Counseling your Child Early About Menstrual Cycle
It is difficult to explain a child 10-12 years old about menstrual cycles, but it’s better to start talking about this early. Sudden onset can affect child psychologically if they are not prepared mentally.
Earlier and gradual talking about the changes your daughter is going to experience in coming years can help her handle puberty well.
We can start by explaining from basic hygiene to physical changes and inappropriate touch. Schools can also play important roles in educating teenagers.
One can start by asking our children what they know about such changes.
Generally children tend to talk among themselves regarding such issues but get incomplete and false information. Clarifying any misinformation and solving their queries will make them understand the things in a better way of unknown.
One should explain that getting periods is nothing to be embarrassed about but is a thing of pride and should be taken positively.
How to start explaining?
- Teach them about basic hygiene.
- Inform them about physical changes they are going to experience like breast changes, pubic hair, axillary hair etc.
- We can explain them about periods, how they start? Why they are important? How painful they can be? Duration and interval between cycles etc.
So, finally to conclude, mothers and teachers play important role in a child’s life and they should take initiative and prepare their children for unknown. Children will take things positively and in better way when explained by their elders instead of getting information from friends and peer group.
