Tampax worries

[SophieMum88]

Whilst tidying DD 10’s room I discovered an open box of Tampax and some missing. She hasn’t started her period yet, because I regularly check with her. I asked her what they are for, and she blushed and wouldn’t say anything. I don’t use Tampax, and so far I’m the only one with a period in the house. Should I try to get an answer out of her, or am I worrying for no reason? Anyone else been in this situation?

Maybe she has started and uses them.

You need to be talking to her about the risks - and how to use them safely.

I wouldn't pester. How mortifying

Could she have got them during a talk in school or from a friend? Maybe she was trying to insert it. I would not push her to tell you what she was doing with them but I would make her aware of the risk of using them when they are not needed.

Almost certainly she's just curious about them and has been exploring them as taboo/"grown up" objects. She may well have pushed a few out of the tube just to see what they look like. Less likely, she may also have tried to insert one.

I would just tell her that she does not need to use those until her periods start and that she can always come to you for help and then leave it alone.

Hi,
whatever you do don't try to get an answer out of her. She's 10, some of her friends may already have started having periods so she is going to be curios about these products and how they work. She may have gotten them from school or from a friend or bought them with her pocket money. Why not embrace this and let get know it is good that she has a box of Tampax ready and take her to boots to get her stocked up on other sanpro explain how they work and how she should not try to insert them until she has her period.

Why would you ask her what they’re for? You know what they’re for. What a way to embarrass her and drive a wedge between you.

What are you actually worried about?

That

she’s probably looked at some, maybe dunked one in water, put one in her bag just in case

If she doesn't have them yet, it's possible she was just curious... Girls can start getting periods as early as 8, maybe girls at school have been talking about periods and period products and she wanted to see what all the fuss was about. If she does have her period there are ways to talk about it with her to make it safer for her and less embarrassing here https://weareluna.app/parents/guides/periods-and-hormones/period-talk-with-daughter/

Ooh thanks for the share - super useful x

She’s probably just been curious. Have you had a proper conversation with her about periods and what to expect? I’d be worrying that she’s learning more from her friends than from her Mum. You don’t need to get an answer from her, you need to find a way to help her feel more comfortable talking to you if she’s curious about the different methods of sanitary protection. When she starts, she needs the opportunity to try all types of protection, even if you don’t use them.

I was curious about these things at that age too, I took some of my mother's pads and practiced wearing them. My mother thought I had started and not told her. As she is nearing starting her periods It's perfectly normal for her to be curios.

I think curious but definitely could be good to have an open conversation - keep open ended in case she has questions or something?

don't embarrass her she maybe was trying using them whether she has started or not

I would do something she enjoys with her later, something like walking the dog or baking where you don't have to look each other eye to eye (to avoid her being overly embarrassed or stressed) and explain to her that it's understandable to be curious about the different types of sanitary protection but it is dangerous to wear a tampon when you are not on your period.

Ask her to if she wants to talk about the other sorts of protection available such as period pants and pads etc and explain that until she knows which she is comfortable with you could get a little supply of all of them for her to keep in her room to try out when the time comes.

Hi OP,
What was the outcome with you and your DD?
Has she started her period and not told you or she just had them ready?
Did you ask her in the end?

Thank you for all your replies, they have been helpful.

I had a chat to her about the Tampax. She took them from my sisters house. She hasn’t started her period, but was just experimenting with them.

My period came when I was 13, but for some reason I was so excited to start mine and for like a year before they actually started I kept watching YouTube videos on periods and the supplies that I would need.
I’d even bought pads and tampons and panty liners.
i’m guessing that she may be excited or curious like I was, I doubt that she has started and feels too shy to tell you although there could be a small chance of that too.
I don’t know why some comments are so judgy and unnecessarily harsh, but sadly that’s the case on most threads, isn’t it.

I loved this article, it was so helpful for me because my DD can be quite awkward about this topic!! She's had the luna app (the people who wrote that article created an app specifically for tweens/teens about their health and wellbeing) for a while now and it's got so much helpful stuff on periods, but also body confidence and dealing with stress etc.

In Boots today I noticed a young girl on her own around OP's daughters age buying a pack of Always.