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Start of
Your Daughter's Menstrual Cycle
by Denise
Witmer
Teaching
your daughter The Joys of being female is an
experience, to say the least. With sons, it can be
easier, as the process is slower, and there isn't
anything they really have to do immediately. Not
that I'm saying they should be ignored, they do need
to know what is going on when their voice starts
changing, they start seeing pubic hair, etc. This
can be taken care of with some good communication
between you and your son. A daughter, however, needs
a lot more practical information and a little
spoiling.
'In a study published in the Winter 1995 issue of
the journal Adolescence, researchers asked 157
ninth-grade girls about the best ways to prepare for
menarche. Thirty-five percent of the girls asked
adults to offer "support and reassurance" and 34
percent asked for "knowledge about menstrual
hygiene." Only 17 percent called on adults to offer
facts about menstrual biology.
At the onset of puberty, our daughters have special
needs, and we have to be aware of them. They are
excited, scared, and wondering about The Big Day,
the day they get their period for the first time,
what I have termed as Woman's Day with my teens. We
need to get them ready and help them through this
time in their lives.
Usually schools will talk about this in health, or
with a visit from the nurse in your child's
classroom, somewhere around 4th grade. Generally,
this is where girls get their first contact with the
word "menstruation". They will have questions,
although they may be hesitant to ask them. Do your
best to bring these questions out and answer them
truthfully. If they ask 'How much blood?', tell
them. This is not the time to shuffle by with
phrases like, 'Oh, not that much, honey.' The truth
is that there is more blood then if you cut
yourself. Saying this may scare them a bit, but
think of how scared they would be if you didn't tell
them. If you stutter, it's ok. There is no script!
I also suggest a preparation gift from you. I know
the schools give them pamphlets, and samples of
stuff, but a gift from you will mean 100% more to
them. I actually put together two gifts, one for
preparing and one for Woman's Day, I have a link to
what I give them below.
Prepare Yourself
Too!!!
Ok, sit down, take a deep breath, and count back
from 10. Your daughter is no longer a child, she is
growning up, this was unavoidable since the day the
doctor smacked her and said, "It's a Girl!" Just
think of all the good things that can come out of
this, you can start borrowing her clothes soon, LOL,
ok, maybe not!
In all seriousness, there is nothing that will make
you feel your age more than a growing child. Having
a daughter who is starting their menstral cycle is a
huge blow. Take some time to sort out your feelings.
Have a good cry, and pamper yourself too.
When the Big Day arrives and your daughter walks up
to you and says, "Mom, I got my period." Give her a
hug, tell her you love her, and ask her if she is
feeling ok, ie. does she want tylenol? Sometimes we
get so caught up in the fact that this is the first
time, happy that she is growing up, sad that she is
no longer a child, we just plain forget that she
might not be feeling very well.
Now is the time for the Woman's Day gift. This gift
has two parts, one comes in a box, the other from
you. I have an example for what I give in the box in
a link below. The second part is your time. Let her
choose what she wants to do, but make some time for
her, only her, asap.
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