The dreaded first period

Every young girl has the same fate that haunts them from a very young age. According to statistics, girls are faced with the challenges of womanhood at a much younger age these days. I myself had my first period at the age of 10 which was more than 26 years ago. These days the common age seems to be around 9 years.

Whether it’s the food we eat that is loaded with hormones or the water we drink that’s filled with chemicals, the fact remains that young girls are faced with this challenge. I remember how I used to climb trees and play with my Barbie dolls in the field when I was 9 years old. How do you do these things comfortably while managing period pains and flow?

Yesterday I received a phone call from the school. My heart skipped a beat because I know that getting a call in the middle of the day could only mean that there is something wrong. On the other side of the line was the principal’s voice greeting me. I could hear other sounds in the background and her voice had a slight echo. She informed me that I am on speaker phone which made me a little bit more anxious. “What could be this bad that there had to be witnesses to the conversation,?” I wondered.

We said our hello’s and got the formalities of a phone call dealt with when she said softly: “Do you want to tell mommy or should I?”.

A familiar voice made her debut in the conversation saying: “Mommy, I started bleeding.” Without any pause, I yelled out “Congratulations my darling! You are a big girl now!” Her voice picked up and I could hear the smile.

I made my way to the school as soon as I could. Even though my young daughter had been assisted by a friend when it all happened, I felt it important that I go and check up on her. I helped her to freshen up and then went to see the principal.

The principal told me that my daughter looked a little nervous before they called me. Obviously, the event is a big one and it’s a rather confusing experience for any child, but she told me that my reaction to the news made all the difference. She could see how my daughter’s eyes lit up and her body posture changed from a scared little girl to a confident young lady in a matter of seconds.

This is not where it ended though. I decided to run to the store and get her some goodies that she would need along with some beautiful items that would make her feel absolutely special. I call it the “congratulations gift”.

When my daughter returned from school and found her gift on her bed, she softly asked me in disbelief: “Mommy, did you do this for me? Why?” I sat her down on the bed and told her that she had become a lady today and I wanted her to know how special she is. We went through the various products and how they work. We laughed as we "tested out" the tampons under a running tap. She asked some questions about what is happening to her body and I drew pictures on the inside of her gift box so she could refer back to them when she feels uncertain.

She feels special. Not anxious, not scared, not irritated. Special.

In my humble opinion, the subject of having a period is unnecessarily kept ‘hush-hush’ and therefore causes fear, anxiety and trauma in young girls. Most mommies aren’t aware of the young age at which girls get their first periods these days and therefore do not spend enough time preparing them for it. If we as moms could change our reaction to and interaction with the dreaded period, we can change the cycle of hate, disgust and rejection of such a perfectly crafted feminine gift. (yes, I struggled to call it a gift.)