My 9 yr old - menstruation

[blue]

My 9 yr old started her period! Oh My God! Now what do I do? I let her stay home from school! I don't know what to do, or what to say!!!!!!

[Gorilla]

hey blue, that's pretty young isn't it? i was 12 when it happened to me. is she worried, or upset? is she having bad cramps? had you spoken to her about it before?

[Roxy]

I was 11 and ohhhh so embarrassed :o

Time for the mother/daughter talk Blue?

[cedarblue]

my girls 11 and ive explained all about it in an ordinary kind of way. she was always asking me about 'those ladies nappy things' anyway so, now she knows and will be prepared when it starts.

a friend of mines daughter started her periods when she was nine too :(

its a sign theyre growing up :(

[PinkFluffyCloud]

A lot of kids seem to reach puberty early, now, it's a shame, really.
Blue, just give her lots of hugs, and a simple explanantion!

[blue]

We had a little discussion because of all the commercials for products. Geez, I'm freaked out!!!!!! Anyway, she's taking it ok. She became a little teary eyed when she had to go to school. I told her that this calls for manicures and pedicures for us both this weekend. That perked her right up!

[feline01]

[/B]I truly believe that all this early menstruation/puberty is caused by the bovine growth hormones in dairy. Just makes sense that there has been a dramatic increase in the amounts of hormones injected into cows, plus an increase in dairy consumption and girls are beginning their menstruation and getting boobs at such young ages.

Nice approach blue. My friend did that with her daughter, made a special mother/daughter day and her daughter always had a positive outlook about her feminity.

[foxytina_69]

be kind and gentle, make her feel special and let her know its a special time in her life. my mom made me feel special about it and was always extra special and mothering around that time of the month, for the rest of my life, until she passed away.

[Gorilla]

my mum wasn't the greatest when it happened to me. my parents were never any good at talking about intimate things. my mum gave me a book about it when i was 10 and it pretty much glossed over how horrible periods really are. :p then when i had my first period my mum basically had a go at me for not being prepared. nothing more was ever said about it. i used to be in agony at that time of the month for the first few years but i always used to go to bed and cry on my own. :(

glad you're helping her blue

[bulletproof]

it's not really a big deal is it blue?? i am sure she knows all about it from PSHE by now, it's just yet another annoyance to be added to the list of all things annoying in life

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Bulletproof - it may be a bigger deal for Blue than for Chy - the first sign that the Chick is preparing to leave the nest!! ;)

[Mystic]

Kids are getting earlier these days. My boyfriend's 8 year old cousin is well and truly 'budding', and her hips and thighs have certainly started taking on a more womanly shape. Also, when I was doing my teaching rounds at a local primary school, I was shocked to see that some of the girls (who were 11 - 12) looked as though they could be my friends! I am 22 - that startled me

[bulletproof]

pretty sure everyone i know has started their period by now and almost everyone i know is pretty immature so i shouldn't worry :p

[Mystic]

Oh and my boyfriend's cousin has a 9 year old brother who has just broken his voice and has hairy legs and a little acne

[Trendygirl]

That’s pretty much how my mum was with me Gorilla. I knew enough about it when I started when I was 12 but my family didn’t tell me about it. I remember looking in our big cyclopaedia to find out more but we did have a few talks about it, I remember that we even had one in my first school. My two older sisters also started when they were about 9 but my mum had explained what happens to them and gave them a book about it. I used to feel quite upset that my mum gave me no support in this area.

[blue]

it's not really a big deal is it blue?? i am sure she knows all about it from PSHE by now, it's just yet another annoyance to be added to the list of all things annoying in life

Bulletproof, who or what is PSHE? Actually it is a big deal, my daughter is 9 years old. She is a Child, not an adult, teenager, or even a preteen. She now has to deal with a Woman's issue, and Womans feelings. She is going to have to deal with hormones and all the feelings that creates! So, I have to say it is a very big deal.

Gorrilla, how Awful that your mother did you this way!!! I can sorta relate! My mother had no sympathy at all. I guess she never had any kind of cramps or anything. I rememer describing cramps that went to the top of my thighs and my lower back and never received any kind of sympathy from her. My dad was so much kinder! I wish he was still here! My mother is still like this to this day! She still can't relate to my illness, and understand the things I'm going through.

Feline, I agree with you wholeheartedly! I was just having this discussion with someone else! I wish we would have quite eating meat a long time ago!

FoxyTina - Thank you for the wonderful advise!

Banana - We better keep your boyfriends 9 yr old cousin away from my 9 yr old daughter ! LOL!

Cedar Blue - Thank the Lord your Prepared!!!!!!

Trendy Girl - It sucks that your family didn't help you, but at least you were smart enough to look in the encyclopedia! Geez, there is no telling what some people do that have no one to help them!

Roxy - I think we'll be having lot's of talks!!!!

Pink Puffy Cloud - Right now, I'd like to float away on a Pink Puffy Cloud!!!!

[Gorilla]

i think PSHE bulletproof is referring to is the talks schools give to kids about personal issues. do you have that in the US? at my school we didn't get this until i was nearly 11, so if i'd started my periods at 9 i wouldn't have had a clue what was going on (maybe i was naive?). the school lessons always gloss over the truth in my experience, and if kids do have any questions they're probably too embarrassed to ask them in front of their classmates. if you can set her mind at rest blue it'll be much easier for her, i hope. good luck

[blue]

Thanks Gorilla! I know they haven't covered this in school yet. She is only in 4th grade. I did go to the school and borrow the tape that they show the older kids. She thought it was gross. We were laughing. I told her, guess what, you'll get to watch this again, but with a bunch of girls from your school!!!! She was glad she was able to watch it at home in private. It was rather embarrasing. The tape had this girl just casually talking about vaginal discharge. My daughter was going, Oh MY GOD!! There is more than just the period thing!!!!! She was pretty amazed over the whole uterus, ovaries, and all that. As far as she ever knew it was just a Baby Basket! When I had my Hysterectomy, I told her I had my Baby Basket taken out, and we wouldn't be having anymore babies!! So, now she know the whole truth!!!!!!

[cedarblue]

PSHE is personal and social health education ;)
they have weekly lessons in it at daughters school - it covers all sorts of subjects.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Oh and my boyfriend's cousin has a 9 year old brother who has just broken his voice and has hairy legs and a little acne

I think my son (who's nearly 8) will be the same, it's scary! :rolleyes:

[foxytina_69]

it is a big deal bulletproof. she IS a child. i would not have had ANY idea what the hell was happening to me if i was 9 years old and started bleeding! i would be screaming!

it sounds like youre doing wonderful blue. its so important for girls to feel comfortable about their bodies and what happens with and to them. its so important in this era now for girls to feel comfortable, or i think it can really affect their confidence in the future. if they feel comfortable with being a woman and what being a woman is about, chances are they will more more comfortable in the coming years to sticking up for themselves, and being confident when they are on their own. i think its important to teach girls to not be ashamed of their bodies and their periods and such. no girl should be ashamed of any natural occurances.

[webster]

The best thing my mum ever told me was that it is completely natural. Therefore it is not gross, embarrassing, etc. Inconvenient at times, yes, but completely natural.

It sounds odd to have to say it (because of course it is), but I have found that reassurance helpful for the past 17 years! (And I was later able to adapt it to the joys of pregnancy as well - whatever happens, as 'odd', 'disgusting', etc, as it seems, it is all completely natural and good.)

[bulletproof]

SORRY it came out wrong- at 9 years old it is a pretty big deal- you're right. what i meant was it is more of a big inconvenience/annoyance/misfortune than it is a problem. but if she didn't even understand what was happening i am sure that was distressing (like carry :| ). in my school we had pshe from the age of 8/9

[blue]

We never had any classes like that here, especially that young! In fifth grade Ithink, they get a ten or fifteen min. tape and that's it!!!!

Everyone, you have been so wonderful!!

[Andie]

Blue,
Your daughter is fortunate to have a mom who realizes this is a big deal and is willing to be there for her.
I started in fifth grade, about 25 years ago. I was one of the first in my grade I think. I didn't tell my friends. It was awkard.