HELLO Flo

September 27, 2016

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She’s growing up. My sweet, innocent little girl is transforming right before my eyes. Gone are the days where hugs and stolen kisses were given out so readily… and for no reason at all. She’s addicted to YouTube, Musical.y, she plays with make up, she cares about her appearance, she’s moving from recreational fun to hard core volleyball athlete, she’s a self driven straight A student, she’s quick witted, she’s kind, she’s empathetic, and now even at the age of 11 (in 3 weeks) I’ve begun to see that Makena is making that transition between little girl and becoming a woman.

It’s happening. Sigh.

As much as I want to desperately stop time right here in this very moment, I know it’s a pointless struggle. This phase is something every single woman has had to go through and no amount of mommy super powers which I think I possess will change the outcome. Puberty is officially upon us now in all its glory. Emotional and physical changes have just begun and will soon begin to snowball out of control. Jesus, help us.

I’ve decided this rite of passage for Makena will NOT be like the one I endured. Not saying my experiences with puberty were horrible or anything, but I do wish there had been more open dialogue with my own mother. I was never truly “prepared” for anything and don’t even recall getting a special “talk” about what my body was doing, why it was changing, what to expect, or how to cope with the rush of unstable emotions that were controlling everything around me. All of the information I was given was provided solely word of mouth from friends at school or from TV/movies. My own THREE sisters never bothered to mention ANY details! I was thrown to the wolves in junior high and had to figure it all out by myself.

Not Makena. Not this mommy.

It dawned on me earlier this summer that her “monthly visitor” would most likely be arriving within the next year or so. I remember at our ‘end of the year’ party for club volleyball, I asked the other mothers if they had already had “the talk” with their daughters. Much to my surprise, I was the ONLY one who hadn’t bit the bullet and started that discussion with my daughter! Holy crap! Panic and anxiety quickly set in. How do I do it? Where do I start? How much information do I provide? What details are appropriate? And considering my daughters high OCD, would this knowledge plague her sweet, little brain with constant anxiety and worry?

Totally clueless. And scared. As helpful and amazing as my husband is, he was leaving this milestone completely up to me. Thanks hon. Thanks a lot.

With Makena being almost a full year younger than anyone in her class, a new 6th grade school year upon us, and her friends more than likely coming back with some stories to tell (or soon to tell), I decided this “talk” needed to get done ASAP. I would not allow her to start 6th grade not being prepared if her time happened to take place at school.

This was my plan of attack for Makena:

I reached out to other tween mommies to see how they told their daughters about this. Some used books, some relied solely on the information given in their kids ‘health’ class and simply answered questions, and one mom I spoke to actually had a “period party” (WTF… is that really even a thing? Apparently! Not an option I would be looking in to.).
Checked out some book selections other moms have found useful. These featured on Babble.Com looked like a pretty good collection.
Decide how much and how little I would disclose. For us, this was going to be a conversation solely on her monthly cycle. The actual sex talk would probably have to wait a bit longer. Again, Makena suffers greatly from OCD and anxiety disorder and we have found that she gets overwhelmed when too much ‘serious’ is given at one time. Nice & Slow. Gotta ease her (and me) into this adult-ing type stuff! I also knew I would need to mommy up and be willing to answer questions. The way I see it, if she’s old enough to ask… she should be old enough to get an answer (AGE APPROPRIATE of course). And last, once the bulk of information was given I would keep it light and fun. We joke around A LOT in our house. We make jokes about anything and everything under the sun (often highly inappropriate), but that’s us. That’s who we are as a family and what we are comfortable with. I knew making light of this “serious” discussion would help my kiddo process a bit better with less chance of a panic attack/s.
Last on my list was to get a little “survival kit” for Makena. If her experience goes anything like my own, luck would make it so the first time strikes AT SCHOOL just like it did for me! Can you imagine what I went through A. not knowing what to expect, B. having NO precautions/supplies with me, and C. being mortified, embarrassed, scared, and all alone to figure it all out with a bunch of nuns around me (catholic school girl right here!)? Not fun and I certainly wasn’t going to have Makena in that same boat (minus the nuns)! She would definitely be starting this school year with some female essentials!

Not only would we eventually need the “supplies” anyways, but my daughter LOVES pretty packaged things that are neat & organized & serves a purpose (hello again OCD). Giving her a ‘care package’ would not get her prepared, but would also make her feel special. This is a very unique, private time in her life… I wanted to do whatever I could to let her know “I got you. We got this.”! Initially my plans were to buy everything separate, but low and behold… I found this “First Period Kit” from U by Kotex. PERFECT! Thanks for coming through Target!

I looked briefly at what was included and I was more than happy to see the nice collection of stuff! Items to keep girls prepared AND a few girly essentials as well. It’s all so welcoming, bright, fun, and provides all the first period essentials you could think of… even a cute, little, discreet pouch Makena could take to school in her backpack! Exactly what I was thinking in the first place!

First Period Kit Includes:

parent guide
girl guide
1 box of ultra thin pads
tissues
facial cleanser
hair ties
lip balm
magnetic mirror
a puravida bracelet
zipper pouch

The entire kit is put thoughtful and well put together, but I have to say my favorite addition are the “Get Ready Guides”. Super informative and completely age appropriate. It’s simple, accessible, understandable, and to the point without being ’embarrassing’. Seriously, awesome stuff! I definitely took some tips in the parent guide and used the information when I had the talk with Makena. FYI… the tip on doing it in the car… brilliant! Worked out perfectly and then once we got home, both Makena and I were at ease and comfortable about the discussion so questions & answers were a breeze!

The addition of the girly goodies is wonderful as well. Really makes the kit and whole experience effortless & special. We actually already own a few PuraVida bracelets so this one fits right in. Looks so cute on Makena’s little wrist! LOVE LOVE LOVE the bright colors!

Since there are a couple of different kits available now, the little extras may vary a bit. One comes with a facial cleanser and lip balm, this one comes with a facial cream and lip balm. Both will come with the adorable little hair ties though! These take up no room at all and are a great accessory to keep in any little girls back pack. Who doesn’t need an emergency hair tie every once and awhile?!

How cute is the little pouch???? I love the graphics and colors used. So bright and fun. Also very age appropriate. I can imagine any tween/teenager thinking this was adorable!

This is the other available “Period Starter Kit” which is equally awesome and adorable.

Time to put it all together! I put in 2 of the ultra slim pads, 2 hair ties, Kleenex, lip balm, and then I also added a couple of small packs of packaged feminine wipes. Makena is officially prepared for 6th grade, no matter what may come (or not come)!!!

Thank you U by Kotex and Target stores! You just made this mommy & daughter milestone so much easier for me!!! And blog readers… please be sure to check out all of the kits that are available. Whether you need something for your daughter or yourself, these kits are brilliant. Here are a couple of other kits the company came up with: