You can do this, Mom
Now that you’ve had a chance to explore Raising Flora a little, I want to offer a timely message:
You love your tween. You want to give your tween a healthy, positive start with her cycle. You know you can make a difference. At the same time, you might be feeling uncomfortable, like there’s a current of “ugh” running just below the surface. This is common — I hear about this a lot from other moms, and I’ve felt it too.
There are so many reasons why you might be feeling this way. Here are three that might ring true for you:
We don’t have a lot to go by. We were not taught about our bodies, our hormones, our health. We don’t share about our first, worst, best or bloodiest periods with even our closest family and friends. We have lost the connection to our own cycle.
It feels big. We can’t always articulate why, but first periods feel big. Maybe because they signal the end of girlhood, this safe and tender age. Maybe because they remind us our tween is growing up. Maybe because they take us back to our own experiences — the cherished, the meh, and the upsetting — and ask us to consider: how do you want to show up now?
Periods are still taboo. We learned to hide our tampons and talk about “Aunt Flo” in hushed tones. We’ve heard all the cliches about PMS and “being hormonal.” We are up against so much cultural negativity and shame about our bodies and our periods.
It’s no wonder we arrive at this moment of motherhood wanting to be a good mom but unable to navigate all this on our own and unsure how to do better for our daughters.
What I know for sure: You are in a powerful position to lead the way toward a more open and less shamey experience for your tween. I’m here for you with the information and support you need. Together, we’ve got this.
Will you feel awkward and uncomfortable along the way? Maybe, but you can handle it. Getting ready for your tween’s first periods can also be heartfelt, funny, liberating, joyful — and it can bring you and your daughter closer together. Plus, that’s why I’m here to help.
