12 Tips to Mentally Prepare Your Daughter For Her First Period

Periods are natural and normal in women. However, when it comes to mentally preparing your daughter for her first period, it might be one of the toughest jobs for parents. It might seem like your baby girl is now getting prepared to have her first period and it might be both, exciting and also a bit scary. The onset of the first period in any girl and their parents might come with numerous questions that need to be answered well. If you are a parent of a tween and wondering about the best tips to mentally prepare your daughter for her first period, then you should read this article further.

12 Tips To Mentally Prepare Your Daughter For Her First Period

Preparing your daughter mentally for her first period can be a daunting task, but it must not have to be so. One needs to be open and positive enough to make this new body change due to puberty easy.

Periods come with a hell lot of stigma, leaving around 48% of menstruating women embarrassed about their period.⁽¹⁾ However, to change this mentality, we need to educate our daughters well and help them mentally to get prepared for their first periods and roughly around 40 more years after that.

The first period in a girl’s life is also known as Menarche and it usually occurs between the ages of 10 years to 16 years, with 12.4 years, being the average age of its onset.⁽²⁾ So, if you have a daughter approaching the age of 10-15 years, then you need to get ready with some tips to mentally prepare her for her first period. Below are some such tips that would surely help you out.

Start By Preparing Yourself First

Before you talk with your daughter about menstruation or her first period, make sure you are completely aware of the true thing and not drawn with myths or taboos associated with it. Your tone while conversing with your child should reflect the positive feeling and attitude about periods. We usually have lots of misconceptions with us regarding periods. So make sure that you have erased the misconceptions and myths related to first periods or menstruation periods in general. Only then you can have an intellectual and emotional conversation with your daughter to prepare her mentally for her first period.

Also, ensure that you have prepared yourself well to talk openly with your daughter regarding her first period. Do not be overwhelmed that your baby girl is growing up, normalize the period talks with her with your empowered and supportive words.
Treat Her First Period As A Developmental Milestone And Have An Open Discussion

One of the best tips to mentally prepare your daughter for her first period is to follow an approach that menstruation is normal and natural and in fact, a developmental milestone in a girl’s life. So, accordingly, talk about the process in a nonjudgmental way and make sure that you are not embarrassed while talking to her about the same.

An open discussion regarding the first period and menstruation, associated symptoms, and handling the period times, is required. A lot of taboos still exist surrounding periods that are required to be removed and our little girls should understand that having periods is normal and they should not live in fear.
Use The Available Resources To Help Her In A Fun Way

Making your tween daughter aware of the menstruation and mentally preparing her for her first period in a kid-friendly and fun way could make the task easier. For this, you can explore the available kid-friendly videos and books that talk about periods.

You can check the video series from Columbia University health experts that mentions various topics like mood swings, body odor, and many other symptoms associated with periods that would help them know about the science and fact of menstruation easily.⁽³⁾ They even have a first-period guidebook available for preteens and their parents.

Certain period board games could be one of the most entertaining ways to teach your daughter about periods. One of those is The Period Game.⁽⁴⁾
Talk About How To Use Sanitary Napkins, Menstrual Cups, Tampons

Talking to your daughter about period supplies and ways of using them is essential before they get their first period. This would make them feel pretty comfortable while using them when they get their period.

Tell them about the pads and how to use a pad or when to change it, and other basic period hygiene. Once your girl understands and is comfortable with the use of sanitary napkins or pads, you can also let her know about menstrual cups and tampons.
Explore Period Supplies Together Before Her First Period

One more tip to mentally prepare your daughter for her first period is to explore different period supplies together before her first period. You can go shopping with her and buy pads, period panties, or other period essentials so that she gets to see them beforehand and also feels comfortable purchasing them without feeling embarrassed.
Make A First Period Kit For Your Daughter

“First period can come anytime.” Many girls might get their first period at school or when they are away from home. Many girls fear thinking about this. So, you can help your daughter out by preparing a first-period kit for her and empowering her that she has all the necessary items ready in her kit.

You can buy a zippered pouch and keep at least 2-to 3 teen-size sanitary pads, a pair of clean underwear, wipes, and intimate wash, and also tell your daughter to keep it in her school or handbag wherever she goes( if she is in her tweens). Make sure that you too have one such kit with you.

Some companies also sell first-period kits having a few different samples of products, which you can also purchase for your daughter.
Don’t Overwhelm Her With Excessive Information On Period Problems

Periods can be painful with cramps, bloating, stomach aches, and other discomforts. However, while talking about periods to your daughter who is awaiting her first period yet, make sure not to overwhelm her with excessive information on period problems. Instead, lightly inform her about the stomach ache and feelings of discomfort that are normal and nothing to worry about. You can also tell her about PMS or the potential mood changes that might occur in her during her periods. However, keep things simple.
Reassure That It Won’t Hurt Too Much

At times, your daughter might feel worried thinking about the bleeding or symptoms associated with menstruation. You need to keep a watch on them and find out if they are overthinking their first period or associated symptoms. Make them know that the bleeding itself will not hurt and reassure them from time to time that period cramps should not bother them much as there are ways to ease the aches.
Let Them Know That Every Girl Goes Through It

One more tip to mentally prepare your daughter for her first period is to make them know that usually, every girl goes through it. Let them know about their favorite female movie star or Olympic athletes also have their periods. So do their teachers, friends, and relatives. This would shed some of the worries from their mind.
Empower Them To Handle Mishaps

Sometimes mishaps occur, like periods coming all of a sudden while your girl might be away from home or carry no pads with them. Make sure you empower them on how to handle this during such situations( if they do not carry their period kit and period happens or they get stains on their dress). Tell them not to worry and inform other close persons, like their teacher, relative, or even their seniors or friends.
Tell Them That Everyone Is Different And So As The Periods

Sometimes your daughter might worry about knowing when their friends start to menstruate or if they did not start having their first period yet. You need to explain them that periods vary from one person to other. Just like everyone is different, so as their periods.
Reassure That They Always Have Your Back

One of the most important tips to mentally prepare your daughter for her first period is that no matter what, you are always with them. They are not alone in their journey, even when any mishap occur.

Conclusion:

It is indeed that making your daughter a little aware of their first period and menstruation might be tough, however, empowering them and making them know about these things way ahead could help them ease any anxiety or fear they might be going through.

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12 Tips to Mentally Prepare Your Daughter For Her First Period