It’s important that you discuss menstruation with your daughter as early as possible as many girls are now commonly getting their periods as early as ten years of age,. Even if your daughter looks as though she is nowhere near puberty, her schoolmates accounts of starting their periods may confuse and upset her if she doesn’t have the correct basic information first.
You will need to inform her of the physical details of menstruation and tell her what she needs to know for when she gets her period she can tell you without you getting embarrassed or weepy. You may wish to start this conversation casually, maybe ask if anyone she knows has gotten theirs yet or tell her how embarrassed you were when you got yours.
Another good approach is to give her an informative, readable children’s book on puberty and sexual development. Have a flick through before you buy one and make sure you like how they approach the topic. Leave the book in her room, where she can look at it in private and tell her that it’s there if she wants to read it. The book will be read and it may ease her fears and help her feel more comfortable talking to you about sexual issues and feelings.
