Period Positive: How to Celebrate Puberty
We often hear about parents having “the sex talk,” but there shouldn’t be just one talk. Sex talks should be ongoing, and age-appropriate, so children are informed and aware. Our children should understand what an adult body looks like and how it is different from a child’s body.
Conversations about puberty and periods are no different. These conversations will likely come in stages. They may start when young boys and girls notice tampons or maxi pads around the house or on television. Parents can respond with a simple explanation like, “These are used by women after puberty.” If the child sees blood on a tampon, maxi pad, or underwear, more detail can be given, like, “After puberty, when the body is ready, teenage girls and women make a little bit more blood. This blood could help a woman’s body to make a baby, but if it is not needed that month, then the body gets rid of it. It doesn’t hurt.” If the child is a young girl, assure her that it will not happen to her for many years.