How To Deal With Your Daughter’s First Period

Daughters grow so quickly, don’t they? By the age of 8 many girls experience their first period and then their body would change from being a mere girl to a woman who could give birth to her own child.

Today almost each and every girl gains knowledge of menstruation from the internet, their friends or even in the school via sex education. But, this shouldn’t stop you from explaining these things to your daughter. It is important for your daughter to know why are all of these changes taking place in her body and nobody else could explain this to her any better than you could. Many parents do shy away from speaking to their little one when it is necessary to tell them about this most important phase of their life.

Get your daughter mentally prepared for these changes. Tell her why this vaginal bleeding takes place first of all. At the same time also tell her of some of the side effects that she may probably have to go through before each period i.e. the Pre- Menstrual Tension (PMT) in the form of abdominal cramps, mood swings, headache etc. Tell her how to detect the signs of her very first period – this would involve the dark vaginal discharge approximately 2 – 3 months before her first period.

You too may require some mental preparation. Be ready to understand your daughter and her now common mood swings. This one thing may change the relation she earlier shared with her father. Some may be embarrassed to let her father know that she has got her periods. This may bring in a lot of emotional stress, shame and confusion but, all of this can only be sought with love and care.

Get your daughter physically prepared with the things she may probably need on the onset of her period like her pads. Advice her to carry an extra sanitary pad and an underwear to school – she could probably keep this in a small compartment in her bag. Let her make the choice of what she needs; do not dump your preferences on her. Lastly, remember that she is always going to be your child whether today or ten years later- this won’t change!