The idea of talking to your mum, dad or even friends about periods can feel pretty awkward. But trust us, once you’ve had the chat you will feel so much better.
You’ve probably got a lot of questions, but don’t feel you have to ask them all at once! Take it slow, chats only need to last a couple of minutes and can happen anywhere…in the car, when helping to lay the table for dinner, or even when out shopping.
Start by asking your mum, or the person who cares for you, how they felt when they were going through puberty. You could start by asking how old they were when they hit those special milestones themselves.
You don’t even have to start by asking about periods, ease yourself in and touch on any of the topics below.
Think about what you want to say and questions you want to ask. If you don’t feel ready to share this news with your parents just yet, do you have an older sister or cousin you may want to chat to first? They can often give you tips and share their experiences too.
Regardless of who you choose to speak to, start off with short chats. It will only be a matter of time before the conversation moves over to you and how you feel. Chances are your family have been waiting for you to bring this subject up and will be glad to get it out and in the open.
If you’ve got brothers and sisters and never get any time alone with your parents, then why don’t you ask to go to the weekly food shop with them and once in the store make your way over to the period product aisle to see what products are on offer. After all, you may not want to use the same products as other family members and our Lil-Lets Teens Range has been designed especially for girls who are new to periods and prefer shorter and narrower pads.
If you live with your dad, don’t worry, he’ll know all about periods too! But if you find it hard to chat ‘face to face’ with him, then ask a female family member for some help; an aunt, older sister or grandmother will be more than happy to help you out and let your dad know your news.
Alternatively, you could leave him a note with a list of things you need when he next goes shopping such as shower gel, antiperspirant, wipes etc. And add a pack of pads to your list and he’ll soon get the message.
That way if you really don’t feel confident speaking out loud this is an ideal alternative and something we all do daily, so you can avoid any initial embarrassment from your side.
Remember parents, grandparents and older siblings will all have been in this position once themselves and most likely felt exactly the same way you’re feeling now, so they’ll understand completely what you are going through and will want to make this as special and comfortable a time as possible for you.
Even when we understand all about periods and think we’re prepared, they very often turn up when we least expect them!
Firstly, relax, yes we know it can be scary, and yes it is a big deal! But it’s also completely natural.
So, if you’re at home, shout out to your mum, or the person who cares for you and let them know your period has arrived. And yes it can really be as simple as saying those four little words “My period is here”. If you’re home alone, then give them a call or drop them a text, with exactly the same message.
If you already have some pads, pop one in your underwear and sit down and chat with someone, it’s important to share this news even if this is over the phone or by text.
If you don’t have any pads at home, fold some toilet tissue up and place this in your underwear and ask someone to bring you some period supplies. Toilet tissue will not last for very long so don’t be tempted to use this all day.
If you’re in school when your period arrives, and you don’t have any period supplies, ask a friend if they have any, or pop to the school office/reception and they will be able to provide you with some pads. If you feel nervous saying it out loud and if other students are around, write it on a piece of paper and pop that through the partition. You could even use code language like, “Can you help me with my time of the month?”.
If your period has marked your underwear or uniform, the school may give your parents a call to ask them to bring you a change of clothes and by doing this, they’re actually starting off the ‘period talk’ for you.
Some friendship groups are completely comfortable with sharing the news about getting their first period, others not so much. It has to be your choice, no one can tell simply by looking at you that you’re on your period.
So, if you want to keep the news private until you’ve got used to the idea yourself, then this is absolutely fine. And whilst some girls are sooo excited that they want to tell their friends and make a big deal out of it, others are a little shy and may just drop it into the conversation when the subject comes up.
The same is true for anyone you are dating too! It's up to you to decide if you want to share this news. And if it’s a boy you’re dating, then they should already know about reproduction and menstruation from school.
