My 10yo DD started her period - Page 2

[whatsnextmom]

I was a little sad too and my DD was 14 when she started. I didn't want my "little girl" having to deal with pads, tampons, hormonal zits, cramps, mood swings, ect. It's not too thrilling having to deal with them by proxy either lol. It was all just poignant I suppose.

On average, girls grow about 2 inches after starting their periods. This is just an average meaning some will grow more, some will grow less. My DD fits in this. She was actually small until about 12. Then she sprouted many inches and started to develop. Then her period hit and she's only grown about 2 inches since and only 1/2 an inch in the last year. She's 5'8" and happy at this height. My two nieces were still growing at 18 (one is 6', the other 6'2") but their parents are both huge so really, no surprise. I don't know the statistics on girls who start very early but the girls we know who started at 10 or 11 had already amassed most of their height.

[Mirzam]

My DD is around 5' 6" and 14.75 and still hasn't started her period. Obviously it is going to happen imminently! I am of the same mind as whatsnextmom, I really don't want her having to deal with it all either, but she is certainly emotionally mature enough to take it all in her stride, and actually be excited about it.  My eldest DD had one period at 12.75 then nothing until she was almost 15. She is 5' 9' and didn't stop growing until she 19 or 20 (she just turned 22). DS is 12.5 and hasn't hit puberty yet, he is about 5' 1" I think. He is an elite soccer player, and so wants to grow, there are a few boys his age that hit puberty early and at this point they have a huge advantage in terms of height, strength and speed. Thankfully because of his technical and athletic skills he more than holds his own against them and even older and bigger boys. [Apologies for the mama brag]

ETA: I am a shorty at just about 5'3".

[Choose2Reuse]

I just wanted to say, I think it is so awesome that you put together a kit for your DD and she knew exactly what to do when her period started.  My mom is great, but she really REALLY did not want to have "the talk"...when my period started I hid it from her for year or so because we hadn't had the talk yet and I was too embarrassed to tell her.  There was a whole lot of private freaking out and wadding up of paper towels to make menstrual pads (since she didn't know about it, I didn't really have access to any supplies, unless I clandestinely swiped them from her).  In retrospect it was very messed up...but I was a really shy kid. :)  To this day she thinks I "miraculously" started menstruating two weeks after she finally nerved herself for "the talk", and I haven't got the heart to tell her what really happened...because other than that one thing she was always a really great mom!

(Naturally DD and I will be having the talk pretty young, and she will get a nice Gladrags starter kit that will be a lot better and hopefully more exciting than yucky plastic pads or, heaven forbid, wadded-up paper towels! :) )
 

[amma_mama]

Originally Posted by Choose2Reuse 

I just wanted to say, I think it is so awesome that you put together a kit for your DD and she knew exactly what to do when her period started.  My mom is great, but she really REALLY did not want to have "the talk"...when my period started I hid it from her for year or so because we hadn't had the talk yet and I was too embarrassed to tell her.  There was a whole lot of private freaking out and wadding up of paper towels to make menstrual pads (since she didn't know about it, I didn't really have access to any supplies, unless I clandestinely swiped them from her).  In retrospect it was very messed up...but I was a really shy kid.   To this day she thinks I "miraculously" started menstruating two weeks after she finally nerved herself for "the talk", and I haven't got the heart to tell her what really happened...because other than that one thing she was always a really great mom!

(Naturally DD and I will be having the talk pretty young, and she will get a nice Gladrags starter kit that will be a lot better and hopefully more exciting than yucky plastic pads or, heaven forbid, wadded-up paper towels! )

 

OMG, this was me! I started at about 10.5 yo and did not tell anybody because I was embarrassed since I "knew" that I was not supposed to start until at least 12. I waited until I was in middle school (day 2) to fess up. I went through a ton of toilet paper. My mother hardly talked to about anything growing up and I was too embarrassed to ask any questions.

DD is now almost 8 and I am seeing the start of breast buds, which I got around the same age. So it is probably time that I start talking to DD. I do not want her to ever feel like I did growing up.

[nerdmomma6885]

I know! My older sister had her period at 12, so I basically assumed that I would have it when I was older, but I got it when I was 11 instead, and thought that I'd gotten some tropical disease, since I KNEW that I wasn't supposed to have it at age 11. that's too young! was my opinion at the time. I really wasn't prepared for it, as you can see. Fortunately, I adjusted, but I was one of the youngest kids in my class to get it, which really made me feel mad. But if it was any consolation, I had a friend who started hers at nine.

As for my height, I'm about 5 feet 5, and my sister ended up being 5 feet 8. Go figure. My husband is very short, at 5 feet 2, so I'm sure the kids will be on the shorter side as well, although many people on my side of the family is tall, so we'll see.

[sharon71]

I started at 10 also I am now 40, I was tall ,slim and athletic I stated developing around age 8 had breasts by 9( 32 B). I'm glad your DD is happy and excited and that starting did not scare her.

Did you do anything special like a day out,a gift,etc?
 

As for my girls they did not start until 13(oldest) and 14. both are really tall and skinny more athletic than I was,etc.

[jdsf]

Both my DDs and I were the first in our class to develop, older DD14 and I were among the tallest in our class but DD11 is more in the middle. DD14 has stayed 5'2" for the last 2 years, I think her breasts are the only thing still growing, poor child. She started right before 6th grade started at 11.5, DD 11 will be 12 soon and still seems a little ways off, I'm guessing more around her birthday or later in 6th grade. DP and I were barely 11 when we started ours. We know a few girls who started at 9 or barely 10 (and they are all short as 12-14 year olds now, fwiw), our DD14 was pissed that one of the 9 year olds only 6 months older than her sister got hers first, lol. We met up with her dad and some close family friends when DD14 started bleeding, and she received an enviable amount of gifts, including cloth pads and a pouch for her backpack. She also got a copy of "My Little Red Book" which she enjoyed, and DD11 has already read in anticipation of starting hers at some point.