Dear Parent, Here's How You Can Talk To Your Children About Periods

The onset of menstruation is a major event in a woman's life. A lot of us view it as the girl leaving her childhood and beginning her descent into adulthood- that is, her becoming a woman. Some react to their very first period with joy, while others may feel scared or confused. On average, most girls start their periods when they're 12 or 13 years old (although some begin earlier or later). But, if you wait until your daughter gets her period to talk to her about menstruation, that's too late.

Also read: 7 Best Tips For A Healthy Period

As a parent, you may want to bring this topic up, but you may not know how to go about it. The most important thing for you to do here is to create a positive atmosphere about periods and an open dialogue where they know they can talk to you when their period starts. It is best to start talking about it early, and to bring this topic up often. Moreover, it doesn't have a be a formal, sit-down conversation- you can just start mentioning periods in casual conversations, ask how much they know about periods, and answer questions as they come up. Making it a 'serious chat' just makes the talk more uncomfortable for you both. Look out for 'teachable moments'- for example, if an advertisement for a sanitary napkin comes up on the television, ask your daughter if she knows what it is and what it's used for, and carry on the conversation from there.

Also read: Here's Why You Shouldn't Have Cold Water During Periods

Now, while your first instinct would be to just talk to your daughter about this, it is important that you speak to your son about this topic as well. This is because boys need to know about periods to break down ideas that they're 'gross' or 'dirty', so that they know what to expect when they start dating, and so they understand what girls are going through. Be straightforward with him, and have a direct conversation- don't beat around the bush. It is important to build a positive atmosphere around this topic, and to teach your son to respect it as well.