Need Advise - Middleton,WI

She's 7. I doubt she has any inkling of the up and coming mestrual stuff. I'd say 9 is a better age to start the discussion/lesson unless she asks before that.

If she asks about your tampons or pads in the cupboard, that would begin your explanation of our "once a month ride on a bail of cotton" ;)

I posted something similar and got some great advice. A few moms suggested to get a book called 'My Body, Myself' and 'What's Happening to my Body'. My girls are 10 so they will get the book soon.

I just asked my daughter while driving in the car the other day when she thought she would start learning about sex and all that stuff in school and she said, "I don't know we kinda already have. You know the teacher in Math told us to count how many babies different animals have at one time." (I thought that was cute)

Another good piece of advice I received was talk in the car. This way it is relaxed, if she gets embarrassed she doesn't have to look at you, if you get caught off guard same thing. IT REALLY WORKS.

i generally let my daughter's curiousity level tell me what she's ready to hear, and only satisfy her curiousity for Ex: when she was a toddler she'd ask where babies come from. My response: was when a mommy and daddy get married they do something very special that only married couples should do then God puts the baby in the mommy's belly and when the baby is strong enough the mommy gets the baby out for everyone to meet.

Well, that was all she needed to hear until i re-married when she was 6. then she one day told me that she wished me and my husband would do that something special cause she wants a sibling. and asked when we planned on doing that. well, obviously she was now confused (last spring), and like you i was wanting to limit her knowledge, but satisfy, so i talked to some friends and a friend had a book that is designed for kids that age and to fully explain reproduction. so i had HER read me the book on OUR time just me and her, then she was even more confused because I've told her that my huband and i have to have help of a dr, the book didn't explain this at all. so that opened the doors for further understanding of male and female reproductive organs. So i drew her a diagram of both gender's and explained what happens when a boy or girl decides to be done with kids. So that also opened the door to fully explain puberty and she now knows that when she starts, she knows to expect the bleeding, moodiness, and all the other wonderful parts about being a woman. She know you dont HAVE to be married to do something special, but it's better because there's a lot of nasty stuff that you can get if you're not careful - why true love waits. she is just fixing to turn 8. but keep in mind she is VERY good about keeping personal conversations between me and her and very good about asking me when she doesn't understand something

in short, let HER curiousity level tell you what she's ready for...maybe when the baby talk comes up, let her see a dog deliver puppies to get a basic understanding, you can rent "edited versions" of this stuff at the library.

i would strongly suggest if you allow a 3rd party to tell her about "that subject" then watch or read it with her, my mom didn't do this, she handed me the book and said if you have any questions, let me know...i had already hit puberty and was like uh.........NO! and was truly embarrassed to ask her about sex and puberty

I have not known anyone under 9 to start, but others say they know of 7 and 8 year olds.

My daughter just turned 9 and she "caught" me in the bathroom recently and started asking some questions. I was honest, but vague because once we started talking, she wasn't all that interested. My older daughter was 12 when she got her monthly friend. I don't think there's any need at 7 to start discussing. If she asks, then by all means go at it, but I'd wait until she brings it up. For me, I prefer to gradually introduce the subject so by the time it happens it's no big deal. Sitting down and having that talk all at once may seem scary.

There's a book The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by American Girl that helped up. I thought it was too early for a sex talk, but this book did a good job talking about the body and puberty. We read parts of it together, then she read the whole thing by herself and asked me questions as she had them. My daughter's 9 now, and this was at least a year ago. I think 7-8 is a good age to start letting them know more.

It seems to me, the average age is anywhere from 10 to ? You could really afford to wait for about a year at least. I'd let her be a little girl as long as possible.
However, it's not too early to include little bits and pieces of information to her...for instance, "Mommy isn't feeling well today. I have my period". It seems to eventually lead up to the "talk."

Menstruation usually begins between 2-3 years after breasts begin to bud. It also usually happens about the same age as the mother. Hopefully this will help for timing.

My daughter was 11. I started telling her about it when she was 9 because I could tell that she was starting to develop. I wanted her to be prepared. I just explained what would happen and why. I didn't want her the think she was dying when she started and then explain it. I wanted her to be prepared ahead of time and I'm glad we were prepared. Good luck!

Is your daughter already having her period? If so, would definately see pediatrician RE developmental stuff. If no, then maybe 9 or 11 would be good to start the ramp-up for information so no "overload."

My daughter is 7 but will be 8 in April. My plan is to get the American Girl book others have suggested when she's between 8 or 9...probably closer to 9. I was 13 when I started my period and they say usually your daughter will follow in your steps at about the same age...although I'm shocked at how early some girls are getting it nowadays! When I was in elementary school, I only knew of one girl who started at about age 9, the remainder of us started somewhere between 12-14. I will start talking to her a little about it once she's 8 so she knows what to expect in the next few years. My mom never talked to me about it so all I learned was through health class at school...so I plan to be the one to talk to her about it first!:)

I think is too soon...why don't you wait until she's 8. my daughter just turn 7 and I can't see why you need to explain this to a child ..... from what I know the period starts as soon as 9 thru 12 years old..... I mean explain her if shes asking. something like " why do you have those funny little wraps"..if not I don't see the point yet.

My girls started at 12. One of my friend's daughters started at 8 in 3rd grade about 2 weeks before her 9th birthday. Talk about young.
My oldest daughter had a class in 5th grade about it. She went to a Christian School at the time and the nurse was very informative and the girls asked a lot of questions, moms were invited. Some public schools do a similar program.
Then there is my youngest daughter. The dr told me she wouldn't start for a while at her 12 yr check up and about a month later she starts. She had no idea that was what it was but knew about periods. So I dropped the ball on that one. Thank goodness the next one is a boy and my hubby gets to have the man talk with him.
I would let her questions guide you. Ask if the school does anything in 5th grade. Girls are starting their periods much earlier than we did in the 70's and 80's. She will develop breasts and her moods may swing way out of control. You'll know then that it is eminent. So beware and be ready. :o)

Hi S.
I think I just posted for your vitamin question too...??
If you have Justice stores locally- they offer a free kit to help teach and introduce girls to their periods.. its a nice tool.
I have 9 yo twin girls and will show them the kit when they are 10.

Enjoy your evening.

B. J