How soon do you talk to your 8 yr old about getting her period??

Question

My daughter is 8 soon to be nine and during my time of the month she asked me why she cant be in the bath room with me. How do I even start talking to her about this. My mom never talked to me about and when I started my period i frecked out cause I didnt know what was wrong with me. Please help me I have no Idea how to even began or what to say. Help

Answer 1

Take a good watch on your child's development. Some are early, some are also very late and in between. My period came just after my eleventh birthday.

Some good signs that she is developing early would be....

- the growth of hair on places such as legs, in between, etc.

- usually puberty involves rapid growth spurts in many areas of the body and not just height.

- a white smeary discharge that comes from her and she sees in her panties for example, will be a good sign that her period will come in a short while after that occurs.

My advice to you is to not even bother with it until she is about 10. If she gets this discharge that I speak of beforehand, then talk to her about it at an earlier date. Really, she is still a bit too young to know anything about it. Let her be carefree with it for as long as she can. She has at least a year to two years to even start considering usual possibility.

Answer 2

the same thing happen to me! my mother never told me anything  about it until i got it.the way to start is " darling, sweetheart or what ever cute little nicknames u have for her, this happens to every girl at  a certain age and it's perfectly normal" and u get into tell her what it is and all the important details.

Answer 3

Start talking about it now.  Girls are getting their periods younger these days and she should be well-prepared when the time comes.  When my girl was nearly 9, I bought a book for her that was designed and written for tweens.  It's called "Ready, Set, Grow."  The language is straight forward and doesn't talk "down" to younger girls.  There are helpful illustrations that aren't "gross."  My daughter, who will soon be 11, really liked this book.  It  helped prepare her for the "Human Development" classes they had in 5th grade this past year.

Answer 4

Be honest.... She is going to find out soon anyways. She would be better off knowing the truth just in case you are not around when it happens.

Answer 5

I have always treated this casually. She sees me buy pads and tampons, so when we get home I just casually say what they are for.

When I get cramps I tell her why and that her sisters do this to.

I just inform her a little at the time.

I haven't gotten to explaining all of it yet.

Answer 6

You will haev to tell her sooner of later...my cousin started her period at 8.  So just tell her not to be alarmed when it happens, but once a month a woman bleeds through her v****a.  Its nothing to be scared of, and if it happens to her, to tell you, and you will show her what to do...make it simple for her.  Show her a pad...tell her that is what you would wear in your underwear when its that time of the month.  As simple as possible is good so that she isn't scared when it does happen to her.  She needs to know that it is nothing to be ashamed of.

Answer 7

I started at nine.  My mom never told me what it was , and I thought I was dying when I did start.  Talk to her about it now.  You don't have to go into full detail, just give her the basics for now.

Answer 8

I think it depends where your 8 year old is developmentally. I had a friend or two who got their periods at age 9 - but these girls looked much older and were tall etc. If your daughter doesn't look like she's nearing puberty, there's no reason to explain something to her which she won't understand just yet.

Tell her that mommies need privacy in the bathroom - she's at an age where she'll begin to agree.

Answer 9

I think now is a good time to talk to her. Sometimes girls get their periods at 8 or 9, so you should tell her so she knows what to expect. When I was a kid, my mom got me this book by American Girl called "The Body Book" or something along those lines. It was very helpful.

Answer 10

I would tell her when she gets b***s. I was told at school they had a class about it.

Answer 11

Wow, with that many answers, I'm surprised no one pointed out that the AVERAGE age for girls starting puberty is now 9 years old. The reason I was given for this change is that the hormones that are used in processed foods are causing kids hormones to "kick-in" earlier. My daughter is 7, and at her last check-up, the doctor asked if I knew what to watch for... and if I knew how to talk to her when puberty occurred.

HOWEVER, that was in southern New Mexico and now we live in Indiana, and there is a difference. First I noticed the difference in the size of the bigger kids. In my daughters school in NM (Kinder), the 5th grade girls were almost all as tall or taller than the adults. It was almost scary to walk down the 5th grade hall at her school! In Ind, I worked in a 2nd grade, where the "big kids" of the school were 6th graders, and only about half of those were adult height. SOOO.... I asked a doctor about it here, and apparently part of the difference is heredity. Girls who have a Caucasian background generally start puberty after all other races. That being said, it does not change the average age being 9. Therefore, there must be girls starting at 7 and even 6 to balance out the girls who don't start til 11 and 12. Gone are the days of not starting til you are 13 or 14!

My daughter knows that there is blood involved, and that it is part of being a woman. She said, "I am glad I won't be a woman for a long time, " to which I just agreed at this point. I haven't explained to her that it is something that will start before she is even a teenager yet, but on the off chance that she does start before I expect it, she will at least have an idea of what is happening.

Good luck to all us moms of little girls!

Answer 12

when she turns nine, that is the time to tell her, because it could happen as early as then. She will have questions, but it's better to get them answered now rather than when it happens.

Answer 13

Use the diagram in your tampons, if you use them, to open an opportunity for you to give a little info and answer any questions she may have. Don't push it, just let her know you're available. 10 years is usually early enough, but you never know. My girls started at 10.

Like you, I got no info at home. We had a film in Home Ec at school, and I started the very next day. My sister and I asked our mom years later why she never told us anything and she told us she assumed we'd get the info from our friends.

Answer 14

i'm sure there are some books out there for this purpose. my mom never had "the talk" with me either... but my friends and i had thoroughly discussed when it would happen to us all but of course we still didn't realize all of the implications and responsibility that comes along with it.  i didn't start my period until i was 11. i don't think 8 is too early.

Answer 15

Well,I'm a mother of 3 boys [13,11,and 5]. I've never had experiences with this,but i talk to my nieces. It really depends on how fast they develop. If they are an early developer, Sit down in your bedroom, where there is noone else around [especially males]. Tell her WHY and HOW it happens and what to expect.Explain what Tampons are,And why you have to wear them in a pool. Explain what pads do. You can buy her panti-liners from ALWAYS . Panti-Liners are like pads,Much thinner, And more comfortable than the ordinary pad.  She can practice with the panti-liners, Incase she happens to get her period during school,clubs etc.

Answer 16

If you can't find the answer here, try looking up resources on the internet or library.  I am sure there are many topics about starting this conversation.  I was 10 when I got my period.  So sometime before that (I don't know what age I was) I asked about those commericals I was always seeing on tv where they have the maxi pad and put blue water on it.  I finally asked my mom during the commerical what that was for.  Later that night, my mom came in my room and discussed it.  Basically, the puberty thing and what happens when you reach puberty.  But she also gave me a book about it.  A kid's book of course.  So, once they ask questions about it, please explain it.  My daughter's 7 but still hasn't asked yet.  Good luck.