umsami Posted March 2, 2017 Author Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) Out of likes, but thanks everybody. I love the idea of pre-inserting a pad in undies, as well as kind of showing more in detail. I remember I didn't know for about a year or so that the cardboard applicator of a tampon didn't remain inside. No wonder they were so uncomfortable. LOL In Islam, when a girl gets her period, things change for her religiously. She's supposed to dress more modestly. She's now considered responsible for prayers, fasting, etc. So maybe I'll get her a fancy hijab or have a prayer outfit made for her out of fabric she loves. Edited March 2, 2017 by umsami 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilaclady Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 We went to Walmart and bought every cool-looking, "teen/tween" type of pad (and a few others). I found a small zippered case around the house that we repurposed to hold products when we are away from home. That's it. This was pretty much what we did. I bought about 5 different types and she got to choose which one she wants afterwards. I wasn't sure f she will need pain medicine or warm water bottle but thank God she hasn't needed either. The first time I realized some girls have horrible pain was during college and I really empathized with them. Not fun at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted March 2, 2017 Share Posted March 2, 2017 (edited) I had already stocked the bathroom with different types of pads and tampons. When dd started, I gave her a red beaded bracelet that my husband had made for her (he's the artsy crafty one). She and I went out for lunch. Then we went to the fabric store where she picked out fabric for some zippered bags that we later made together. It was a really nice time together. She seemed happy and not at all embarrassed. Edited March 2, 2017 by mamakelly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisabees Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 SDD16 just got it yesterday!!! We knew it was around the corner. She stopped dancing seriously and she kept telling me about her increased discharge. I walked in the house yesterday and she said, "guess what?" Of course I knew. I asked if she wanted to celebrate. Sweet girl said not that day because it was her sister's bday. She isn't embarrassed by it at all (although kind of disgusted by the mess). Last night, as I was taking a shower, she walked into our room and asked - loudly with her Dad in the room - if I had some pads and tampons she could borrow. So there I am, in the shower, holding my hands out to keep them dry, demonstrating how to use a tampon. She leaves and her Dad - who knew nothing about it until that moment - says, "Wow. That went really well." She and I are now in the train to D.C.. Her bday is next week and she asked if she could go to the Holocaust museum and African American Museum with me. We are spending the night. She keeps asking questions about periods and boys. I'm honored she allows me to be a big part of her life. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 (edited) When I was in 5th grade, all the girls got shown a video and got a pamphlet. In the pamphlet was a coupon to get a free kit. We all sent for it, and it had various pads and liners, some little info booklets, and a little calendar. I used that calendar for years to track my cycles. I definitely think it would be nice to include one in a period kit. The calendar wasn't the kind with boxes around each date - just the little kind that comes in your checkbook. I circled the starting day and then crossed out each day after until it ended. Edited March 4, 2017 by ondreeuh 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwdiaz Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 (edited) I had a very weird growing up experience. My mother said nothing. She figured they'd tell me about it in school and figured out I had it when her supplies were missing. My mom is a super in her head meta-thinker. Puberty just wasn't on her radar. Anyway, she then told two aunties on my Dad's side, each of whom have completely different personalities from each other and from Mom and they handled it. One is (still) a total hippie and did the whole moon thing. She took me to meet with her consciousness raising friends (this was the 80's) and they painted my hands with henna and bestowed a womanly goddess name and informed me I should not trap my "life force" inside me with male shapes but instead I should let it flow free and soak my (cloth) pads in a jar so I could fertilize my (nonexistent) herb garden with it. They lit sparklers and took turns blessing me. Also I had my first glass of wine there. I kid you not. I was very embarrassed, not with my aunt who I was used to being weird, but there were a lot of strangers that said stuff I only came to understand later. I did not appreciate it at the time but as I matured I realized it had a huge impact on how I experienced menstruation and my body image especially compared to my friends. My other auntie with whom I share a natural affinity for research bought me a first edition copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wechsler. She gave me a calendar to note symptoms in and explained that I needed to know and understand my body, both so I could protect my health and so I could take care of my feelings. All the women in my family are very emotional due to hormones and she worried I'd mistake that for the depression that we also have an affinity for. She was the first person to teach me about birth control and counseled me about what's normal and not normal in her experience of our family. She gave me a huge speech about self care, which she needn't have done since I was as self-absorbed as most teenagers. Unlike my other aunt she did teach me to use a tampon and said that aunt needed to live in the real world. Lol. I remember feeling very mature and she served me coffee. I'm not sure how this will impact what I do with my own two daughters. Both of these aunts stayed involved in my reproductive life even after I married, though book aunt passed away before she met my children. As a matter of fact, hippie aunt gave me a copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves when I went off to college and encouraged me to experiment. Book aunt encouraged me to attend women's health lectures and to get to know my student services. I really feel like I owe them for a happy adult sex life. I do want that for my daughters. ETA: I was 13. Edited March 5, 2017 by bwdiaz 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 When I was in 5th grade, all the girls got shown a video and got a pamphlet. In the pamphlet was a coupon to get a free kit. We all sent for it, and it had various pads and liners, some little info booklets, and a little calendar. I used that calendar for years to track my cycles. I definitely think it would be nice to include one in a period kit. The calendar wasn't the kind with boxes around each date - just the little kind that comes in your checkbook. I circled the starting day and then crossed out each day after until it ended. Now there is an app for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Now there is an app for that. Not every menstruating girl has an expensive smartphone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 Not every menstruating girl has an expensive smartphone. True. I just find the app fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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