Tuesday, November 10, 2009

"But They Will Laugh at Me"

[I wouldn’t write about this, for reasons of Ricki’s privacy, but I know that this issue evokes a lot of fears in new mothers. I have purposely timed the post to not coincide with the event.]
Sometimes the shear volume of things Ricki has to learn, that I must be sure that she understands, is overwhelming. Recently Ricki had her period, and this is still somewhere under #5. It is still a new process for her, and it was the first one she would really have to handle at school. So I checked that she had pads in her school bag, and explained when she should change.
“But they (her classmates) will laugh at me!”
HUH????

So I explained that her classmates ALSO get periods, and that she doesn’t see that and know that just shows that these girls were taught to be discreet. I explained to Ricki that she could also be discreet, and that no one needed to know about it.
On her return home that day, Ricki joyously announced: “No one saw and no one knew!” BRAVO!

6 comments:

Something Different said...

Good for Ricky! We have the opposite problem in my group home. The girls are totally un-private about it. For example, a girl will call out across a crowded store "I need to go to the bathroom and change my pad cuz I have my you-know-what"

Gosh, you should have seen us staff blushing... ;-)

Staying Afloat said...

Does her school nurse do anything in this regard?

Cindy said...

My daughter started hers at age 10 - in grade 4. Because she was the first of her friends, it was really hard for her. Fortunately, we were in regular contact with her teachers so they knew and it wasn't embarrassing if she said she needed to go to the bathroom outside of recess time.

rickismom said...

I called the teacher, and she kept an eye on things.....

Amy said...

This is one of Reagan's favorite lines - 'but they will laugh at me.' Funny thing is people don't generally laugh at her but with her. She says the funniest things and has an amazing sense of humor.

mikimi said...

My daughter got her 1st monthly on the last day of 5th grade. I taught her to always keep a pad in her bookbag "just in case". Nice idea? not! Her classmates would snoop and steal and ridicule her.She was in a regular school and aside from LD, this behavior was obnoxious and wrong in so many ways.