Chatting About Periods With Our Daughters Doesn't Have to Be Weird! #KotexMom

Raising a teenage girl can be difficult, what with all of the crazy hormonal outbursts, the crying, the mood swings...

And that's just their normal stuff - it's ten times worst during that time of the month!

Angeline just turned 15 and we've been dealing with periods for a while in our house. I think that at this point, we pretty much have it covered: what to expect during her period, how to prevent accidents while out and about and how to plan around that time of the month.

The one thing we are still dealing with on a monthly basis is when to expect her period. Like many teenage girls, my daughter still doesn't have a regular schedule of when she gets her period so it sometimes catches her by surprise. We try to keep a calendar, but sometimes she is early or late by as much as a week. I have talked to the physician and she said that it is normal for young girls to take a while for their cycle to become normal and that sometimes, even adults don't have a normal cycle.

I took some time to go over the Kotex.com/tween website to find some ideas of how to help Angeline recognize when she might be getting close to getting her period, to help prevent any unnecessary accidents (especially now that she is in high school!). There are some "warning signs," if you will, that will help your daughter recognize when her period is approaching.

5 Signs That You Might Be Getting Your Period Soon

• you are feeling fatigued
• you are more hungry that normal, especially craving certain kids of foods (salty or sweet)
• your breasts are swollen or sensitive
• you have stomach pains or cramps
• you are moody or overly emotional

Some of these symptoms may be hard for younger girls to recognize, so you might want to sit down and talk with your tween about them in a way that they can understand. For instance, you might explain moodiness or being emotional to a young girl by telling her that sometimes you might feel more sad or cry very easy - just phrase it in a way that they will understand.

The important thing is to have an open conversation and make your daughter feel like she can talk to you about it. Once the line of communication is open and your daughter feels comfortable, it makes the other conversations much easier!

Every month, Angeline and I have a chat around that time of the month and I remind her about things that will make her period easier for her to handle. She is still getting used to having to worry about that time of the month and I want to make it as easy on her as possible!

5 Period Tips For Tweens and Teens

1. Always have a pad in your purse, book bag or locker so that you are prepared for period emergencies!
2. Plan to change your pad in between classes to avoid overflowing and leaking.
3. Ask your parents if you can take Midol or Pamprin to help control cramps and bloating as well as headaches and fatigue.
4. Buy special U by Kotex overnight pads for night time to avoid staining sheets with leaks!
5. Make sure to be on top of your personal hygiene during that time of the month - no one wants to be stinky!

You can also visit the U by Kotex Hello Period website page for period questions that will be helpful when you are having the period talk with your tweens and teens.

I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.