Mothers and Daughters (possibly TMI)

[Hillbeans]

I was reading the post about the mustache wax and it made me think of other things our mom's did or didn't do for us as teenage girls.

My mother never told me what a tampon was and I had to find out from friends....this one thing along would have saved me much embarassment as a teenager. For some reason, in the early 80's when I had "the class at school", they really didn't talk about them either. I even knew a girl who was 23 who put one in and left the cardboard in because her mom never told her either. Poor girl. My mom was very catholic though and probably thought it was a sin of somekind.

I can guarantee i'd tell my daughter (if I had one) what they are.

Anyone else have something they wish their mother told them as a young teen?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Now that you brought that up I have to tell you that a couple of weeks ago, my mom comes over and I was "waxing" and she said ................"I should try that sometime."

Here is me thinking "what, what, WHAT!!!!" So all this time she says she has been shaving and I just NOW found out now that I am almost 40.

Oh and Catholic here. So I wished they talked about ANYTHING!

 

[Pooh67_68]

Nope I was luckly, no matter what question I asked my mom would answer.

 

[pw2pp]

I even knew a girl who was 23 who put one in and left the cardboard in because her mom never told her either. Poor girl

Didn't she read the directions?

 

[grinningghost]

I think tampons should be included in those "presentations" at school. It would save alot of girls sheer agony in summer when it comes to being able to swim. I know there's the possibility of Toxic Shock Syndrome, and maybe that's why they don't bring them up all the time.

 

[Hillbeans]

Originally posted by pw2pp
Didn't she read the directions?

LOL - i'm laughing as I write this....apparently she was really quite nervous and just used one from the restroom with no directions. She must have been quite naive though. I guess you can't blame everything on your parents, right???

 

[flaps]

Lots lacking in communication with both my folks.

I didn't ask my parents things. I just learned to read.

 

[Evil Princess]

Originally posted by grinningghost
I think tampons should be included in those "presentations" at school. It would save alot of girls sheer agony in summer when it comes to being able to swim. I know there's the possibility of Toxic Shock Syndrome, and maybe that's why they don't bring them up all the time.

They brought them up at my "maturity night", and I had it only eight years ago.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Ditto on the tampons here - my younger brother 'broke everything' on the way out when he was born - my mother sadly had to have a hysterectomy (sp?) so that "stuff" was never in the house.

I didn't start using tampons - full time - until college. (I think back to HS and think life could have been so much easier!)

waxing/bleaching - nope - didn't teach me any of that - proper makeup application? nope. Love my mom - but she was so clueless back then!

Now *I* teach HER about makeup! hehehe

god knows what kind of information she's going to withhold from me when I finally get pregnant! heheheh

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

Well, I have a WHOLE list:

1. My mom never really told me about that time of the month. I mean, she TOLD me, but she neglected to mention it went for more than one day. And books like "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret" didn't go into it either. So, when it happened to me, I ruined 4 pairs of underwear before I finally told my mom it wasn't going away. She was horrified.

2. Forget about tampons. I had NO idea how to use them, she didn't use them. And when I finally figured it out, I was way too skeeved out to try it.

3. My mom's "sex" talk: "Oh, it's really not great. You'll probably just laugh, like I did." (She waited till her wedding night.)

4. Now we talk about childbirth. Unsurprisingly, she won't elaborate. "Oh, it's nothing. It was over like that."

NOTHING fazes this woman.

 

[Danauk]

My mum didn't teach me anything either. Luckily we were taught a lot at school (and yes we were told how to use tampons!). Plus I had a really great teacher at school who I could talk to about everything. I am still friends with this teacher to this day.

 

[missypie]

Never thought I'd be writing on this topic but....
Maybe tampons just weren't very popular or effective way back when, because my mom didn't use them and thus, didn't tell us about them... did they think we wouldn't be virgins anymore if we used them?

My DD is about the age to have the talk...I'm so dreading her starting because I had such horrific cramps when I was young and I just hate to think of her going through the same thing. (My mom gave us DARVON but that's a controlled substance now. Imagine the buzz I had at school as a 90 pound HS freshman after a whole Darvon!)

 

[Mimi Q]

I just turned 40 and my mom hasn't had the sex talk with me. (and she will not say the word pregnant under any circumstances)

 

[Jeanny]

I remember my Mom knocking on the door as I was getting out of the bathtub when I was about 10, wanting to come in... What's with that--she never comes in the bathroom when I'm in there!!! I remember wrapping up in a towel and letting her in, she pointed to my "****ies" and asked if they hurt??? Next thing I know, a few weeks later, my cousin is showing me how to put on a bra...

I was 11 when I got my first period, I remember Mom calling me in and handing me one of thos HUGE pads, didn't explain what it was for or anything.. I had learned all this from my friends luckily. and yes she too was from a Catholic school and didn't know what tampons were... those I learned about when I was 17, how did I live without them for so long????

oh yeah, she still hasn't given me the sex talk either.. my daughter is 26, guess I don't need it now!

 

[niks81]

I would love to respond to this but I better sit this one out Just thinking about some of the things make me laugh pretty hard!!!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Originally posted by missypie

My DD is about the age to have the talk...I'm so dreading her starting because I had such horrific cramps when I was young and I just hate to think of her going through the same thing. (My mom gave us DARVON but that's a controlled substance now. Imagine the buzz I had at school as a 90 pound HS freshman after a whole Darvon!)

Geeze, my Mom never gave me Darvon!!! I'll bet that took care of the cramps, huh??

 

[missypie]

I aways said that the Darvon didn't make the cramps go away, but they made it so you didn't care.

 

[LindaR]

My mom was the same way..........ignorance is bliss. Fortunately, I had two older sisters and they were very cool and taught me what I needed to know.

I am the total opposite........I have made sure that my dd15 knows everything. She can ask me ANYTHING and will get an intelligent answer (with alot of humor thrown in).

Before she started having periods, I let her watch (probably TMI for alot of you!) me do the tampon thing. She didn't want to use them for a couple of years (she was 11 when she started) and then when she was ready, I gave her a whole box and told her to practice.

Because I don't "hide" any type of info, I have a daughter who feels comfortable talking to me about anything. Yep, sometimes I'm freaking on the inside, but I'm totally calm on the outside!

 

[Dizzy-Disney4]

Another one here who figured things out on her own or with friends. My DD is only 5 and is full of questions (she LOVES to walk into the bathroom...need a lock), but although it freaks me out I answer ALL her questions with as much calm as I can muster up. I hope she is always able to talk to me....I STILL cannot talk to my mom about anything like that.

 

[smilingmouse]

I'm another one who was fortunate to have a Mom who told me everything. She figured out that I'd find out somehow, so it was best that it come from her directly.....

SmilingMouse