Whats the Best Time To............

My daughter is 9 and will be 10 in April...she's known about what a period is for a couple of years now. You should have been talking about this all along. Sit her down and talk to her like now.

Now. You may also need to debunk a few myths at this point as she is probably hearing things from friends - some of which will be wildly incorrect.

Kinda yesterday. Get some books... girl's gotta know what's going on with her body! Especially with more frequent 'precocious puberty' and menstruation starting earlier and earlier these days. The Care and Keeping of You book is a great suggestion. Also have a 'kit' ready for her that she can keep in her backpack with an extra pair of underpants and a few pads... be sure it's in a boring-looking little purse or something discreet.

In the past. She is old enough to know, so I think you start catching up!!!

Get the "American Girl" book series. It is for girls this age.
There is one called "The Care and Keeping Of You."
It goes over a girls body and changes in age appropriate ways.
You can get it from any bookstore or online.
My daughter has this.
It is meant to be read by the girl and discussed with the Mom.

Now, get a load of this. So I was talking to my Husband about how we need to talk to my daughter about her changing body and getting periods etc. My daughter is now 10. So he tells me "I already told her all that...." So I go, "WHAT?! You told her already? When?" And he says "last year... I told her how she will bleed and why and showed her pictures online etc."
Great. I mean, at least he took a role in explaining things to his daughter, even if he is a Dad. So I was "proud" of him. But geez, he should have told me this at the time.
So I told him "So how did our daughter respond to all that?" and he said "Fine. She didn't freak out or anything."
Okaaaayyyyy, good job Dude/Husband/Man/Caveman Man.
I guess in his own way, he explained to her the best he could.
BUT I also read the American Girl book with her.
But also, at school, (she is now in 5th grade), they will have a 1 time "class" for the kids (boys and girls separated), to talk about their changing bodies and per their age etc. With parental consent of course.

Some girls, even start their periods at 9 years old.
This is per other Moms I know, and per the Teachers at my daughter's school.
You need to start talking to your daughter about this already.
Otherwise... she will get the information... from the other kids at school. And you know, this will not be accurate, nor from, you.

Wow, I was communicating with my daughter when she was a toddler.

By now, your almost 10 yr old knows more than you think. I suggest a good sit down and communicate. Communication is so KEY because when they get older, you really want your child coming to you vs going to friends for advice.

If you are embarrassed, talk while you are driving, on a walk, etc.

Also, around here, the nurse has a talk with all the girls in the 4th grade with a video so they all know what to expect. Many girls are clueless because their moms are too embarrassed, ashamed for some reason, etc.

I am glad you are ready to talk to her now, although the best time would be continous as she has been growing up. At least start now with continous communication and be honest with her.

American Girl has good books and the library would be a good source as well.

Good luck.

My girls grew up knowing about the basics of their bodies, what will be coming as the grow up and how babies are made. Your daughter should already know these things and probably does know a lot more than you may think.

Talk with her frequently about this stuff in a light and easy way if you can. Moments come up all the time that offer openings to discussions about reproduction, her cycle, hormones and sex. I really believe an ongoing open dialogue is way more effective then a big sit down talk.

This conversation is really easy compared to ones that will come as she enters the teen years, things get a little more complicated. Start right now so you'll both be ready for whatever the future may hold for your little girl.

I think you missed the boat on this one. But do it ASAP. BTW, how in the world did you avoid this talk? My daughter saw my bathroom activities as a toddler and when she began speaking and asking questions, I had to tell her about menstration. Maybe I just admire the bathroom privacy you managed to create for yourself.

Now. Get her the Care and Keeping of You by American Girls as a first run in having that "you're growing up" talk.

My 3 year old knows about them already. She saw blood on the toilet seat and thought I was really sick and told daddy to take me to the doctor. (I hadn't "finished" going potty yet so I hadn't cleaned it up). I bet she knows quite a bit. 9 or 10 that is 4th or 5th grade, hasn't she had a basic sex ed class in school yet? It will be coming up soon then.

She should know about this already, especially since girls are starting earlier and earlier. I know I started at 10, and I've been wearing a bra since I was 8 or 9.

Sorry, mama, you're late, but better late than never! Dr. Ruth wrote a very informative children's book about the developing body that is very good! so is Are You There God? Its me Margaret. Good Luck!!!

Now. Her friends are learning about it, and if they talk (like my friends did at that age) she probably already knows a bit about it. My daughter is 10 and I told her last May when her friends took it upon themselves to educate her. Check into the American Girl books about it -- very good for this age.

Right now is a good time. I recommend starting by asking if she's heard girls at school talking about periods, tampons, and pads. You may be surprised by what she already knows.

I also recommend getting her a copy of The Care and Keeping of You, sort of this generation's version of Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret.

anytime. you are not late nor early. she is at the age now she will understand. the american girl book is good for her age.

Actually I was told our doctor that I needed to start talking to my daughter about the "change" soon... she is only 8 yr olf March baby. I was told that some kids are now having cycles and changes starting at around 9 yrs old. So, it might be good to start talking to her soon.

My daughters doctor suggested buying a book from the American Girl doll store. It's called The Care And Keeping Of You...The Body Book For Girls. It talks about changes in their bodies, nutrition, personal care, and feelings (with words and lots of fun pictures. The book is meant to answer some questions, but mostly to open up communication between daughters and mothers so they can feel comfortable talking about everything. I guess it has won a number of awards (per our Dr.). We just think it is really fun!

Now. Hit the library or ask the school about resources to talk to her. You need to have ongoing conversations about her body, responsibility, respecting herself, sexuality, etc. (not all at once). It's not really a "talk", it's a dialogue that continues through her teens.

I already knew by this age. My best friend in school had older sisters. Are you sure she doesn't know already?

Ten years old is definitely old enough to know about your own body. However, I think the problem I have with a lot of the "educational" books is that they talk about guys and girls both. She needs to know about periods and how a baby grows inside a mother, but maybe not a ton about sex yet. She will need to be prepared for what happens to her in the next couple of years, but there's plenty of time to tell her the rest gradually.

the day it happens-that way she won't be filled with dread

Now would be the time. she'll probably have a sex ed class toward the end of 4th grade - mine did.