Menstruation: How to talk about periods with your young daughter - check experts' tips

Talking about periods or menstruation has always been taboo across cultures and societies. But as experts point out, it's important to talk to your children about periods and prepare young girls so that they are neither scared nor embarrassed that first time.

Menstruation is the normal vaginal bleeding that occurs every 28-35 days (typically) as part of a woman's monthly cycle. When a girl hits puberty, she starts getting her periods. While it's a natural scientific phenomenon, social and cultural taboos around the subject have meant that people of both genders find it difficult to discuss menstruation or periods openly. This leads to a lot of confusion among youngsters, who pick up wrong information from the internet or a peer group that's as inexperienced as themselves. While both boys and girls should be told about periods, it's essential to prepare young girls before they get their first cycle. Awareness will help her not feel any awkwardness or trauma. 

Anika Parashar, Founder & CEO of The Woman's Company, shares, "The onset of menstruation is a life-changing journey for a young girl. It can be beautiful and make her feel extremely empowered. However, most of the time, due to the lack of awareness, and hesitancy, a girl’s first period is often a traumatic experience because she doesn’t know what’s going on with her body. Therefore, as a parent, it’s extremely important to have the “period talk” with your daughter."

Tips for parents to talk to daughters about periods

Anika Parashar gives tips on how to have the period talk with daughters: 

1. Start early: It's best to talk to your daughter about periods before she is due to begin her cycle. This ensures that she gets the right information as opposed to haphazard details from friends or other sources. 

2. Keep it simple: Start with the simple details. Make it interactive and not preachy. Ask her what she knows about puberty and menstruation. Based on their answers, guide them further by correcting them where they are wrong.

3. Talk frequently: Do not make menstruation a taboo subject. Normalise periods for them because there’s no doubt that at first, this conversation may be extremely awkward and uncomfortable for most kids. It might take more than one conversation for them to completely comprehend this change. So break the silence.