I remember very vividly the talk that my mum had with me about periods, whilst we were sitting in the car on the way to a shopping trip. I remember my main emotion was the surprise I’d felt not knowing anything about it until then! There’s not one ‘right’ way to talk to your daughter about periods. But it’s a conversation (or conversations) that you’ll need to have. Our local mumblers have shared their advice and experiences.
Periods are pretty normal in our home – I have 3 aging 4, 7 & 9 (youngest are boys) and they’re all aware of my period and why I have it. I get very little privacy so the questions “mummy why are you bleeding” came up very early.- Lisa
I’ve already mentioned it to my two year old son. To him it’s simply another bodily function. Poos, wees, babies, milk, blood, sick… 
If I had a girl I’d have done the same.- Clare
My daughters are only 2 and 5 but the conversation has started because they see me and we talk about it and the fact that they will have periods one day- Lizzie
Start young! The more you talk openly about it the easier it gets I promise. Pretty soon you’ll be discussing the pros and cons of pads and mooncups. Girls have lots more options these days including the absorbent knickers someone mentioned above, which is great. I am determined that my daughter won’t need to learn anything from Sugar magazine like I had to…- Hannah
And when the time comes for them to understand a bit more about how and why we have periods, you recommend using the correct terms, and making sure they (and you) get the right knowledge.
All I can say, is make sure that you actually discuss it properly, using correct terminology so that your daughter knows and understands her parts, that way she knows what is what. Knowledge is power and if she doesn’t know about her parts and cause and effect with them, it can lead to future health issues. Please don’t just hand her a book and tell her to read it-speaking from personal experience, it can make her feel like it’s a dark secret that should not be spoken about and you should be ashamed of. She will have questions and if you don’t talk about it she could grow up fearing and hating that aspect of her body, yes it’s an inconvenient part of being a woman, but it shouldn’t be something that any woman is ever ashamed of.- Chris
My kids are only young too (7, 5, 3 and 1) but I’m really open about it to try and normalise it as much as possible. It’s a way off for me but reading adult books such as “Period Power” offer parents information which will no doubt help them to explain what happens and help their daughter understand their body when the time comes. When I started secondary school, my Mum gave me a pouch with some pads inside, a wipe and some spare pants – such a comfort when I was getting used to it all!- Emily
Honesty and openness from the start saves it being a big awkward formal conversation and also I think talking little and often, answering questions when they arise factually and encouraging curiosity helps them to build up their understanding as they’re mature enough to understand it rather than completely overloading them with a torrent of information that might overwhelm them- Fee
There’s clearly not a right time to start the conversations, but it’s a good idea to think about when it’s likely to be discussed at school.
I get my daughter’s friends to talk about it with each other so she realises it’s all normal and happens to every girl.-Muhuma
I’ve used these books (pictured below) when working with children with SEN in school. They are great and would be useful for any child. Many schools (and public places like libraries) also have a ‘red box’ in their office with free products should a girl need anything at school or out and about 
– Sarah
When I was teaching year 4, we used ‘What’s Happening to Me?’ which was really helpful and a lot of people buy it to support their conversations.- Rosie (Rose is an Usborne Rep, but this book has also been recommended by a number of other local mums too!)
There is a really incredible book called Period Power by Maisie Hill – not necessarily aimed at younger children to read but I think its a really good tool to help people understand periods and move away from it being a taboo subject!- Laura
We’re not there yet, but planning on getting this book; This Period in my life – Lizzie
The website A Mighty Girl offer some really useful advice, with this facebook post providing useful resources!- Sarah
I think you could give a cute little bag for her to keep her sanitary items in, perhaps a book to read together, and of course some different types of products to try!- Rachel
Modibody do great leakproof period pants that would be fab in a starter kit.- Lizzie
There are lots of reusable sanitary options that you could consider, like cups, cloth sanitary pads or period pants- Mara
I’ve been following The Little Berry Box for a while and intend to use them when the time comes. I think it’s really important to celebrate menarche and normalise menstruation (I have three girls!)- Louise
Have you got any other suggestions or recommendations for our Mumbler community? Feel free to email them to me at northleeds@mumbler.co.uk or comment on the facebook posts.
