how would you explain periods to a curious 5 year old

[kerrykatona]

i want to be straight with her but not sure of what words to use iykwim!!

my mum had a hysterectamy (sp?) after i was born so the subject of tampons lying around never came up and i thought i was dying when i got my periods at 10, my mum thought i was to young so had never prepared me.

chances are my dd's might start early as well so i would rather that it was something they grew up knowing about.

god this sounds like such a stupid thread but i dont want to say "you stuck tampons up your bits to stop the bleeding" incase it freaks her out.

I just let dd watch and said it was something ladies did.Left it at that until she asked .

Had to laugh at my neighbours dd who cam eround to tell me "mummy's had ladie's tummy ALL over the bed" lol

I've told my DD, who turned 6 in July, that a woman has a period once a month. Its a little bleed for a few days. And it doesn't hurt (she was really concerned!). It means that there isn't a baby in mummy's tummy. If there were a baby in my tummy there would be no period and the blood would be used to help build the baby.

I started my periods at 11 so, like your DD, I expect my DD to be a young starter too.

I think its good preparation to give an explanation as soon as they are aware and curious.

Hope this helps.

I told ds ( he asked about tampax, pads etc) that every month a ladies tummy gets a 'bed' ready for a baby, inside. It gets all comfy and cosy etc. Then if a baby doesn't come the 'bed' is not needed and comes out. I need the pads/tampax etc to catch it. It doesn't hurt etc. I also said that the baby is tiny and like an egg not a full baby IYKWIM!!

yes, good explanation.

IMO its best to explain early, small children are simply naturally curious and take facts well on the whole.

Not sure about saying it doesn't hurt though - mine hurt like hell before I was old enough to go on pill. Might make a girl think there was something wrong when hers start if she gets bad period pains.

My DD never asked if it hurt so I've avoided that one so far... will think about it some more!

My girls call them 'ladies bottom things' and know that I use them from time to time when my body is telling me I am not having a baby at the moment, by sending a little bit of blood. I also say it doesn't hurt (even if it does)! They are 4 and 5.

thanks everyone, dd1 has seen me using them and im sure she has had a go at using them herself, either that or dh has

dd1 is quite a giggly "girls" girl and im a bit worried about saying something not appropriate and her going telling all her little girlfriends are there parents wondering what the hell i teach my children

Hi, I do the same as another and just say to my yr old dd that it's something that grownup girls do. She alwaus asks if it hurts and I'm very clear that it doesn't at all. SHe has a thing about pain atm!

Personally I wouldn't tell a 5 yr old!

I told my dd to think of me as a big chicken lol and that once a month I lay an egg but it comes red instead of yellow.

I've always been open with dd (she's 4). Managed to so far avoid her actually watching me use tampon etc but she's inspected contents of toilet ... when do you get a modicum of privacy back??

I've just said pretty much the same as others ... every month, egg waits around, inside of tummy gets comfy with squidgy blood in case it's going to turn into a baby, generally it doesn't so the squidgy blood comes out. She's fine with that.

Blossomhill I agree! I would not tell a 5 year old either. Its not that I cannot talk to my children as we have alway talked to older ds about things when he has asked questions but a 5 year old and periods 'no,not yet'.

my dd is nearly 3 and has always seemed to walk in on me using tampons. the first time she asked about it she was about 2yo and asked why i was sticking those things up my bum.

so i asked if she remembered when keiran was in my tummy and she said yes, and i said that if there isnt a baby in my tummy the egg that is there in case you want a baby has to come out. and it comes out of my bits so i put a tampon in so i dont mess my knickers.

she didnt seem to understand just said ok and wandered off again but at nearly 3 every time i have a period she tells me what im doing and why so hopefully shes prepared.

she also knows that when she is a lady it will happen to her (i was 10 so not quite a lady, but if i say big girl she shouts 'I AM A BIG GIRL'! )

my children know that i have to wear a mummy nappy (sanitary towel) every so often (2,4,7 year olds).

they think that a 'mooncup' is very funny!

don't think they know about eggs and periods in that sense, except that when women do bleed, it means that a girl has turned into a woman and they can have babies!!

My dd's are 5 and 8 and when they've asked in the past I was just very matter of fact and told them that once a month a lady's body gets ready to have a baby but if there is no baby then the lining of the place the baby grows called the womb isn't needed so the lady bleeds a bit and tampons are to stop the blood from going onto clothes. They did ask me if it hurts so I said that it wasn't like a cut but sometimes some ladies get a bit of a tummy ache.

On the subject of whether or not if you started your periods early that means your daughter will too...my mum started at 11 and was convinced that I would be the same. I didn't start till I was 14. Three years I carried that sanitary towel around in the bottom of my school bag!!!

I think it's a bit silly to say 5 is too young, IMO when they are old enough to ask they are old enough to know. Just use simple words and concepts without too much confusing detail. What harm can it do to be informed?

'Sleepless' - LOL at the 'I am a big girl'!

This is really useful! DD (6) has just started asking me why the STs come out each month, rather than just what are they.

Im quite glad I dont use tampons tho, as she's just the kind that would go and try and jam one somewhere!

My Dd is 3 and she has asked whats that when she has seen me change an ST.

I just told her its what all grown up ladies get sometimes,and she was happy with that answer, when shes a bit older and asks i will explain the baby stuff.

I think your best to be honest as and when they ask.

But be warned folks! I was always very open with my dd when she asked about tampons, etc, and always felt quite proud of myself that she seemed to understand enough and that it could never happen that her period started and she was freaked cos she had no idea, etc. BUT, there was a thread on MN some months ago about how to explain periods to a 9 yo. I said something to my dd (7 still at the time) about 9 yo's not knowing about periods and she said "Whats a period?". Despite my honesty and openess, she had COMPLETELY forgotten and was horrified when I explained it all to her again! So even if your young dd's know stuff now, don't just assume they will remember it for when the time comes

This is true - my mum told me the facts of life when I was about 4, when she was pregnant with my brother. Of course I completely forgot it all!