A very natural and normal part of being a woman is menstruation. It is also a big part of being a mom to tween and teen girls to take on the role of guiding and helping your daughter understand her body and manage her monthly cycle. For many women their monthlies can be a source of pain, irritability, discomfort, and even shame. It certainly isn’t a fun process exactly to bleed for a couple days every month and feel crampy and bloated. Yet we can make the best of it and empower our daughters as well by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and life hacks they need to manage effectively.
So how can we paint this rather magical biological process in a better light? What tools and tricks can we provide for them that will help them better manage their monthly cycle? Here are some tips…
Get a head start – Start early in talking with your daughters about their bodies and the menstruation process. This is important that we get out ahead of the actual event (their first period) and help them feel comfortable talking with you about it. By starting the dialogue early you get any embarrassment out of the way and make it clear that you want to help them on this important journey. You can even provide them with books on the topic, there are many. There are quite a few books for young girls and tweens but also some great books for more mature young women such as Red Moon.
Ancient menstrual wisdom for modern women For our ancestors the menstrual cycle was a source of wonderful creative, spiritual, sexual, emotional, mental and physical energies. It was a gift that empowered women to renew themselves each month, to manifest and create the world around them, to connect deeply with the land and their family, and to express deep wisdom and inspiration.
Prepare them well – Beyond verbal preparation and support you can also provide them with a kit or basket full of products that they may need. Something pretty and fun will go a long way to helping them see their monthly cycle in a more positive light. Something cute and yet discreet they can keep in a backpack or purse is another plus.
Help them track their period – These days there is an app for everything and that includes tracking your monthly cycle. Have them download an app and start tracking. They will eventually like being able to predict accurately when they can expect their period and it is helpful later on in life when they may want to track fertility as well.
Help them avoid embarrassment – It can be devastating for a young girls to experience leakage while at school or out socially. You no doubt have some tips and tricks to avoid this yourself so share before it becomes an issue. Period panties are one really great way to handle your monthly cycle in general but especially if you know it will be arriving soon. Period panties are just regular panties with a built in panty liner, saving your daughter and her pants from life-ruining leaks. The brand Knixteen is exactly what it sounds like…slim and seamless knickers designed for teens with built in panty liner, odor absorption, and specially designed fabric to keep things dry down there. Gifting them with several pairs will arm them well for that time of month and they can be used in conjunction with other natural products…
Teach them to go natural – The best time to teach them about them about toxins in conventional feminine care products is right from the beginning. Right from the beginning teach them to use organic or reusable products. Tampons and cotton pads can be purchased organic. Give them a menstrual cup made for teens and provide them with resources that will help them get comfortable with it. For laughs show them the following video:
Natural pms management – For many women and young girls, the cramping of the uterus can prove to be debilitating each month. Here are some home remedies to combat menstrual cramps and get you moving again.
* Sesame seeds are surprisingly helpful when it comes to relieving menstrual pains. Mix some sesame seeds in a glass of water twice a day for pain. Boiling allows the seeds to steep. Strain them out before drinking the water.
* Heavy blood flow can lead to anemia. Eating iron-rich foods can stem the tiredness and rebuild the iron in the blood to replace what is being lost.
* Pain and excessive bleeding can be alleviated by boiling coriander seeds in water. The drink is not too tasty but good for the pain.
* Raspberry leaf tea or “woman’s tea” – What red raspberry does is help strengthen uterine walls and provide your body with minerals that replenish the body. Both the warmth and the benefits of red raspberry leaf tea can help reduce the discomforts of menstrual cramps.
