Explaining periods to 3 year old

[hulloall]

My 3 year old Daughter saw me putting a sanitary towel on earlier. She asked me what it was so I just said it was a pad, hoping she would leave it at that!!

She asked what it was for so I said women bleed once a month. She then asked why we bleed once a month 🙈. I had no idea what to say. She started to worry that she's going to bleed, so I explained that it's normal and that it doesn't happen until you are a teenager. But anyway, how the hell do I explain this one to her??

Googled and came across this, not sure if it'll help?

www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org/advice/health/menses_explain#2

My advice would be to use really simple language and try not to go into any more details

My kid was probably a bit older than three but I told him that my body has the opportunity to make a baby every month.
It makes a little house in my tummy, using my blood for the baby to grow in.
If my body doesn’t make a baby (and I think I’d had to explain the contraceptive pill by this point too!) then the blood comes out of my 'gyna' because there’s no baby to grow this month.

I think I mostly told him in case he was worried about me bleeding or bring in pain or anything.

Came in quite handy as he already understood the concept when he asked what my mooncup was this week too.

I've always just been very factual.

Sounds like you are the same.

Much easier to be this way then you never need to have "the talk"

Every now and again my DD (age 8) will have a specific question about periods that hasn't been asked before. I always answer her honestly and then that's that.

She's still a way off puberty from what I can tell but I'm glad she knows what's ahead of her and doesn't seem at all concerned.

I added it wasn’t like bleeding when you cut yourself, because it doesn’t hurt like that and it’s meant to happen- nothing is wrong.

And that only big girls and ladies have it.

@MrsWP

I've always just been very factual.

Sounds like you are the same.

Much easier to be this way then you never need to have "the talk"

Every now and again my DD (age 8) will have a specific question about periods that hasn't been asked before. I always answer her honestly and then that's that.

She's still a way off puberty from what I can tell but I'm glad she knows what's ahead of her and doesn't seem at all concerned.

Same I call them mummy nappies, and my 2 boys know what it is now... a few questions over the years I just answer honestly