Periods in primary school

[flutterby31]

My dd is 9 and in year 5. She has every physical and emotional sign of puberty, except periods but I'm sure they are right around the corner - weeks rather than months. She's had a kit in her school bag since September, I bought her a book and we've talked about it a lot. She seems very nonchalant about it all. However, I won't be surprised if she's the only one of her friends. If she can get to 10 (in May) without starting I think psychologically it'll help to at least be "double figures". FWIW I was 11.5 in year 7. I know from 8 is classed as normal but they're still so young and I'm really worried about how she'll deal with it when it arrives. It can't be common for primary schoolers, can it?

DD started in primary (16 years ago!). Came as a complete surprise to both of us, and to the school. Talk to the school now about arrangements they have in place - DDs was a small primary with very few girls and they had no sanitary bins in the girls loos so she had to use the teacher's loos until they got it sorted. They were lovely and bigger schools might be better prepared but it's worth the conversation.

It's fairly usual I'm primary school now in my experience.

Dd was 10 and in year 6. Out of 12 girls in her class around half started their periods during year 6.

It’s becoming more common, and certainly Y5/6 teachers will be aware. I used to keep pads and a pack of new pants in my cupboard for just such cases, and I certainly wasn’t the only teacher to do so.

DD is similar, year 5 very talk has started to develop and I expect periods to be imminent.

I think period pants are absolutely brilliant and make dealing with periods much easier they can be worn alongside other sanpro as a back up or on their own on lighter days, or those beginning days when periods aren't regular so that you don't leak. They aren't bulky and just feel like slightly thicker normal pants.

The American brands are quite expensive but the UK Cheeky Wipe are much cheaper and very effective. Just throw them in the wash or soak in cold water first, just don't tumble dry or use fabric conditioner.

It's very common for year 5s and 6s to start. Not sure how many but my school always has pads for girls who need them,bins in the loos and lessons about periods in year 4. They do say that some children from certain ethnic groups start puberty earlier, including west African girls which make up quite a large percentage of my school so it could vary by area.

*very tall

Thank you for the replies. Dd has always been very tall, 98th centile since birth. She's 151cm now and the tallest girl in her (co-Ed) year group. However she's also incredibly slim, she weighs 5st3lbs. She lives in a leotard as a gymnast and so that will be a huge struggle for her. I've bought teen lillets and modibodi in readiness. Interesting about the child's background playing a part, I'm white British and her dad white South African. Being off school for a while, at least if she stays imminently she'll be at home for the first few cycles.

It's probably more common than you think. Our school has started teaching about periods in year 5 rather than year 6 due to the increase in younger numbers.

*starts

If she’s very slim she may have a while longer.

Most schools here have a red box full of clean underwear products nappy bags wipes etc

She’ll be ok

I started in year 6, we had just done the PSHE lessons and I felt so cool (weird now I think back on it!), but it's a different world now. If she seems okay about it and you have a kit in her bag, I am sure it will be okay. We read 'are you there god? It's me Margaret' as a class which explores the trials and tribulations of developing, but no idea how well it has dated.

I saw a programme a while ago (think it was a Dr Robert Winston one) that said that body weight triggers the start of menstruation. Girls generally start them once they reach 7.5 stone because they would then be able to sustain themselves and a baby, evolution ary facet left over from nomadic times when we were going through feasts and famine I guess. It's why ballet dancers, gymnasts etc start later and why you lose your period if you lose too much weight or are anorexic.

I have a good few year 5/6 girls ask me for pads. We have supplies in the medical room and bins in all the girls toilets except the tiny reception ones. They know to come to the office if they need anything and we don't make a fuss about it at all. They're absolutely fine.

This article states that menstruation is linked to body fat and that the trigger point is 17 % body fat. So if your Dd is still very slim she might be a way off just yet.

I've just done her bmi on the nhs child site and she's between 9th and 12th centile. However, she has every physical sign and has been in crop tops since she was 8y3m so I'm sure periods are very imminent.

My daughter started when she was 8 and I was a bit of a tizzy and arranged a meeting with a teacher. To be honest they were not fazed at all and they already had facilities and protocols so I think they'd come across it a lot before.

Wow just read the rest of the thread and the link between size etc. My daughter is 9 and is 5 foot 5 (ish) so there may be a link there too

In our large primary (90 children in a year) we have one or two girls start their periods in year 4. Sanitary bins are in place from year 4 in the toilets. Then we get a couple more in year 5 and again in year 6.

They know where they can get sanitary towels from in school and parents should tell the school. That way we know why they are feeling terrible/moody and that they can leave class at a moment's notice. Only because we try to get everyone who asks to go to the toilet, male or female to wait until the teaching part is done so they don't miss anything.

When they do go back to school, if she has a locker put either trousers or skirt and tights into a carrier bag and stick in her locker. That way if she bleeds through her uniform we can get the bag for her. Or if no locker, you can roll them up fairly small in their school bag.

Wow @Looneytune253 how has your daughter coped with it all?

DD wasn't very tall (still isn't) and was a pretty skinny thing when hers started, so it isn't always the case.

She started developing when she was 8, started periods about 1.5-2 yers after.

DD was certainly well under 7.5 stone at the time.

@flutterby31 she's actually been very mature about it despite them being rather heavy now. It's good because she's generally quite immature, despite her size, so I'm glad she's been ok with it. They did swimming lessons with the school not long ago and the teacher praised her (to me) on her maturity around the situation. It's such a hard one when they're so so young. She's quite open and honest and tells me or her dad that she's bleeding now or whatever.

My DD just started her period, she’s 11 and 2 months. She’s really fit, does gymnastics several hours a week and is only 6 and a half stone and about 5ft 1. She’s been having discharge for a while and wearing crop tops etc, so I wasn’t too surprised. I do think it’s more common now for girls to start early.

As a primary school teacher, I know it's pretty common for girls to start periods in Year 6, and even in Year 5 or 4. It tends to be the taller and/or bigger girls who are either generally more developed or have more body weight.