What I Learned About My Daughter’s Period. #KotexMom

This is my sixth and last post for U by Kotex Tween. This campaign was perfectly for us, as my older daughter started her period for the first time right when the campaign began.

She’s been my “consultant” on this series and had final edit on pictures and anything I say. I’m so proud of her for being open about a life milestone so many people are reluctant to talk about.

I was telling extended family about this project. The facial expressions were priceless. Nervous giggles, a lip curled ever-so-slightly in disgust.

I get that it’s private, but the bigger issue here is that young women have questions about their changing bodies and need their questions answers. I believe those answers are best from their parents (usually a mom) or reputable medical sources, not from people who fight over whether Harry or Liam is the cutest member of One Direction.

In 1983, advice from similar sources had me worried tampons would make me not a virgin. Not kidding.

So, the lessons for my daughter and me have been:

The first person to talk to your daughter about her period is you. And you can’t wait until she is thirteen. Some girls start as young as eight or nine. It happens.

Timing the talk is important. I recommend talking about it in the car. Bring it up casually and don’t make direct eye contact.

Be prepared. She should have everything she needs before she needs it. This includes not only pads, but also a way to track her cycle and LOTS AND LOTS OF CHOCOLATE!

Knowledge is power. The best way to be prepared is to have all the knowledge you need about what is happening to your body and what to do when you get your period.

PMS happens. She may not be able to control how she feels, but she can learn to control how she reacts to those feeling.

Last week PMS struck the morning of our Thanksgiving drive home. I touched on that with something I wrote for my friend Tricia’s blog, SouthernSpark.com, yesterday. It will be funny someday!

I think the biggest lesson for both me and my daughter is how helpful it is to track accurately. There are apps for this, but a small pocket calendar works fine.

And, Kotex has really good resources for you and your daughters. Both Kotex for Tweens and Hello, Period can be useful tools for you both.

I’ve been very pleased to participate in this promotion for Kotex as a Kotex Mom. I’m so glad I had access to such useful websites and good products.

The U by Kotex for Tween pads are available in the lady-products aisle of your local drug or grocery store. They are packaged to appeal to young women and are sized smaller to better fit their bodies. We use and will continue to use their product.

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. Thanks to Mom Central and to Kotex for the opportunity!