How to Explain Menstruation to 9 Year Old?

[crisi]

I'd explain to your daughter what a pad and a tampon is. If she is interested in tampons, let her try one - no reason she can't try. She may find them uncomfortable and not want to use them. She may think that the idea is gross and not even try them. Or she could try them and love them. She does - however, have to pick something to try - pads are the least scary for most girls.

You could let her try sponges or a menstral cup, too, if she is interested, though I think its the rare teen who'd feel comfortable with a cup.

(I did go buy one. First insertion, not too successful - was great for a few minutes and shifted - I'll give it another try when I'm home. I hear it does take some practice).

 

[chobie]

ITA! Couldn't have written it any better myself. It would be sad to launch ourselves back to the 1950s, where everyone got married at 18 just so they could have sex, then realize a few years later they'd hitched themselves to the wrong person for life.

And on another note, to me, the height of hypocrisy is trying to tell your kids to follow a behaviour you weren't able to.

I agree that the OP should talk about the whole story sooner as opposed to later. I overheard an interesting conversation last year as I was looking for furniture at the Salvation Army that I could paint and use downstairs in one of our spare rooms. I woman there, probably in her 50s, was telling a companion how she got pregnant when she was a young teen. Basically, she said no one had told her about sex, so a boy just convinced her that what they were doing wasn't a problem. She got pregnant the first time, and didn't even realize what had happened. Knowledge is power.

Thanks. I got a really nasty pm from a young woman who was thinking I was dissing on women that choose to stay virgins until they are married. I think its great that we live in a culture where being a virgin is a choice a young female can make, but they won't be murdered or have their lives ruined because they either willingly had sex or were raped. Yes, I know that there are young men that choose to wait, but honestly there is not quite the hoopla or stigma attacthed to male chastity. So, I'm all for young people making that choice I just don't want to live in a society that treis to enforce that standard by one means or another because historically speaking it has been cruel to girls. I also don't consider sex to be some sacred event, but that is just my opinion.

 

[JVL1018]

Here's a strange question. Would you encourage your daughter to use pads or would you let her use tampons? My daughter is 8 and quickly developing also. I've explained the mechanics of everything, but this question stumps me.

I think I'd let her pick.

My DD is 6(almost 7) and she knows how babies are made(she asked a little at a time and I answered whenever she asked), she knows ALL about periods because she's always trying to barge in on me in the bathroom and I'll say "I have my period, a little privacy please! The door is locked for a reason!"

Plus I tell her she has to be extra nice to me when I'm feeling yucky. LOL

Anyway I really only use tampons so that's all she sees. I'll tell her about both and let her choose. I think tampons are better, but painful the first few times you use them, so that may be something that comes later on. I think I was 16 before I started using them(I got my period at 12), so I'd probably encourage pads unless she really wanted to use tampons.

 

[newman7501]

And on another note, to me, the height of hypocrisy is trying to tell your kids to follow a behaviour you weren't able to.

I guess by this definition all parents are hypocrites. We tell our children not to lie, yet we have all told white lies in the past, we tell our children to be responsible yet we have all been irresponsible at one time or another, the list could go on and on. My grandfather who died of emphysema(sp?) last year always encouraged his grandchildren not to smoke and was a living example of what could happen if you did. I don't think that made him a hypocrite, he just wanted a better quality life for us. I also do not think it is wrong for me to encourage my DD( and my DS for that matter) to wait till they are married to have sex. My daughter is at the age where I have been able to start to really educate her and she knows we were pregnant with her before we were married, she always has. We talk about the consequenses that could happen and how those the consequenses really shrink if she waits. I also tell her that ultimately it is her decision. Now I would be a hypocrite if she had sex b4 marriage or came home pregnant and I judged her, ridiculed her, disowned her, etc. I would never do that, I love her too much and support her too much, plus it is not my place to judge anyone. I guess I just look at hypocrisy different than this.

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

At our house we have something called "private family business" and that means those are things we talk about ONLY at home with each other. All of this topic falls under that category (as does how much Mommy weighed this morning and what bad word she said when she saw the scale!) so mine have always known almost all of the basics, and we have revised as they got older. DD17 now knows more than I do - apparently they have invented some new things recently!!!![/QUOTE]


Oh my gosh.. I had to laugh so hard when I read the part about how much Mommy weighed this morning and what bad word she said! That's hysterical!

 

[Kellyscrapbooks]

I haven't read all of this thread, but I have read most. I see that there is a LOT of good information being shared here. I wanted to share a couple things that maybe someone else has talked about or maybe not, but either way they bear repeating.
First of all... KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! (not to sound like schoolhouse rock, but it is)The more you children know about their bodies and how they work the more they can protect themselves from outside influence, peer pressure, predators and simply disease, sexually transmitted or otherwise, it's much easier to recognize the symptoms of a yeast infection if you know what one is.
Secondly, the earlier you have the conversation the more likely it is that your child is going to get the knowledge that you want them to have. If you don't want your child to think that homosexuality is ok, or that people have sex out of wedlock, if you don't want them to know that sometimes (fill in the blank with whatever you DON'T want them to know)then you should get to them before someone else tells them about their cousins friends sister who did ___________ with whomever on the school bus. It's true, kids talk VERY early. A few years ago my cousin who was 11 at the time came to me and asked me what certain terms meant and I about freaked when I realized she had heard them on the school bus. I explained what they meant with her parents blessing and she was thrilled to realize that it wasn't something that she would ever have to do. So far my dd hasnt' heard anything terribly shocking on the bus but I figure it's just a matter of time.
And Lastly, Growing up doesn't have to be scary and should be celebrated. My dad sent me roses and chocolate when I got my first period (I was 9... which my daughter will be soon) and my mom bought me a card and took me to lunch. It was celebrated that I was becoming a young woman. I remember feeling a little embarrassed about it at the time, but it really smoothed the way for me to become the person I am today. I am comfortable in my body, I hope my daughter (and my son) will be too!