I just had a little talk with my daughter; she's 6. Just because she saw me get out a tampon and wanted to know what it was for. I guess I'll go into more detail around 9 or so, because her friends will be getting theirs. If she's like me and my mom, she won't get hers until her mid-teens.
I think I got the talk in 3rd grade. My daughter is turning 7 next month, and I was thinking it could wait, but one of the little girls in the neighborhood just got her period (she JUST turned 10) and everyone is talking about it. I found out from another neighbor. How embarrassing is that for this poor child that it is gossip? Anyway, the girls all play and if my daughter hears about it, she is going to be confused and probably scared so I should probably have a little heart-to-heart.
Post by brandienee on Aug 29, 2014 14:34:56 GMT -5
I don't know if I've ever had "the talk". My mom complained about it once a month for my entire life, so I knew what was going on down there when I got mine. I was a super late bloomer though and didn't get my period until I was 16. Talk about feeling like a freak.
All I got from my mom about sex was "its fun, you should do it as often as you can". LOL. Thanks mom.
I'd say 7 or 8. I think most girls fall in the 8-13 range of getting their first periods, so if she falls on the early side, you certainly don't want her to be taken by surprise.
I got no talks and the school didn't show the video until May/June of 5th grade. I thought I was dying when I started in March of 5th grade. Ugh. I will do things differently with my future kids. You think my mom would've been better prepared since I'm the youngest of five daughters but I think I developed earlier than all my sisters did. Of course I never got a sex talk from my mom or dad either.... so maybe she never talked with my sisters either.
My twins are 9, almost 10 and we talked a bit last year and it has been ongoing. Although they have an older sister and have asked before about pads/tampons/periods, etc so they had heard puberty, period, etc. I explained a little bit more clearly last year (the reason why we get a period, what your body is doing, etc) and we also read the American Girl book together.
This is on my list of thins to do better than my mother, should I ever have a daughter, lol. I never got any talk of any kind and since this was all pre-internet, I relied on friends for info. I think all the suggestions here are great. Important to start the talk before she needs it and keep an open dialogue so she knows she can come to you with questions.
Post by poisonkisses on Aug 29, 2014 16:42:26 GMT -5
My mom talked to me about periods and sex when I was 9, she only decided to talk about it then because they sent a note home from school saying we going to start sex education and she wanted to talk to me about it before I learned it in school. I started my period when I was 11, but I don't think anyone warned me about cramps. I started having terrible cramps for a few hours before I actually started and was convinced there had been a razorblade or something in my food.
When did you and your mom start your period? Typically a girl follows that pattern, so I'd do it a couple of years before.
I think I got the talk in 1st grade because I was an early bloomer.
I got mine in 6th grade. I'm adopted so I don't know about my mom.
The idea that your first period is an indicator may be off. My sister was l like 9 when she started and told no one for like 2 years. My mom was 12ish. I'd probably start the conversation at 8, especially is she is developing early in other ways.
I was 13 when I started my periods. I knew the basics from school, but mum hadn't talked to me about them, or bought me any supplies of my own, so I had to use one of her rather bulky pads at first.
A bit off topic, but I remember explaining the basics to my son after he asked about the tampons in my shopping trolley!