Periods - does she need to know?

[notlob]

I would like to hear your views......
I'm tempted to tell dd aged 7 about periods for a couple of practical reasons but half of me says it's too early.
Does your dd/ds know about them, what age did you tell them? etc etc

A couple of opinions will help me think it thro'

I would explain to her even if it is a bit wooly to start with iykwim. My mum never told me and I had just turned 11, my sister was in hospital and I was absolutely scared to death because I thought I was dying She was so blase about it all when I told her - I really did think I was ill!

Amazingly she has always been open about things since the and I really can tell her anything

notlob, if I was in the same situation re: swimming, I would say "I can't go in the swimming pool because I'm having my period", then dd would ask the leading question you're waiting for! Or next time you have your period, make a point of saying you're feeling a bit grotty or something like that, then when dd asks why you can explain then?

I can't remember when I told my dd and ds - it certainly wasn't a big deal, just came up naturally ... probably when I couldn't take them swimming! My dd started her periods when she was 10, and has always been very matter of fact about it. Definitely tell your dd sooner rather than later because, as many of the other posts point out, so many girls start before they're even into double figures these days. My mum never really told me properly and although I did know about periods by the time I started (didn't start until I was 14), I wish that she had just been completely matter of fact about it - it's nothing to be ashamed of after all.

I read this book when I was about 9. It had a really down to Earth section on periods from kids' point of view. At the time a lot of the subjects went completely over my head, but it was great to come back to again and again through my teenage years.

Letters to Judy - Judy Blume

Bossanova - I bought this book about 18 months ago for my daughter (10.5) to have to hand if she wanted to know something but didn't want to ask. I thought it was very good as the two characters portray what any child might be thinking (exciting and looking forward - or dreading the changes). We do discuss periods, babies, changes in bodies etc. She knows about sex (I think she found out that a boy puts his bit in a girls bob in about year 2 from a friend at school) and if she asks anything I tell her the truth. Interestingly, a pal told me of a programme she watched in the States about girls development and regardless of how well developed they are, a girl apparently won't start her periods until she has reached the magic weight of 104lbs!!! Has anyone else heard this?

I had heard something like that Jampot.
I also remember reading that its a good idea to leave tampons, pads etc somewhere visible in the bathroom so that all your children, not just girls, get used to the idea that its normal and also will ask questions as and when they are interested. So I try to do that, altho as I have a Mirena coil I have such light periods that I hardly need to use any such products. I leave some packs out on the shelf anyway.