Girly chat..what age?

What age would be best to tell DD all about AF? She's been asking what "those pretty things on the line" are (mama pads lol) but she's only 8 and I'm not sure I'm ready to explain it all yet. I seem to remember being gutted to hear about it all!

I dunno, while I wouldn't hae a sit down talk about it now, I would however explain in simple terms what they are about and keep it within the relms of a normal conversation, taht way when you do "sit down for a girly chat" its not such a surprise.
Even something along the lines of Grown up ladies need to use these in their knickers sometimes ( I tell my almost 3 year old this when she asks, lol) you could then say something else, but I wouldn't not say anything if you get my drift?

if my kids asked i would say they are mama pads. that may satisfy at the time. i too think you should say something appropriate for her age. i am worried that by the time eden is old enough i would have stopped havng periods and will find it harder to introduce the subject.

Some good ideas, thanks :)
The whole idea of having to tell her about it makes me nervous. Will check with the school, I know my son has had some puberty/sex ed at school starting last year (year 7), at the time I was surprised that nothing came home to say exactly what had been covered.
I was one of the later ones to get first AF, think I was almost 15, so I guess I've probably got a few years up my sleeve, was just that she was asking what the pads were I didn't know how to handle that.

.

Mum didn't tell me until the day I got it (11) lol although I knew the basics from friends. I hear that these days puberty is hitting girls earlier though. I think 8 is old enough to understand. Personally I'll probably wait until 10 as most of my girlfriends got it around 11. If my girls haven't brought the subject up themselves by 10 I'll sit them down

I did the first talk with my DD1 at 8-9.... I told her the basics and she had LOTS of questions so just went with it...She was definitely old enough to understand it all and I'm glad we started then as I'd rather she heard it from me, than other kids at school IYGWIM... also starting young has meant she is comfortable to just come and ask me anything...

Also I was 16 when I got af, she was 10 so that if your old she will be thing isn't necessarily true... e.g if girl's don't live with their biological father they are often younger to go through puberty..

Well I would probably just explain the basics to her... I got my period when I was 9 but I think getting it early runs in my family.

mumto4 wrote: My DD10 knows about it (has since quite young) she asked at about 4 what Tampons/pads were for etc and i told her mind you very simply then but every year she has learnt a bit more in detail, we are very open here and answer truthfully and don't really sugar coat things. That said we of course keep it age apporiate. I think these days children know why more than we did at a young age, everything just seems very out there and school/peers ect keep kids well informed.

i agree, my two have been asking how babys come out of mummies tummies, so I told them. I also dont make up silly words (although that said they call their private parts diddle and 'gina - I think the va is hard for miss almost 3)
Not sure how I will manage the whole how did babies get there talk, however I do believe that honestly and simply is the best way. Better to hear it from you than in the playground at school, and missinformed. I wasn't told till we had a mother daughter night at school in about standard 4 or form one and by that time I had head all sorts of weird and stupid and far out stories in the playground, lol. I wish my mother had bene more open about those thigns, in fact I only found out she had (probably cos she never went to the Dr, just moaned and complained) PCOS LAST WEEK!!!!! lol and if I had known that, say 10 years or more ago, I wouldn't be inthe postiion I am in today! We never ever talked about any of those things .ever.
Just my opinion, though!

OK basically the push is to have sex ed earlier, as the average age for going through puberty is younger and younger.

While we all started having the talks at school at Year 7/8, there is a big push to try and get them done at Year 5, as it's often too late for most kids otherwise.

I would just tell her the basics and go from there. If she asks questions, cool. If not, don't push it. Just create an environment open to asking questions.