Getting your period for the first time is a pretty monumental moment in a young girls life. No matter when you get your first period, it can be a little nerve racking, however it is especially scary when you get it at unexpectedly young age.
Like me, for example. I got my first period when I was 9 years old. Yup! Your read that right, 9 years old.
One thing I will always remember is that I was wearing my favorite holiday themed underwear. They were a stretchy, white cotton pair that had wreaths and Santa Clauses all over them. They were probably my most fun pair, and although it was no where near the holiday season, they were an underwear staple for me.
Let me set the scene. My parents were gone and my sister, who is four years older than me, was babysitting. She was doing this thing she used to do where she would pretend to be possessed by the devil and I would nervously laugh and scream and almost near cry because she wouldn’t stop. I ran into the bathroom to pee, and hide from the devil, and there it was, grape juice in my underpants.
I honestly can’t remember much after that, maybe I blocked it out, or maybe I was too young. Either way, what I do remember is a Maxy Pad falling out of my back pack in the coat room at school and everyone asking “whose pad is that?” in a way that made me feel incredibly embarrassed. Everyone knew it was my pad, but of course I was like “I don’t know, probably the teacher’s.” At the time I didn’t really know how to deal with having my period, but looking back, I know exactly what I would say and do for a young girl going through a similar situation.
So what exactly would I do now? I’d make sure that I didn’t get creepy with my kid and tell them they are a women now, because they aren’t. I would tell her that she is still a little kid, her body just went through a change, and that eventually every other girl will go through this change too.
Then, we would go to the store and get a fun pouch for her to put her period supplies in so that she can store in her backpack without anyone knowing.
I would do everything I can to make sure she still feels like a kid, because she is.
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