Menstruation or periods have always been considered as taboo in the society we live in. Even today, people find it shameful and not-appropriate to talk about it publicly. It is measured as impure or a sin. So, it comes as no surprise why parents are uncomfortable to talk about it with their children.
Mensuration is a natural process, which each and every woman goes through during their lifespan. It is just a process which signifies the onset of a girl transforming into a woman.
It is highly necessary that parents talk and educate their kids, i.e. both girls and boys, about periods. Having open conversations with them is the only way to familiarise them with the process and make them realise that it is a natural process and is nothing to be ashamed about.
When is the right time to talk about periods to your daughters?
When we talk about menstruation, it is the girl child who needs to be prepared first, because eventually the hormonal changes take place in her body and if not educated properly, could fear her for life.
Check on the signs, first being the development of breast, typically it is believed that after a year or two of this physical change, a girl gets her first period. Another sign is a vaginal discharge which begins about 6 months before the first period. Girls may question about such changes which happen in her body during puberty, and that may exactly be the right time for you to bring her closer to the concept of mensuration.
Why do you need to talk about periods to your sons and how?
When half of the population experiences it, then why should the other half be uninformed about it? It is necessary for your sons, not to react poorly to a pad or a stain mark on a girl’s clothes. You may directly approach your son, with the concept of periods, not in detail but just that it is a naturally occurring process in girls where they bleed and experience pain, every month. Also, you may take help of the countless videos available online for kids these days to make them understand this natural process. As responsible parents, it is their duty to educate their son about something that is imperative in every woman. By doing so, parents are not only encouraging their son to be supportive but are making things easy for all those women who feel uncomfortable around men during their periods.
Waiting for the Right Time?
There is no right time as such to impart this knowledge to your kids. Informing your children about periods before your girl gets one is usually considered ideal. It is necessary that you talk to kids and inform them about it before they learn about it through media like the internet or their own peer group.
In modern times, there are families who talk to their children about menstruation when they are around 4-5 years in age. Children tend to easily believe whatever you tell them during this age without any doubts. Hence, it would be easier to feed them with the correct information during this time.
You need to create a comfortable environment at home, where the kids believe in you and understand whatever knowledge you are passing on. This is the only way that any of the above-mentioned techniques may work.
