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Parenting

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Original poster

When do girls learn about periods

17 replies

mumofthreebeauties · 08/02/2006 22:44

At what age did your dd learn about periods. My DD is 8 and has asked what panty liners are for.

I told her very briefly but didn't go into great details.

It went along the lines of when a lady doesn;t get pregnant her womb loses a bit of blood and it comes out of her vagina.Panty liners stop her knickers getting stained!

Is this lame.She seemed happy for the moment,but i started my periods at 10 and didn't have a clue what was happening. I want her to know what it is when it happens.

OP posts:

cece · 08/02/2006 22:56

Ny dd know about it now - she is 4. She has noticed me bleeding and asked what it was.... so I told her.

Where I work we teach periods in year 5.

Original poster

mumofthreebeauties · 08/02/2006 23:06

DD is in yr4 at the moment.

She's quite mature and sensible and talks openly with me, but I might wait until she brings it up again herself.

OP posts:

Spidermama · 08/02/2006 23:08

I told my dd when she asked at about 4 years old too. I think it's important to make the distiction between period blood and the blood from a cut or other wound. I told her it was a special spongey wall which forms around the womb in case the egg grows into a baby. She seemed fine with it.

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gingernut · 08/02/2006 23:20

Just don't do what my Mum did with me and leave it till she actually starts . I had no idea what had happened to me, was quite worried for a bit. I did start quite early though (I was 10) but a lot of girls seem to be starting earlier these days.

TinyGang · 08/02/2006 23:30

I've just recently told my dd (7) the basics. I did so very reluctantly because 'knowing' seems to take the first step out of childhood iyswim.

I told her though because I'd noticed a couple of threads on here saying how young girls often are these days when they start. I'd never let something like that just happen to her without preparing her first, so I thought now might be a good time, just to let the idea sink in.

She took the whole idea pretty well and has mentioned it a few times since with some sensible questions. She just couldn't seem to remember the name though and kept calling it a 'pyramid' instead of 'period'.

I'm glad I've brought it up. It does seem the right time to raise the subject, but I pray both my dd's are older (I was 13/14 I think) before they have to deal with it. We are very close though, so they'll know I'm right with them.

KristinaM · 08/02/2006 23:32

Just remember that most young girls are more concerned with the practical issues eg can you still do PE? does it stop in the bath? Can you go swimming? Does it hurt? Will other people know I have it? All about tampons, pads etc etc etc

IME they are not much interested in all the stuff to do with eggs and babies (which might happen to them many many years from now)

magnolia1 · 12/02/2006 22:35

My eldest is 10 and knew form age 8. Talked very openly about it and when I had finished she ooked at me and said 'Thanks for that mum, can I go now?'

lazycow · 13/02/2006 15:20

My niece had her first period aged 9. So I think it best to prepare them as soon as you think they are ready/able to understand. I think what you said was fine though she may ask for more info later.

Blandmum · 13/02/2006 15:24

They are told in school in year 5 or 6 IIRC

We teach it again in year 7

there are moves to get 'puberty' taught at a younger age, as children are starting it on average 2 years younger than previously (because of weight issues etc)

Mosschops30 · 13/02/2006 15:28

Message withdrawn

starlover · 13/02/2006 15:29

i was taught in school when i was 10 i think... me and my best friend were very excited about the whole thing! lol
little did we know....

RedZuleika · 14/02/2006 16:26

mumofthreebeauties: I'd have been grateful for that much information! I started at 10 as well and my mother didn't tell me anything. I used to see ads for Tampax in her Women's Weekly and ask what they were - and she'd give me the brush off. Apparently she thought I knew and was asking just to embarrass her.

?????

I remember the night I started as one of horror and shame and enormous sanitary towels (hers).

Surely she'll ask if she wants more clarification later?

Sallystrawberry · 14/02/2006 16:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

kiwibella · 14/02/2006 16:54

oh, Mosschops - to have started at 9!! I am dreading the day my dd begins. I don't want her to go through the agony for the next however many years... but she is excited and anxious to be 'grown up'. Silly girl The details have come up in conversation with us and I have answered the questions she has had at each time. I've never sat her down and explained the ins and outs.... I am not looking forward to the questions about sex though. They are going to be so much more difficult (embarrassing ) to explain.

mousiemousie · 14/02/2006 16:58

My dd is 6. I have never hidden this aspect of life from her so she has a vague grasp of it already, which will develop as she is capable of understanding more. I personally feel that knowing about periods doesn't mean you lose your childhood early.

fisil · 14/02/2006 17:00

this thread is about when ds1 (3 years old) asked me about periods

QE2 · 14/02/2006 17:02

All mine (boys included) have known right from when they were little. I told them that mum had something called a period and a little bit of period blood comes out every month and that's why mum uses tampax etc. It's just something they have always known about so now it doesn't need any explaining really.

But that's just me, everyone is different.

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