If your daughter is approaching puberty, she is likely to be feeling anxious about starting her periods.
Finding ways to talk about it in an open and confident manner will make all the difference to her experience of menstruation. But how can you introduce the subject and get over the awkwardness that surrounds a young girl’s first period?
Your daughter’s first period doesn’t need to be a source of worry, but – more often than not – it is. If their first inkling of menstruation is playground gossip and jokes, a young girl can develop a sense of fear, anxiety and isolation at the prospect of what’s ahead. Myth, shame and embarrassment often mean periods go undiscussed in the family home, which can result in your child stressing over what is a totally natural thing. It’s clear that we need to think carefully about how to talk to our daughters about periods.
Menstruation is a natural process, but we still live in a society where we hide pads up our sleeves, where images of blood stains are removed from social media and sportswomen are reluctant to speak up on the impact of menstruation on their performance.