how much do you tell preteen DS's about feale puberty/periods?

[margerykemp]

I've given DS a book (aimed at girls) about puberty.

It is very much about girls' experience but I couldnt find anything similar aimed at boys.

I do think he should know about 'where that blood comes from' but I'd like to know how others tackle this.

I answer ds questions as honestly as I can. Periods are perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed off. I think when people are daft and secretive about puberty is when the muttiness starts.

I have told my son that a woman has a uterus which is where an embroyo is implanted if the ova is fertilised. If there is no embroyo then the body replaces the lining and the old lining is shed. I have shown my son tampax and sanitary towels. I would rather I gave him the answers than he got some random myths from the playground.

lol.. I have even talked about contraception with ds.

Well my ds1 was at his little sisters birth and cut the cord! I have been very open about it all tbh i think its part of basic biology and its important he understands.

Plus he has seen my tampax packet in the bathroom, knows i get tummy ache etc.

And whatreallytired said. when the boys were a bit younger they were delighted to put a tampon in a small glass of water and see how it expanded!

Ds3 had a phase of taking the cotton bit out of the catdboard tube and drawing eyes on them so it was a pet mouse! He took them to bed with him! They were unused obviously!

I can't honestly remember when I told DS, but he knows everything about periods and he's almost 13. He does have an 11yo sister, though, so he's been around talk about it for a while. We're very open in our house.

I've told ds pretty much the same as dd. I have quite bad periods so they weren't ever a secret subject, plus dh has never gone in for secrecy. I've not gone down the book route, just told them what I thought they needed to know and answered any questions they asked.

dd had her first period recently and we had red velvet cake so he knew about that (plus poor dd felt rotten so it was fairly obvious).

I remember meeting boys at university who hadn't a clue and thinking how bizarre that was.

We have the Usborne What's happening to me? book, for boys (I have two sons) in that there is a whole section on what is happening to girls, from labelling their bits, periods, breasts, bras, peer pressure, shaving their hair etc.

I think it is only right that boys know what girls go through every month. I personally have endometriosis so my period pains can be horrific and I have a TENs machine strapped to me so both my two are aware that I have a period. My 9 year old has been told more than the 6 year old.

The Usborne book is great for laying it out in basic terms. But be warned it goes into detail about everything sex wise so you may have to limit what they know for now.

I was going to say almost exactly what really tired said.
DS is 10 and a half and I told him a month or so ago due to a natural progression in conversation.

Matter of fact I have found works best. I was completely matter of fact about this and when talking about sex and he in turn was extremely mature about it all.

My ds is 8 and could explain pretty confidently (in childish term) what happens during a period, why women have them, how a baby is made and born.

I have just always answered his questions honestly and he has pieced things together.

I think it's best to buy a book about puberty that covers both boys, girls and sex and to have it in your bookcase for all your children to read when they are about 8.

My younger brother was 9 or 10 when he confided in me that his friends willy had 'broken' and stuck up that day. So i gave him the book my mum had given me to read when i was 13 (waaaay too late, had even started periods at 10!). Half was very detailed about girls andboys puberty etc and the otjer half all about pregnancy. I told my mum that i'd given it to him a couple of years later when she asked me where it was, she was a little shocked to say the least (i think she'd intended to wait till he was 12/13!). I guess i didher a favour... One very well rounded brother i had :)