conversation. That, and the "special cuddle", are the only bits we haven't really discussed!
I know I should take the initative but wondered if anyone had any advise or can tell me about their experience in this? My mum didn't do it at all as I learnt everything ( and a bit more) within a week of going to boarding school!

er - I think you should have told her a long time ago!

Blimey, I don't think 9 is that late. Probably before ahe is 10 I would have thought.

DD is seven and already knows about sex, periods, tampons etc. By 9 some girls in her class may already have started their periods. If you find it too difficult to talk about, get her one of the books that deals with the subject in a child-friendly way. DD found 'What's happening to me?' very readable a few months ago, though it does go into some details about sex etc so you might want to read it first to make sure you are comfortable with the level of detail.

Yes, ages ago.
I've never really had that talk as such, as it's always been something I have so DD is aware of it and always has been.
She knows what tampons/pads are, and for the last couple of years, a mooncup.

I've always hoped to avoid 'the talk', not because I'm embarrassed, but because I want all of the things usually involved in it to have been normal over the years so no big talk needed.

What does she know so far about periods?

Fanofpeamum - don't know! But then I didn't know she knew the technical terms for the egg and sperm until the other day when it cropped up in conversation. Managed to keep the suprised look off my face but, god bless her, she was absolutly correct in her info! It isn't that I'm embarressed (sp?!) but this is one thing that just hasn't cropped up in her questions... Since most of her questions have been animal related (which I have then tied into humans) the opportunity hasn't arisen. I always wanted to avoid a big talk and have always been really open in answering any questions.... It did help when her Dad had a baby with his new wife! I suspect she knows more then she is letting on to me!

Well they have their sex ed session this year so I'll give her a heads up on it before hand. No doubt she will want to know if animals have them too!

I'd crack on with it pronto - I reckon she needs to know asap.

I liked that book. DD1 devoured it, with the help of a hand mirror to check her own genitalia . Then she shared it with all her friends.

I think its appropriate to tell them the basics around age 7-9, but by about 10 I think they definitely need to know about periods in detail. Some girls start periods when they are 10. So it is only fair on your DD to know exactly what to do if it happens - you might not be around, she might be at school. Show her some sanitary towels and explain to her exactly what will happen and how to deal with it.

exexpat - have had a look at the book and ordered it on amazon... Looks like it might be at the right pitch for my DD - thanks for the suggestion. No-one in her class has started yet (I know this as they were in my class last year!!) but won't be long for a coupl of them I reckon!

motherinferior - I'll make sure a mirror is to hand!

I came on to this thread as DD has just turned 9 and I am preparing to have 'the talk' with her. She knows a lot, just from being open and answering questions as things arise, but I feel it is time to clarify stuff and make sure she knows what to expect over the next few years. Think I'll order the book first- looks perfect!

i'm with mugglewump - have always been matter-of-fact about everything from the word go. DD is 9 and knows about periods, so does DS (7), that's come about from him asking me about tampons in the supermarket and sanitary waste bins in public toilets over the years! My DD is likely to be a late developer like i was though, so i reckon i have a bit of time in hand..

I have a teenage daughter who became extremely embarrassed to talk about any bodily functions associated with sex at about 12/13 despite the fact we have always been very open - she left me a note to say her period started rather than talk about it, so I would say do it while they are still open to honest discussion! The younger children are the less weird they will find reproductive facts among all the other weird facts in the world they are learning about.

My DD is 9 and we have had the conversation about periods starting about a year ago with gentle info until she was ready for more. Now she knows preety much all of it, and I bought lots of differnet kinds of SanPro and let her unwrap and look at it all so she knows well ahead of time. I had to make an effort to introduce it as I don't have periods anymore (since a surgery about two yars ago), so it wasn't likely to come up in general conversation.

There was a thread about this fairly recently. DD (3) has always known about periods. She comes to the toilet with me. I've never had any privacy since she was born. She sees it all and she asks questions. Now she just knows that mum has her period and that grown ups have periods but little girls don't.

I'm always surprised when I hear of girls getting to almost puberty without knowing about these things...makes me think some other mums must be getting a lot more privacy than I am .

I think you should tell her asap. She probably already knows. I'm sure we'd had a periods talk at school around that age.

Girls are hitting puberty much younger these days. I think it's not uncommon for girls to start their periods around 10. It would be terrible if she started her periods and didn't know what it was. IMO it's important to demystify these things and just make it normal so kids don't get upset when it happens.