I remember my first ever introduction to pads. It was kind of funny because I thought that they were diapers for adults. I found it in my sister’s cupboard and teased her by telling that I would tell father that she used diapers. This was when I was all of five.

When I turned eleven, I had very severe stomach pain and refused to go to school even when it was the first day after the summer vacations had ended and my attendance was absolutely necessary. My mother did not understand the reason behind this but let me stay back anyway.  This is when I had my first periods.

On seeing myself bleeding, I was very scared and my mother was unable to believe that I had started my periods so early. However, she handed me an old cloth and bought a packet of pads, since she had already attained menopause and there were none at home.

I wondered for days after about why this had happened to me. My mother did not talk about it and my father was not supposed to know about it. It was finally after a month or so that my sister explained the entire process to me. And then I realised – [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”null”]wow! My body is so interesting.[/inlinetweet] Biology had never been an interesting subject for me, but my periods suddenly made it so exciting.

Best way to talk to your daughters about periods

Today, I am a fifteen-years-old, ninth grade student who openly talks about periods with her teachers and friends and whom everybody approaches whenever they forget to carry a pad.[inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”null”] It is like a trend; if you have forgotten a pad, you come to me[/inlinetweet]; either I will give you one or ask the teachers for it and give it to you.

Every month, before my periods start, I do a round of sorts and say sorry to all my friends for any stupidity that I might engage in for the coming five days since I have terrible mood swings. Without any hesitation, I ask my teachers, irrespective of whether they are male or female, to go to the washroom and change, thanks to my sisters. I even go to temples and enter puja rooms to say hello to the Gods, except, of course, when I don’t want to.

I go on educating my close male friends about periods so that they understand the pain that girls like me go through and instead of making fun of us, they help us.

Today, when most girls are scared to talk about periods in school, or feel disgusted, I stand up and talk about it openly. [inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”null”]I don’t see anything wrong in periods. It is a part of your system just like digestion and respiration. [/inlinetweet]Who I would really like to talk about this to, are those parents who silence their children when it comes to talking about sex and periods and by the time they are ready to talk, their children either already learn about it, or are unable to understand anything. For example, I saw this on a website – a boy enquiring about why he hadn’t gotten his periods when his twin sister has already started menstruating. So parents, please open up and educate your children – we really need it.

Now girls in their teens or for that matter those who are even older and who go on about periods – there is nothing wrong in bleeding. It happens to every single woman. Instead, enjoy it; we’re all growing up. And plus, we usually receive special treatment during this time. In India, yes, there is always the hesitation to discuss periods openly, but that doesn’t make it not-happen. Plus we pray to the bleeding goddess at the Kamakhya temple. It is of course another topic altogether that girls are not allowed to enter the temple during this period. God, I guess there needs to be a lot more talking surrounding this topic!

Girls, it will happen, we will have periods, till we achieve menopause.  Enjoy it till it lasts. Don’t make it a taboo. Of course there will be moments during your periods when you won’t want to talk about, but don’t make it non-existent, because it certainly is not.

Enjoy it, embrace it. Love it. Because this is one of the most important things that makes and defines you as a woman.

shubhr_photo_thumbAuthor – Shubhr Aakriti

Shubhr hails from Ranchi and totally lives in her own world. She states that periods are not needed to activate her mood swings. She loves to read, write, draw and live life to the fullest. You can take a look at her blog here.
Edited by – Divya Rosaline
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