As parents, all of us want our kids to be protected from the big, imperfect world out there. You can ensure that your home is safe, but you don’t have any control after your kids grow up or go outside. Your kids tend to spend a lot of time in school once they grow up and participate in extracurricular activities. So you need to make a relationship that allows your kids to speak openly about anything untoward which has opened to them or with someone else.
Period shaming
Period shaming is one of the most common forms of bullying which your kid experiences. You need to know that period Shaming is more common than you even think and it is not charted as people mainly associate it with shame. Severe harm to youngsters is primarily given by archaic perceptions on menstruation followed by period shaming.
Youngsters who grow through this type of bullying can trigger anxiety, depression, an inability to love yourself and your body, which leads to a pessimistic impact on your mental health and wellbeing. On top of other issues kids deal with, it is a pretty heavy load to carry when it comes to learning school and the real world. Hence parents must be quite proactive now by talking openly about periods at home within the family.
Period education for boys
One of the most common mistakes that people make is keeping boys away from any type of conversation with regard to menstruation. But you need to know that boys need to be made aware of the changes girls experience once they go through puberty. It is because periods are quite regular and part of our life. You can remove the stigma that is tied to menstruation and eliminate or at the very least minimise period shaming by discussing periods with adolescent and teenage boys. For both boys and girls, sex education at school should be inclusive rather than sending the boys out when it is time to talk about menstruation. Well, you can say that education begins at home.
For both parents and teachers, when it comes to talking about menstruation is an opportunity to educate and empower kids. When generally talking about menstruation or dealing specifically with period shaming, you can use the tips mentioned below:
Educate and advocate for period education
Young girls need to see that periods are a positive sign of the ability to reproduce, and the topic of periods will remain taboo if schools don’t allow for conversation to be held. It would be best if you taught that periods are not dirty but something to be celebrated when we attempt to make children understand how incredible the human body is. Above all, you can say that periods are pretty standard. You can go a long way in eliminating any stigma affiliated with menstruation by putting in any effort.
Make a strong connection between period and pregnancy
In creating life, women tend to play a big part. Young girls will feel a sense of period pride if they know the role a woman’s body plays in creating life. No one could exist if the concept for periods didn’t exist, so allow girls to understand how big of a role periods play with regards to humanity.
Lastly, let your kids understand why the teasing occurs. Allow them to tell you that they got shamed in simple terms to ensure that they are comfortable enough to tell you anything and everything. When it comes to addressing the fact that there is nothing wrong with them or their bodies, help your kids tell you everything that happened to them. Hence periods are quite regular, and they shouldn’t be shamed at all.
Also don’t forget about period poverty, with schools, retailers and community partnerships working together to help ensure teenage girls have access to period products.
