Anyone who menstruates likely remembers their very first period, and though the experience is ideally a good one, that’s not always (or often) the case. I should know: I unexpectedly got my period at the tender age of 10, and without the proper supplies or enough body education or emotional support, the experience was a lot bleaker than it needed to be.
My daughter is now 10, and I’m doing everything I can to not repeat history and to make her and her 13-year-old brother’s puberty experiences as positive and pre-informed as possible. (I’m in a good position to do so since I’ve been writing books about puberty and body positivity for nearly two decades and have been covering menstrual products for Wirecutter for over five years now.)
Preparing my daughter for her first period has actually been a highlight for both of us, as we bask in this delightful era of uterus piñatas and vulva puppets. The bold existence of these celebratory menstrual accessories is a far cry from the hushed and embarrassed whispers about “down there” that were the default when I hit puberty in the 1990s. Times have certainly changed, and for the better!
