We celebrate so many of the important milestones in our children’s lives, but celebrating her first period (menarche) has been one rite of passage that’s been left off that list.
It’s time to bring the celebration back. During your conversations about periods you could talk about ways in which you could celebrate, and get some ideas from her. The important thing is to make it appropriate for your daughter. Some may not want a big fuss, while others may feel like having something more celebratory.
It’s also important to note that while the celebration or acknowledgement on the day is not the be all and end all. To really honour your daughters cycle, and have her know this is a beautiful part of being a woman, it’s important to have many conversations as you’re noticing her develop and many supportive conversations during the first few years of her cycle.
If you’d like a few ideas of how to celebrate her first period, here are 13 suggestions: (13 for the average number of cycles we have each year)
13 ways to celebrate your daughters first period
- A bath run and a foot massage.
- A cuddle on the couch and watch a movie
- A mother/daughter date to a special café for lunch.
- A family dinner together
- Baking a favourite cake
- A special get together with aunties, grandmothers and other special ladies who may offer words of loving encouragement. Like a little blessing way ceremony.
- Get your nails done together.
- Book a night away and spend a whole day and night in each others company
- Have a day off to do something nice together
- A special piece of jewellery
- Redesign her bedroom to make it more appropriate for her age.
- Give her a box filled with special items that she can take out each time she bleeds to honour herself. Could include heat pack, special tea or hot chocolate, dark chocolate, special period underwear, pampering body product, red nail polish, non toxic, essential oils, crystal, special journal, bath salts, special book, a special item of jewellery, and a special note from you.
- Have ongoing positive conversations
If your daughter has already started her period, it’s not too late. You can always jump in now with a celebration. Perhaps next time she gets her period you can carve out some time together to try some of the above things. She may not seem very receptive at the time, but when important rites of passage are supported positively, the impact it has on her outlook of her own body is also positive.
If you want help with preparing her for her first period, seek out a workshop in your area with myself or some of my facilitators, or look into my online workshop Happy Flow.