Making meaning of your own experiences (First Periods Feel Big #3)

What do you remember about your first period?

Or what’s that memory from your early years of menstruating that has really stuck with you?

When was the last time you shared about this?

And one of my favorite questions to ask: What does this story mean to you today?

One reason why first periods feel big is because anticipating your tween’s first period takes you right back to your our own experiences — whether you felt cherished, confused, indifferent, proud, shamed, dismissed, all of the above or something else entirely. And because we don’t share a lot about our first periods with even close friends and family, being taken back to these experiences can feel raw and maybe overwhelming and big.

One way to move through this heartfelt and sometimes uncomfortable moment, is to make meaning of your own early experiences. Take a moment and remember your first period or your early menstruating experiences that have stuck with you and ask yourself two questions: what does this story mean to me now and what does this story show me about the mom I want to be today?

These are just some of the questions I ask to help you get ready for your tween’s first periods. Because when you’re prepared, you can lead the way toward a healthy and positive start for your daughter. I hope you’ll find as other moms have that the “bigness” fades and your own story becomes a resource and a guide.