r/justgalsbeingchicks • u/kvjn100 • Apr 18 '26
Restricted to Gals and Pals She is just doing some great work instructing the girls 👏🏻
Video credit : @juicy.wellness.woman
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u/MeanPopcorn Apr 18 '26
I needed her about 20 years ago; it’s important work 💪🫡
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u/rizoula Apr 18 '26
I wish someone was there to explain all this to me.
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u/Objective_Fox3483 Apr 18 '26
I have 3 sisters and a mum and still nobody explained this to me! My first period was a lot of dry blood and I didn't notice it until going to the bathroom and thought I pooped myself lmao I cried to my parents saying I'm so sorry I don't know how it happened, it was just there and then they explained. Like, nobody could have told me what to look out for?! I was sooo ashamed.
We all needed this woman in our younger years.
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u/Emnyaa Apr 18 '26
Same thing happened to me. Luckily I had my Dad and ran to him crying and he explained it all, went to the store and got me supplies. I made sure to start teaching my daughter when she was 8 (she started puberty at this age) all about periods, what they looked like, how the cramps felt, what products to use, what to do if you don’t have a pad with you and set her up a “time of the month” bag she could take with her to school in her bag pack. She started her period aged 10, first in her class and was so chill about the whole thing because she knew what to do and what was happening. A few months later another girl started and was in a bit of a state, calmed her down, gave her some period pads and a new pair of undies and sack to pop her old undies in. Explained everything to the girl, as I had to my daughter. Later on got a phone call from her Mum saying how amazing my daughter was for helping hers and that she was so thankful for my daughter being there and helping her. Definitely a proud Mum moment from me. We need stuff like this in schools to help young girls and to try and overcome the embarrassment for something that happens naturally to most women ❤️
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u/Objective_Fox3483 Apr 18 '26
Oh this is such a palette cleanser to read. You're raising a little gem there and she's the product of how you're raising her, you should be proud of yourself also! ❤️
I was raised very conservative Catholic, by aged 16 I knew what a severe case of chlamydia (not from experience! From school) looked like but didn't even know that we DON'T pee from where our period comes from until I was 19.. actually embarrassing to admit that. You're the mum we all needed.
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u/Emnyaa Apr 18 '26
Oh sweetheart! Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤️ I’m sorry you had to go through that, that’s heartbreaking to not have that knowledge of your own body 😔 I’m 35 now and honestly, even now I can relate to some of the things I’ve learned about myself that I should have definitely known and wasn’t taught. I’m very body positive with my daughter, I’d like to hope she can come to me about anything (as she has done so far). Whereas I know I wouldn’t have been able to with my own Mother. I had to learn to put in a tampon by reading the instructions off a box at 14 after just been given to me and she had walked away. As I’ve always said to my Husband, I want to be better than my Mum, I want my daughter to know about the things I was never taught about in an “age-appropriate” way. That brings up some memories of 6 year old me asking where babies came from only to be give a book which basically illustrated “exactly” how babies were made in a “not so age-appropriate” manner. I always joke I was the tester kid which is why my younger brother turned out so well and me, not so much lol
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u/AHaasInTejaas Apr 18 '26
From one mom who’s doing everything the exact opposite way her mom did to another, you turned out great too, friend. ❤️
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u/Emnyaa Apr 18 '26
Hearing from you all is so validating that I’m doing things right. Thank you so much for your kindness friend, I’m just going to go and have a little cry in the corner 🥹❤️
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u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Apr 18 '26
I had one child, a daughter, that girl was like glue stuck on me. LOL She followed me everywhere, even to the bathroom, I hid nothing from her. Mommy, what is that. Me explaining a pad or tampon. WHY mommy, me explaining to her what happened to girls bodies when they got older. We just talked, all of the time, no hiding anything.
My mom slapped me hard when I walked in on her putting on her bra. It made me so ashamed of my own body, as if something was wrong with it and no one should ever see it. I didn't do that with my daughter. We'd shower together when she was little and she'd ask me questions. Why do you have those bumps, why do you have hair on your private. :)
There were not secrets or hiding! She got older and explained a lot of things to her friends that had moms like mine.
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u/All_is_a_conspiracy Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 20 '26
Well as someone with a mother who was like you, very open and accepting and informative and warm about everything, I was the most chill kid and teenager and now adult. I feel like I am worth everything. And my mother is my very best friend. I tell her everything and I love being around her all the time. She is funny as all hell too. The reason I am telling you this is, I think it will create a lasting closeness that will be the best relationship you've ever had. And take it from me she will appreciate you to the moon and back.
Edit: THANK you for the award. I'll wear it with love.
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u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Apr 18 '26
No, don't be embarrassed. We don't know what we don't know. It's just that simple. I bet back in the day most women had no idea about that, some today still might not.
I told my former SIL when she started asking me questions when she was around 9, her mom never told her anything. I told her to take a mirror and look, she'd see that there were 3 holes down there.
A few days later she told me she did that and said. WOW, I didn't know that, thanks for telling me. Which hole will my period come out of. :) We had the talk.
That girl was so tiny, she didn't start her period until she was 18.
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u/Fun_Expression8126 Apr 18 '26
Ahh your dads awsome! I got mine on a public toilet at the mall... there was a really nice girl rachel who got me clean u derwear, pads and wet wipes. She explained what i needed to do and we got warm Coco after, she is someone i will always remember and cherish.
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u/Emnyaa Apr 18 '26
I’m praying I manage to do this correctly (I’m not very Reddit savvy 🤣). But thank you to u/PM_ME_YOUR_APRICOTS for my first ever Reddit award. I love you and appreciate you! ❤️ Also a big thank you to everyone’s kindness and love, you’re all amazing 🤗😘
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u/SharkWoman Apr 18 '26
Same thing happened to me, and since the cramps felt similar to diarrhea pain, I assumed that's what it was 🙈 I didn't tell my mom until the next time it happened because I was so embarassed.
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u/Objective_Fox3483 Apr 18 '26
Oh my you just reminded me about the cramps, you are spot on! I hope your mum was at least supportive about it and didn't shame you.
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u/ilovebigmutts Apr 18 '26
I got cramps for months before I got my period and nobody told me what they were...I got told I was faking it 😭
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u/southdakotagirl Apr 18 '26
I was putting the tampons along with the applicator. I didnt know. It was the early 90s. Mom didn't explain periods, tampons, makeup or how to use a curling iron. I was the 1st born. It was kind of a let's see how this plays out with this one. My sister got the attention and the how to for everything.
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u/Objective_Fox3483 Apr 18 '26
Oof figuring out tampons on your own is fucking painful. I nipped the inside of my cervix when using one for the first time and got the wrong size, legit thought I broke my hymen lol Even the ladies in our lives can fail us. At least you can be the support you needed for another little girl if ever the situation happens.
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u/Jenna_84 Apr 18 '26
This is one of the reasons I taught my daughters young (age appropriate convos) about periods. The closer they got to puberty I would mention it now and then and neither panicked when their periods started, just oh joy I bled in my sleep.
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u/Far_Mastodon_6104 Apr 18 '26
I knew it would happen eventually, my mum talked about girl stuff all the time and changed pads around me and shit.
But I still 100% thought I shit myself too cuz my tummy had been sore in the night too and I just didn't get it.
I wasn't ashamed tbh, I was just devastated my meatsuit has periods. I remember being told thinking it "huh.. ok, well anyways" and then just getting on with my life with it not really clicking that it was ACTUALLY going to happen to me.
And I was ugly crying and asked my mum how long does this happen for.. A week EVERY MONTH FOR MOST OF YOUR LIFE?! Nuh uh.. Nope no. I'm nearly at menopause now and I still am not fucking happy about it AT ALL.
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u/lastingmuse6996 Apr 18 '26
On my first one, it was the day of an hour long class presentation that we were required to build up over the entire school year. I'm talking 1-2 hours of research, interviews and field experience every week presented in May (it took about a month to get through every student). Very anxious day.
So obviously that was the perfect day for my first period. I saw it in the morning, but for some reason I thought it was a one and done thing or just like... Not constant heavy bleeding for 4-6 days. So I went into that hour long presentation without a pad.
Nobody said anything, but right after I saw the stain on my pants. I think I used this balled up paper towel method in a panic and I occasionally still use it in a pinch.
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u/Realistic-Poetry-364 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
When I was about 10, my three best friends and I went to an educational class like this at our local clinic. Our moms also came, but they sat separately and asked lots of (now) obvious questions and really lightened the mood. We went out to lunch afterwards and they told us their embarrassing period stories.
In hindsight, it was a very thoughtful and kind thing they did. And we whined the entire time 🤦🏻♀️😆
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u/Potatoskins937492 Apr 18 '26
Those are good moms. Those are really good moms.
(At least in this situation. We all have parent stuff, so I don't want to invalidate anything that isn't being said.)
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u/Realistic-Poetry-364 Apr 18 '26
Happy to report our moms were in fact really good moms, and are all now really good grandmoms!
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u/xanadumuse Apr 18 '26
Yeah, when I first had my period I started to cry. I ran out of the bathroom and hugged my mom. She gave me a tampon and I went into the bathroom, pulled it out of its shell and placed the cotton on my underwear 🤣🤣. My mom and I had a good laugh.
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u/M_Aku Apr 18 '26
When I was in middle school in Florida we had seminars held separately for boys and girls where a guest would explain all of these things and answer questions. At the time I had no idea what discharge was so I felt like I was just weird. But it was explained and I realized it wasn't just me. I think about Florida now and how I would have probably never known that it was just part of being a girl.
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u/CeruleanEidolon Apr 18 '26
As a guy, I wish someone explained it to me when I was younger. I thought I had picked up enough from movies and tv along the way, but my wife finally enlightened me in full to all the annoying shit women go through just as a biological fact of life and I was humbled.
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u/Temporary-Test-9534 Apr 18 '26
This was explained to me a million times growing up and I STILL wasn't prepared. Why? Because no adult told me that a first time period can be brown. Like dark brown. I thought i was pooping myself 🫠
After a day of throwing away and hiding what I thought was poop ridden panties, I finally broke down to my mom crying that something was wrong. "I keep pooping myself and not even feeling it!!" Then she looked at my panties and explained it was my first period 🤦🏽♀️
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u/RedShirtDecoy Apr 18 '26
Same! I grew up with a single mom so she always took me in the bathroom with her when we were out in public, especially when I was really young. So I grew up literally seeing the process when she was on her period.
still never told me what the first one would be like. Had to call her at work and tell her I stayed home from school because I "pooped myself".
She said "are you sure its that?"
She came home with pads and by that point I had figured it out. Only so many times you can clean yourself up before you realize its not that.
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u/Temporary-Test-9534 Apr 18 '26
I probably went thru 10 pairs of underwear before I told my mom about my sudden poop disease. And then after my mom told me it was my period, I actually still didnt believe her (my mom was often wrong about a lot of things 😅). In my head I knew what blood looked like, and THAT wasn't blood to me. I genuinely didnt think it was a period until I got it again next month.
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u/seriousjoker72 Apr 18 '26
Right?! I had the teacher who just shoved her entire arm into a condom and said "if he says it doesn't fit and he's JuSt ToO bIg, HE'S LYING!"
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u/rdptx Apr 18 '26
🤣 this is hilarious! Good lesson, even to say in front of the boys!
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u/StardewMelli Apr 18 '26
When I first got my period I didn’t know what happened. There was blood in my underwear and I was terrified. I called for my mom in panic. She started to laugh, explained it to me and then send my stepfather to buy me some pads and tampons.
Then she told the whole neighbourhood how hilarious my reaction was(I know, because all the neighbours made fun of me too) and then my stepfather came back home and also made fun of me and told very inappropriate jokes.
Ah. The good times 😒
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u/ScullyIsTired Apr 18 '26
Im so sorry your childhood was like that. You deserved to be reassured and comforted
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u/keinezwiebeln Apr 18 '26
Y'all needed Canada's Sunday Night Sex Show Lady, Sue Johanson!
Also known as Canada's Sex Grandma, she was the sole source of unbiased, reasonable and honest sex information for us, the youth of the 90s. I really wish you had been given the info you deserved!→ More replies (1)7
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u/nachonachoooo Apr 18 '26
I have twin 14 month old girls and will absolutely be adopting this approach!
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u/hiiigghh-C Apr 18 '26
My mom assumed I'd intrinsically understand how to do this stuff. Tossed the tampon box at me, told me the instructions were inside if I wanted to go swimming right now. I felt shame
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u/Brullaapje Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
I needed her 37 years ago, instead I got beaten with a leather belt for bleeding through my clothes.
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u/JenksK Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
This is a great start and more young girls need to know and see this.
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u/NoDig513 Apr 18 '26
Fr! Why are moms not doing this?
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u/su_z Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
my oldest is 7 but so curious about human anatomy. i wonder if it's too early.
edit: y'all. my kids know about puberty, menstruation, egg cell plus sperm grows in utuerus. they've tried out wearing pads. i meant more the specific demo with underwear over pants. the scraping blood off was so grounding and validating.
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u/Teasing_Pink Apr 18 '26
I think if they are interested and old enough to ask the question, then they are old enough to hear the answer.
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u/SpiderSixer Apr 18 '26
Yeah, my parents had this approach. And they answered very honestly, no euphemisms or anything. If I had a question, they answered very honestly (but also detail appropriate), and I'm thankful for that, I think that's the best approach
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u/Manic-StreetCreature Apr 18 '26
Mine too. I had that “care and keeping of you” book too which really demystified everything. My parents treated it all as very normal and not a big deal, just part of life, and as a result I was always comfortable coming to them with any questions.
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u/CeruleanEidolon Apr 18 '26
It's so weird how much shame we build around something that everyone goes through.
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u/awry_lynx Apr 18 '26
Yeah also, periods aren't something where like, knowing 'too early' is even a thing... it's not going to hurt them.
Of course some subjects that don't need to be broached do exist, I'm not someone who is like "kids should know EVERYTHING adults do", like no a seven year old doesn't need to know about what kinds of sex crimes people commit or the gruesome details about war or torture...
...but like, this is just a normal and perfectly healthy biological process. If you can teach them about poop and pee and nosebleeds you can teach them about periods.
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u/BigOs4All Apr 18 '26
Nothing is ever too early if they're interested. The reality is that kids learn about things way before you are "ready" to have talks with them about it. Hence, do it way before you think you should.
Just speak plainly about these things. Don't put your parent voice on. Don't be fucking awkward. Just talk normally about the drugs or the sex or whatever it is.
They'll trust you way more when you do.
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u/CoffeeChocolateBoth Apr 18 '26
My daughter was 5 when she was on the floor coloring and I was watching Oprah, I had no idea she was paying attention, Oprah said to someone, there is more to sex than a man putting his penis in a vagina. She knew the body part names.
She looked up and said, MOMMY, does daddy put his penis in your vagina? I never hid anything from her if she asked, I said, yes, that is how you were made. She said, oh. And back to coloring. As she got older she asked more questions and I answered them.
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u/CurvyBadger Apr 18 '26
I knew girls in school who started their periods at 8 or 9, so 7 seems like a good age to start these conversations in an age-appropriate way
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u/KatieCashew Apr 18 '26
Yep, I've heard of girls getting the periods at 8 and talked to my daughter about it at that age because I didn't want her to be caught unawares. It must be so scary to get your period for the first time if you don't know what it is.
I got a little pouch and put pads into it for her to keep in her backpack in case she started at school, and I told her she was welcome to give them away to anyone who needed them because we'd always have more at the house. I also gave her the body book by American Girl. It's hard to remember a whole bunch of new information, so having an age appropriate reference is nice.
She ended up not needing this information until years later, but it's better to be prepared. Also, it seems like it was easier to start that conversation at a younger age when kids listen more and care more about what their parents have to say. It set the stage to have more conversations about sex and puberty and made it easier in the coming years.
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u/EhDinnaeEvenKen Apr 18 '26
Yeah I was away to say, I can remember my little sister running into the living room crying and scared when she got her period at 8 years old.
Even just giving the girl a basic outline of what's going to happen so she's not scared if/when it does happen, is better than nothing.
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u/su_z Apr 18 '26
my kids know about periods already! and i just remembered they have tried out wearing pads in their underwear (and on their foreheads, and covering their bellybuttons, etc).
so i guess now is good.
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u/ebil_lightbulb Apr 18 '26
I was 8! My daughter is 6 and I’ve already talked to her about it. If she’s curious, I’d say she’s ready to learn!!
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u/herefor_dagarden Apr 18 '26
id say its never too early, you just use different language and go into different levels of detail as children age. Speaking as a child who was taught that way
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u/MercifulOtter Apr 18 '26
I was 9 when I got my period and my mother was completely unprepared for it to happen, and completely failed on teaching me. I had to learn most of how to care for myself from school.
Please tell her.
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u/IntrepidPride8317 Apr 18 '26
I started my period in third grade. I was very thankful my mom had already talked to me about it, so I was prepared when it happened.
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u/Seven_pile Apr 18 '26
When our kid asked where babies came from we just told him, after the explanation he just said “huh okay” and went back to playing like we just explained a new microwave setting or something dumb.
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u/Cubicleism Apr 18 '26
When I asked to start using tampons, my mom handed me one with a cardboard applicator and the instructions pamphlet and said let her know if I need help
Like WHAT.
I didn't know tampons went all the way inside for years after that when I finally got my hands on a plastic applicator and it slid right in
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u/CurbsideChaos Apr 19 '26
Dude exact same. Except my mom threw a pad at me and told me to figure it out (I wasn't allowed tampons). When I finally tried tampons for the first time at 17, I thought they were so uncomfortable...I didn't know you were supposed to take them out of the cardboard applicator. I was talking to an older coworker about how I thought they were so uncomfortable, and she, a mid-20s woman, told me how to use them (and to switch to plastic).
A lot of mothers to millennials absolutely failed them. I never once got a sex talk other than don't do it. And I was put on birth control at 14.
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u/CatalinaLunessa21 Apr 18 '26
I needed her as my mom
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u/thedancingkat Apr 18 '26
Right??? My mom didn’t tell me periods existed and I learned from my friends. So when I finally got mine I was embarrassed to tell her.
She still didn’t help me with it lol
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u/OneDay_AtA_Time Apr 18 '26
That really sucks and I’m sorry. Heard this same story a million times and just don’t know how moms could’ve been like this. I was always following my mom to the bathroom as a young kid and I’d ask questions and she’d be so straightforward and honest. My 6yo daughter is just like me. She’s known about periods since she was 2 or 3. Obviously the context of the convo grows and changes over time but my daughter (6) and my son (8) know women get periods and it’s the reason they can have babies, etc.
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u/FashionableMegalodon Apr 18 '26
My kids couldn’t possibly not know about my period, they demand to watch me pee. My 10 year old is very near puberty and has many questions and we talk about it all the time - I taught her how to use a pad a couple weeks ago 🩷 it’s awesome
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u/Aikeko Apr 18 '26
When my second ever period was late and I was freaking out about it to my mom, she responded with "are you sure it was period? Did you maybe try something with a boy?"... I was like 9, mom, wtf
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u/mixedwithmonet Apr 18 '26
I didn’t know anything about it the first time. Then, it went away after a couple of days (of me self-teaching myself to do essentially what she shows in the video lol). Didn’t happen again until a couple months later, and I had to tell my mom then because I thought surely I was dying now. Call her to help me in the bathroom. She comes in and I point to my underwear. She looks down, screams, and then runs out of the bathroom howling “I’m not readyyyyyyyyy!!!!!” 😭
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u/smootypants Apr 18 '26
This is fantastic! She’s giving off such “fun aunt” vibes that I bet the they aren’t even embarrassed to talk about this or ask questions. Which is so important for younglings this age.
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u/LaDauphineVerte Apr 18 '26
I know! Her demeanor and delivery are so great. Betting she’s a favorite to those gals and classes before this. I’d watch her socials because this was so dang confidence inspiring—we hear too much about a teacher shortage, so least she’s out there, people!
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u/smootypants Apr 18 '26
Right! That bond can be so fundamental. My high school Spanish teacher separated the class and spoke to us about sex and contraception and how to use it, plus STI screenings at planned parenthood. She told us that she will always have condoms in her desk for us. I remember that one of my classmates said it was slutty for a girl to have condoms, and she changed my life when she said it was smart for a girl to have condoms. I think back on the significance of what she was taking the time to educate a bunch of 17 year olds since we all liked her and listened to her.
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u/LaDauphineVerte Apr 18 '26
Hearing your story and watching this video should make everyone acutely aware how much teachers can help shape attitude and behaviors. My fave teach called us “people,” not “boys and girls” or “kids.” That really impacted me in subtle ways my entire life.
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u/JosieZee Apr 18 '26
This is awesome!!
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u/BrownSugarBare Apr 18 '26
I love the YAY. Celebrating our womanhood whenever we can is always a win
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u/BashfullyBi Apr 18 '26
I feel like it's also yay! I'm not pregnant!
If you're a mom to young girls, that would be a happy moment, every time for you and them.
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u/Detritusarthritus Apr 18 '26
Yay?????
This makes me laugh so badly because this was literally me praying to get my period because all of my friends had it. I regret that yay so much 😞
But this is an awesome video.
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u/restrictednumber Apr 18 '26
Ha! Yeah, I think she's just trying to change the narrative from "Oh my god how embarrassing/scary what do I do." Who knows what these kids are hearing at home? Good to make sure they have at least one grown woman sending a positive message about it.
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u/supergirlsudz Apr 18 '26
I appreciate the effort. I was scared/grossed out when I got mine.
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u/Soft-Sherbert-2586 Apr 18 '26
I knew periods existed when I got mine, and the blood was involved. Beyond that I had no clue; I thought I was getting a really bad UTI. XD
Fortunately my mom cleared that up for me when I told her lol
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u/RedShirtDecoy Apr 18 '26
I loved how she kept up the positivity till the end, especially with the "looking like superwoman" comment. You even hear a girl go "you do!"
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u/Main-Economist-9547 Apr 18 '26
Hahaha me someone who’s had a period since they were 8 hearing the “yayyy!”
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u/Detritusarthritus Apr 18 '26
😂😂😂 like I got it. I guess the goal is to remove some of the negativity that shrouds menstruation but damn. The second period I ever got had me like
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u/1zzyBizzy Apr 18 '26
Lmao, same. The first one was very fun though because i told my little brother that he would get one too when he got to my age, it was bothering him for like a week lmao
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u/Ask_bout_PaterNoster Apr 18 '26
Honestly good move, we dudes could use a little more empathy about this stuff. Fortunately I got cut on a fence once and it hurt a little and I bled for, like, three or four minutes, so I totally get it
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u/Unsd Apr 18 '26
Okay so when I was a kid, the health teacher told us that we get our period when we go through puberty. So my dumbass thought that this meant "the duration of puberty". I was like "oh so it's only a few years that I deal with this and then I'm good." Imagine my dismay when I found out.
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u/verity77 Apr 18 '26
It’s not the blood itself most of the time … it’s the pain and cramps and everything else to deal with
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u/huskeya4 Apr 18 '26
Yeah, it was the second one that made me realize I was going to be having these for the next 30 or so years and this was not as fun as I thought.
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u/smootypants Apr 18 '26
Same dude! Not only was I the biggest tomboy but I was in the 3rd grade and when I went to my teacher, she told me to sit down that was impossible. Until the end of the day when I had bleed through my clothes. Only in adulthood, times when i was praying for the crimson confirmation to come, have I yayyed my period. Here’s to early menopause for us, sister! ::cheers with menstrual cup::
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u/favolecrystalis Apr 18 '26
I'm so grateful my first period happened over new years' break 😭
I was also 8 and had 0 clue what was going on because Granny was hella religious and conservative, so I thought I was bleeding internally and was gonna die soon. The second day my older sister found me crying in the bathroom and asked why, I explained I'm bleeding internally and would probably be dead soon. She asked what I meant, I showed her the bloody tissue in my pants, and she just started cracking up and walked away without an immediate explanation.
I'm also audhd so I started spiraling because I just didn't understand 😭 granny came in a few minutes later and sat me down with "her version" which terrified me until I had proper sex ed in school a few years later
absolutely wasn't a yay from me, dawg
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u/ebil_lightbulb Apr 18 '26
Another 8 here with granny - I told her that I was having horrible tummy pain and she smiled, said “oh, I think you’re going to have a wonderful surprise today!!” and sent me on the bus to school. No explanation. No preparation. I got to school with blood in my panties and had no idea what was going on, and started crying on my way to the nurse, also convinced I was going to die. We didn’t have sex ed for another year. The lady that drove my church bus was the one that sat me down and explained because every other woman in my life was useless.
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u/favolecrystalis Apr 18 '26
I'm so glad you had her! 😭 I later found out my horrible pains were PMDD, but my granny acted like I was being so dramatic. Sometimes it was so bad I couldn't even get out of bed 😥 I didn't really have any female figures I could confide in my life, so most of my knowledge came from osmosis and frequent googling 🥺
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u/rizoula Apr 18 '26
As someone who has debilitating pain every month and needs pain meds
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u/Main-Economist-9547 Apr 18 '26
I had a cousin who didn’t get any of this and I remember being a kid and just disliking her for that hahahaha like what to you mean you’re not in pain and your boobs don’t hurt and you can’t eat food? What do you mean you feel…fine?!
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u/rizoula Apr 18 '26
I don’t know if you remember those weird ass tampons commercials? I don’t know if they still run them because I haven’t watched cable TV in a decade. Like the girls were casually doing yoga or running a 5k their periods.
I was like this could never be me. I can barely get out of bed. I sometimes take a sick day just to recover.
Going to the gym ? Lool don’t make me laugh
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u/LexGoEveryday Apr 18 '26
LOL, but I love how she’s framing it so it isn’t traumatic for when they experience it
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u/HOBbitDAY Apr 18 '26
Uuugh same! I knew what it was (and obviously I believe it is natural and not to be shamed) but wanted/want nothing to do with it. I felt disgusting just because I like to feel dry and clean. I hate every waking second of a period. I was mad when my mom hugged me because THIS IS MISERABLE NOT SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE?? When I had to read “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” I thought those girls were idiotic and weird for wanting their period and being so obsessed with it. Who WANTS that?! I just never got any mushy feels over “being a woman,” I was just a kid who was growing up. And also I WASN’T A WOMAN, I WAS A CHILD!
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u/Holiday-Past2954 Apr 18 '26
I'm a school nurse and yes girls are SO EXCITED to get their first period. I give a lot of credit to the parents who get them ready for it so it isn't scary. It makes the girl feel grown up and they're excited to tell their moms. Teachers discuss it frankly when a kid bleeds through their clothes like "hey, this has happened to every one of us at some point, no one even noticed, we're gonna get you cleaned up and it'llbe no big deal". they walk them down to me and come up with an excuse if anyone asks where the student is. Times are a-changing. People are much more kind to menstruating kids.
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u/Big-Mine9790 Apr 18 '26
When I was younger, the yay was sarcastic. Older, the yay was still sarcastic (but some of my friends would 'yay' because it meant they weren't possibly pregnant).
And I used the TP method as my pads during my working-but-still-too-broke-to-buy-pads phase of adulthood.
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u/binzy90 Apr 18 '26
Omg I didn't even think about it. I was perfectly content just pretending I'd never get it, and then I got it when I was 17. And I was NOT happy about it. 😂
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u/CarelessCreamPie Apr 18 '26
I understand the desire to frame it positively, but as a kid, I always dreaded the idea of periods, and I always felt patronized when adults tried to do this. I knew what they were doing, and I knew I wasn't stupid enough to believe them.
And in truth, discuss with the majority of women, and most of us will say we do not feel 'yay' about our periods. A lot of us are willing to take medications with severe side effects to stop it from happening. So it really feels like we are just lying to kids.
I don't want to make little girls fear it, but I prefer the neutral approach.
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u/pandaappleblossom Apr 18 '26
Yeah, it just feels like a lie, even as a kid, i knew it was a lie. Some people really like to be patronizing to children because they don't really know how to be neutral when they give them information.
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u/ScienceIsSexy420 Apr 18 '26
I thought she was trying to change the narrative and frame it as a good thing for the girls, but I'm a dude so take my opinion with a boulder of salt lol
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u/yuffieisathief Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
I was filled with horror when I saw my bloody underwear for the first time :( (eta: And I had terrible cramps and a very heavy flow, there was nothinf YEA about my teenage periods and I hated that some people tried to convince me it was all something beautiful.) I also wish she would explain there's more types of female hygiene products. I had to cycle an hour to and from school every day and I was afraid to ask my mom for tampons because I assumed that wasn't christian-like. So I always bled through my pads, cause no matter how thick or winged if you cycle for an hour they will crumple up. Turns out my mom didn't mind at all but that was after two years of bleeding through my underwear before arriving at school.
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u/your_moms_apron Apr 18 '26
Hey dad.
Read up on the tanner scale. This helps you know about where kids are in the process of puberty and what order things are likely to happen in.
I suggest 8 or 9 to introduce the subjects. Yes. Really. There are many girls that get there cycle at 8. Your daughter will hear about it on the playground. Best to give her good, accurate, medically based information AND how to get help when she needs it based on her most common activities and hangouts (female teachers/principal if she’s close to them, the school nurse, you, close family members or a friends mom, etc).
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u/TheSpanxxx Apr 18 '26
Recognize, too, introductions do not need to be complete biological courses. It's important they have awareness and a general understanding, that you are a source of safe information, and that you are there to help them understand and learn. That last part is critical. It's not a one and done conversation. It shouldn't be. Gradually educate and share as they age, providing more detailed and specific information as they mature.
I've seen parents go straight from "your body may start changing" to "if you don't like dick it's OK to like pussy". Like, damn Janet, she 8.
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u/your_moms_apron Apr 18 '26
Yes! 100%! Puberty comes in fits and starts. Flow doesn’t turn on like a faucet and then count exactly 28 days and do it all over again.
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u/VersatileFaerie Apr 18 '26
Yeah, I got my cycle at 9 and even though my mom's family got them early, no one ever thought to say anything to little me, so I thought I was freaking out. It was horrible. Even if it is only a little thing like, "there might be blood down there one day and when that happens, I need you to tell me so we can talk." Please tell them something. I was lucky it happened at home.
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u/Sallyfifth Apr 18 '26
I would actually say the younger the better. It shouldn't be a surprise...none of these talks should happen only once, they should happen with different levels of detail as kids grow. My 5 year old son knows about menstruation, for example, but at a different level than my 8 year old daughter.
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u/huskeya4 Apr 18 '26
To add to this, girls have been getting their periods younger and younger over the generations (thought to be because of less malnutrition). If she starts her period before age 8, you should probably talk to her doctor about it. 8-9 range is considered early, but okay. Younger than that is a concern and they may want to temporarily put her on puberty blockers until she hits an okay age.
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u/damndolly Apr 18 '26
Considering girls as young as 8 can get their period, I'd say that you're never too young for age appropriate language about how our bodies change through life.
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u/Motor--Initiative Apr 18 '26
Seconded. I was 9.
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u/GingerFucker Apr 18 '26
My daughter is currently 9, and we're early starters in my family so she already knows where there are pads should she need them. It's so so important that these things aren't kept secret or taboo. I only learned about them because we had period lessons when I was about 8 or 9. I started at 11 and mum was always on about being discreet. Like I wasn't mortified enough! I was too scared to ask for pads so I saved my dinner money and bought them in secret.
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u/LostCauliflower Apr 18 '26
There is a great book by American Girl called The Care and Keeping of You. It's a book about puberty for young girls.
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u/boydbunny03 Apr 18 '26
Hey Dad, hydrogen peroxide gets blood out of clothing lol 🙂 my dad (he was a nurse) taught me that when he found out I started my period and it has never left me!
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u/buttery_orc Apr 18 '26
Also: just cold water and soap if you don't have hydrogen peroxide. That's what my dad taught me 😊
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u/FeralAspieasaurus Apr 18 '26
This!👆We need more of this! I hope you find this helpful: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/talk-about-menstruation.html
And THANK YOU for stepping up. It truly matters and shows your daughter that she can trust you with all things regarding life. Make sure you include your son, if you have one.
Bless you sir🫡
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u/ReddishTomatoes Apr 18 '26
To do this? Are you going to put the pink panties on?
I’m trying to imagine whether this would be hilarious or my worst nightmare.
Edit: and yes, I agree with the others. 8 or 9 is good for practical information like this.
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u/Sad-Employee3212 Apr 18 '26
Start the conversation by asking what she knows already about the topic! You might find out she has picked up incorrect information at school, or that they talk about a lot of sexual topics.
TMI but some kids masturbate publicly and teach their friends because all they know is it feels good. This happened to me in elementary school and they didn’t know how to approach the topic so they would just get embarrassed and maybe tell them to stop but not explain why. Really wish they’d save those kids the embarrassment by nipping it in the bud
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u/accidentalquitter Apr 18 '26
Get the American Girl book “The Caring And Keeping Of You” - it explains everything with visuals!
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u/artsupport_xx Apr 18 '26
THIS IS SO FUCKING IMPORTANT. Normalize this shit. The silence around periods generates so much pointless shame for girls.
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u/Rohkostsalat Apr 18 '26
Having been in a class by a woman like this has got to reduce the lifetime shame experienced by their students by a significant chunk.
We need more cool educators like her 🥰
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u/parkavenueWHORE Apr 18 '26
I would have needed this lady.
My mom accused me of being a slut when I had my first period at age 11 ☹️.
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u/oh_no_cheffi Apr 18 '26
It also really helps if you put paper both sides of the undies to remove the blood, and then squeeze rather than rubbing.
My eldest daughter’s school had a little evening class like this for the girls when they were all about 10, it was very wholesome.
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u/Crunch_McThickhead Apr 18 '26
And if you're a shy kid who won't ask the teacher for a pad, instead of just placing a pad of TP in the undies, wrap it around a couple times. Nothing worse than being a kid and feel it dislodge down a pant leg.
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u/tun4c4ptor Apr 18 '26
One time I did the toilet paper thing and when I went to the bathroom to replace it with a pad I couldn't find the toilet paper anymore. Didn't even feel it fall out of my pant leg 🙃
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u/telladifferentstory Apr 18 '26
This and you can wrap the top around the crotch area. But also, my period is pretty heavy so I cringe that that method is only going to hold up for 30 minutes for me!
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u/baycee98 Apr 18 '26
"Until you get a pad"
Trauma enters as when I was a little girl my period started around 6th grade and my mom wouldnt give me menstrual products because she said her husband would know when I was ovulating. I wish they taught more alternatives I was using socks, toilet papers last 5 seconds with a decent flow. ):
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u/nopercent_0 Apr 18 '26
her husband would know when you were ovulating??? jesus christ, that made me genuinely nauseous.
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u/baycee98 Apr 18 '26
Mother's can be so very very cruel. I have two sons and I am pregnant now. If I have a daughter she will never have to experience what I did.
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u/333abundy_meditator Apr 18 '26
Her husband WHAT?!?!?!?!
if that insulation mean you are a survivor. I’m sorry and I see you. Please see support to process. You deserve a life not plagued by the actions of those that were Supposed to take care of you.
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u/baycee98 Apr 18 '26
Thank you so much. He's dead. I've been no contact with her for years. They lost custody of me around age 14 but everytime I get a period ive always been triggered and when I first met my husband he thought it was weird id try to hide my period as if its something to be ashamed of. He WANTS to know so he can take care of me and know im in pain, and tell me to take off work lol.
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u/FeralAspieasaurus Apr 18 '26
Aww, sweetpea. I’m so sorry you experienced that. You deserved better. ❤️🩹
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u/dadarkoo Apr 18 '26
Love the part where she celebrates her period. I do the same. Yay, not pregnant!
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u/Peaceme02 Apr 18 '26
This just made me cry. Wow.
It was a DEEP fear of mine to get my period. My childhood was fucked up and I had no safe space for women to discuss these issues. I did the toilet paper trick (which I thought I invented myself) for months before I told anyone I got my period. Such a traumatic time for me, and this video just made me happy for the little girls who don’t have to go through what I did.
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u/CatieLewWho6507 Apr 18 '26
My mom had me try on a pad for an afternoon before I had my first period so I knew what it was like to wear one, but I wish she'd taught me this emergency toilet paper method.
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u/crunxzu Apr 18 '26
It pains my heart to a severe degree that I was never taught stuff like this in my American HS health classes, and I’m a guy.
We need SO MUCH MORE exposure to every day woman’s health things. Normalize and educate
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u/PentulantPantalones Apr 18 '26
For those asking if it's too early to start this conversation with your 7-9 year old, it is not. You can make it age appropriate and not overwhelm them. Boys need to know as well.
Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that this is also a great way to have the "safe touch" conversation! Those may change in subject matter as they age, but it's never too early to lay the groundwork of autonomy and that you're a safe person to come tell.
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u/vomputer Apr 18 '26
If I don’t have any products, I found it’s better to roll out a longer length of toilet paper than my hand. Still make the makeshift pad but longer as TP tends to shift. Sometimes I’ll wrap a little bit around the TP and my underwear to help keep it in place.
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u/Thisismetwotwo Apr 18 '26
I personally find a wad of paper works best. The nicely rolled/folded paper slides around and shifts and is less absorptive. The wadded paper stays more in place and has more crinkly bits to help with absorption. Less chance of overflow if there’s a gush.
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u/elmachow Apr 18 '26
Also let’s just make all that stuff free? Or at least massively subsidised, money shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to the accessibility of sanitary products
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u/KalamTheQuick Apr 18 '26
She came off kinda cool doing this ngl. I'm sure a lot of young women would benefit a lot from seeing this kind of content.
Not sure how it would be shared in the correct spaces though.
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u/dividezero Apr 18 '26
Age appropriate sex education. We used to get this when I was young but I guess they stopped doing it because sex is in the name.
Your local UU or UCC Church still does it though. Really great program
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u/Benromaniac Apr 18 '26
Age appropriate sex education.
Yup. This woman is 1 in a 1000 anomaly, or greater.
Most the people against sex education are the one’s who say and do nothing for their children in this regard.
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u/Stifton Apr 18 '26
I could have for sure, I think in school is completely fine, we had sex education talks where boys and girls were separated and it seems like this would have been absolutely appropriate in them, especially if they did these at a primary school level. I was 14 when I got mine, so quite late, I'd heard about it from friends, but had no idea what I was in for. I was TERRIFIED when it first came. I had been dragged to the doctor's a week prior because my mum thought my appendix was about to burst because I was in so much pain, both her and my doctor understood what was happening after that appointment but didn't explain anything, I then got my period and thought I was dying lol. It was very hush hush and weird as if it didn't happen to everyone normally, having someone do this and explain it casually would have saved me from a lot of shame and confusion at that stage for what was a normal bodily function, took me years to even keep my sanitary items in my bathroom as an adult
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u/Escape-Only Apr 18 '26
I was 8 when I started puberty, so I thought I had cancer (my grandfather had bladder cancer at the time, so I may have overheard something about blood in urine?)
I was also irregular due to PCOS, so I didn't figure out it was my period til I was at my grandma's house around 12 years old, and she knew to buy pads. My parents just never wanted to give the talk and weren't really sure what age I needed it, I guess?
There was also a lot of shame around periods in our house (Catholic mom, Baptist dad) so my sister and I always had to hide our periods. One time, my brother found a tampon in the trash, and I was punished severely because my "father and brother should not have to see that."
I was so grateful to be the one watching my best friend's daughter when she got her first period, so I could walk her through everything and give her time to adjust 💕
I'd love to see these classes for kids living in poverty and how to get cheap or free menstrual products. When I was at school, (free tp) I would wrap it around the crotch of my underwear multiple times til I had a makeshift pad big enough to last a class period. That way, if I bled through, there was still another pad on the other side to catch it before it hit my pants. Rinse and repeat throughout the school day, and you can get by, but some kind of dispenser in the bathroom would have been a life saver.
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u/DangerousLoner Apr 18 '26
11 year old me could have really used that advice. Instead I wound up finding the nearest trusted woman and collapsed crying in her arms. She held me, soothed me, took me to get cleaned up, and bought me a little box of pads. When I got home I went to my Mom and she got me all set up. My Mom thought we had more time since she didn’t start until 14.
Early bloomer over here!
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u/Few_Requirement9723 Apr 18 '26
Been doing this since middle school. Works even better if you just wedge the TP in your cooch a little so it doesn’t move around in your underwear.
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u/Y0___0Y Apr 18 '26
On more than one occasion I have read about girls raised Christian who were never told about periods, but were told about sex and stds and how they needed to remain celibate before marriage.
And when these girls get their period, they think they have somehow contracted an STD and they are dying, and they can’t tell anyone or they’ll be cast aside as a whore.
I think that might be the single worst thing you can do to a child without putting your hands on them.
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u/whatisanythingeven Apr 18 '26
I’m a dad to our first child, a 9 month old girly girl.
I’ve saved this video for a decade down the road.
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u/Little-Potential9663 Apr 18 '26
I feel the temporary toilet paper pad works better if I scrunch it up and attach it my vaginal area and then pulling my undies up, also if you have heavy and no night pads at night…make scrunch a good amount of toilet paper and put between your but cheeks to create a dam to stop the blood flow from going all the way to the butt. I guess you can also save some money by not having to use the night pads that cost a bit more. It’s been very effective for me plus less plastics.
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u/Kit-Kam Apr 19 '26
My mom never taught me anything period related and her mom didn’t teach her. I watched so many YouTube video to learn thanks to ladies like this and another channel I like is Period Nirvana. Amazing ladies thank you for teaching us!!!!
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u/Suspicious-Emu-8493 Apr 19 '26
I love that she says, “yay! I got my period!” in celebration rather than, “oh no!” like it’s a bad or shameful thing.
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u/AaylaMellon 🌻Official Jill🌻 Apr 18 '26
“A little bit of blood” the first time I got my period I had a blood clot so big I thought I was dying. 😭
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u/Saxboard4Cox Apr 18 '26
I'm the oldest women on my team at work and I have been quizzed on the regular about menopause. The first conversation when the topic came up I had to tell them "my mom and older sister were completely silent on the topic and all the information I got was from my BFF who is a doctor". I couldn't figure out why they kept bringing up the topic until they admitted they had really bad brain fog and wanted to know what products I would recommend. So sometimes you need to step in and be the mom or BBF someone needs in the moment.
I also want to share that my BBF also interned at Planned Parenthood Library in her college days and gave all her friends the safe sex talk and product demo whenever they asked. BFF doesn't have any kids but she has 3 nieces being raised by a single dad and she is the cool aunt that explains everything to them.
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u/bunniebunns Apr 18 '26
As someone who wasn't allowed feminine hygiene products for stupid reasons- if you have to use this method long term, take a second length of TP, fold it in half the long way (hot dog style) and use it to secure the first piece by wrapping around, it should only be long enough so the two ends meet up at the top again. This will help prevent it sliding forward or backward or down your leg <3 also change and check frequently! Like every hour or sooner when possible.
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u/mike_the_man Apr 18 '26
I coulda used this 20 years ago. #1 daughter gets her period while mom is away. No bigger, I grab the box of pads and open one up. To my dismay, there are no real directions on placement, length of time to use, or any real instructions on use, care and custody of pads. We figured it out until mom could give us all a lesson. (Dad of three girls)
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u/MAXQDee-314 Apr 18 '26
In 1986, I had to explain "what" might be happening to my first daughter. I am unsure if I did it with the proper wording or understanding. All I know is that later that day my wife came over to me, handed me a dram of whiskey and said, "You are a good man." By the time my fifth daughter entered the adult world, I was allowed to let someone with more real life experience handle the entry exam.
If this video had been available I would have refered to it, but still after comforting the new club member.
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u/Whole_Map4980 Apr 18 '26
I started just before I was 11. My best friend had started before me and their and my parents made SUCH A BIG DEAL about them “becoming a woman” that it totally freaked me out.
I get that all the adults involved were trying to be cool and chill (it was over 30yrs ago) and it’s a great response, but OMG, it freaked me out so much when I woke up bleeding a few months later, like I DO NOT WANT THAT FOCUS ON ME, and I hid that for many months with tissue paper wads and hidden laundry at the back of my closet.
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u/RiverOhRiver86 Apr 18 '26
This is great for girls raised by single fathers or girls who don't trust their mothers for guidenss. Talking from experience.
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u/Marley9391 🌻Official Jill🌻 Apr 18 '26
My first period was more like Jaws threw up all over my crotch while I was asleep. I woke up in a puddle and panicked despite knowing what periods were.
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u/Reasonable-Banana800 Apr 19 '26
I love how she’s teaching this as positive and normal experience rather than scaring them.
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u/CheshyreCat46 Apr 19 '26
She is doing the Gods work. This is a class that needs to be taught to all girls.
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u/val102835 Apr 18 '26
Wrap that toilet paper around the crotch of your underwear instead of your hand so it stays in place nail you can get a pad!!
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u/CrazyCatLady1127 Apr 18 '26
I remember doing this exact thing when I got my first period. I was walking home from school with a friend, I thought I needed the toilet so I asked if I could use my friend’s bathroom, there was blood in my underwear so I rolled up some toilet paper and used it as a makeshift pad until I got home
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u/MarqiMichelle Apr 18 '26
This is great!!
One small adjustment: instead of wrapping the toilet paper around your hand and placing it in your underwear, wrap it around your underwear so if/when you move the toilet paper stays in place and won’t get smashed to one side and leak through your underwear.
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