I hope I never get my period!: 11-year-old
When your 11-year-old daughter tells you, ‘I hope I never get my period‘, she may be reflecting comments from others, girls who at age 11 or younger are menstruating and may be having a difficult time. She may feel awkward that she has not had her first period, feel she is left out of the group, or feel uneasy about the changes ahead for her during puberty.
When you respond to her, think about what you want her to learn and how best to give your message.
You could say, ‘You sound upset, what’s on your mind?‘ If it’s appropriate you could say, ‘ I know how you feel. Let me tell you about me at your age…‘
These answers show you care about how she feels.
From this beginning you can talk about how puberty begins and ends at different ages for different people. Girls and boys often feel uneasy when they reach puberty either earlier or later than their peers. Give your child reassurance about the changes ahead, and that they are normal.
I have dealt with issues around puberty and menstruation in earlier posts in this blog – see the 9-12-year-old categories for case studies and answers to questions.
