Many parents struggle with how to bring up menstruation to their daughters, but if you approach the subject carefully, it will remove a lot of the associated fears and possibly even help your daughter through the difficult aspects of puberty in the future.
Discuss Menstruation Early and Often
You might be waiting to talk to your daughter until she begins to bleed, but this isn’t a good idea. Experts feel that it’s best to talk to children about their bodies and the ways they will grow and change from a very early age. The more relaxed you are about the subject, the more natural the transition will eventually be. If you’re worried your daughter may be embarrassed, try having the conversation during a car ride. The lack of eye contact, the distraction of the surrounding landscapes and the music on the radio may provide a better environment for approaching an awkward subject.
Discussing early and often will also ensure your daughter feels comfortable coming to you with questions. If you’re still unsure, a good guideline is to begin discussions before your child is old enough to get online on her own. Otherwise, she may come across false information and get confused.
Be Truthful but Optimistic
Don’t feel the need to hide the unpleasant details from your daughter. The fact is that menstrual cramps can hurt, periods can be gross and being a woman is just not that easy. However, instead of simply dumping these truths on your daughter and giving her sarcastic good wishes for the future, offer solutions. Menstrual cups, pain medication and natural interventions, such as magnesium supplements, all can make periods easier and less painful to manage. You want your daughter to have a realistic idea of what’s to come, but she should end up feeling confident that she’ll be able to handle it.
Demonstrate the Tools of Womanhood
Women aren’t born knowing how to insert a tampon or menstrual cup, so a quick lesson on the basic process is a good idea. If you’re a single dad, you’ll probably want to enlist a female family member to help you with this. Also talk about the importance of heating pads, a healthy diet, proper pain management and rest. A wide variety of things can affect periods for better or worse. Your daughter, like all women, will have to experiment to find what works best for her.
No matter how you approach the subject for the first time, don’t attempt to cover everything in one conversation. Above all else, emphasize that becoming a woman is a beautiful process that should be celebrated.
