Embarassing childhood realisation

I was 11 too, and so was my mother. I was the first in my form at school, therefore quite a celebrity! I went to a rather small all-girls school and we all knew each other’s business. When I got to the larger middle school I was more embarrassed because the only disposal bin was outside the cubicles, so everyone could see me putting the thing in it.

My parents were fairly prude (I was handed a booklet and told to read it when aged 10) and my mother managed bravely when a French exchange girl was staying with us and had a period, but wasn't prepared for it. So Mum was coping with the language problem as well. Perhaps it was easier like that. She made up sanitary towels using muslin and cotton wool until she could buy some for our guest.

I only really half understood what was going on as I hadn't started my periods then, and, in fact, was very much the type who didn't really take any interest until it affected me personally. I had read the booklet she had given me but didn't think it had anything to do with me either!

However, when my periods did start, I was unfazed and saw the whole process from a scientific point of view. My 3 DS have always had that attitude, too. We watch fascinated when having blood samples taken or when having injections.

So nothing really embarrassed me as a child. Although I did cringe at anything that drew attention to me such as "Haven't you grown?"

Twice that was the ultimate series of embarassment being sent to the chemists and not being served by a female and then walking home with them in a paper bag.

My mother did tell me about periods but didn't leave anything in the house for me to use. I started my period at home whilst she was in work and told my nana who was looking after me and my brother. Nana was a real prude and just sent me to the chemist with some money to buy some towels( they were with the horrible belt at the time) Then the ultimate embarrassment I was served by the MALE pharmacist because the female shop assistant was busy. I've never forgotten how mortified I was and made sure that my daughters were told and what they needed was available. DD1 was 12 ( I was 11) but DD2 was 10

I went to an all girls school and we had a lovely female biology teacher. We were just starting to learn about human reproduction when she left and we got a male teacher as a replacement - we suddenly found ourselves studying digestion!! The closest my mother came to discussing sex was to ask me if everything was OK when I returned from honeymoon!!

My mother's only pronouncement was ' Never show a man your shoulders' !!!!! Everything else was O.K. I suppose

That made me chuckle Synonymous I have a friend now in her eighties whose mother would not let my friend and her husband share a room when they visited.

Oh, and my mother always said don't do anything that you wouldn't want me to see you doing, just imagine I am there at your shoulder. It was one of the most unhelpful things anyone could have said and I had to firmly squish it out of my mind on my honeymoon!

I was only 11 and had no idea what it was when it began during a school day. I tried to cope with it on my own but my best friend told me what it was called and that I should speak to my mother. My mother was very upset as she was waiting for my older sister to start and thought I wouldn't until after her, she was over 18 when she did lucky thing! My mother told me that it was all very normal and you coukdn't have babies without so all ladies had them even the Queen and the Princesses. I was most unimpressed and said they could but I didn't want it. I made sure that I told DD before she went on to secondary education.
I had never seen a boy undressed either and because I had reached puberty my mother arranged for me and my older sister to go to a series of sex education classes at our local church. They were mixed classes although for some parts we were segregated but it was excruciatingly embarrassing and every one of us squirmed. Funnily enough one of the boys squirming in embarassment is now my DH, we have many shared memories!

I had the opposite problem - my mother was only too ready with the information!
Family history has it that I walked into the kitchen at the age of five and asked her "Where did I come from?" She thought, well we always said we would be honest and answer these questions when they were asked.
So...she sat me down and gave me the full works - periods, sexual intercourse, childbirth.
I sat there getting paler and paler and when she eventually stopped for breath said: "Er, I meant I just came from Mrs Watkins' next door"!

I was probably 12 to 13 and nobody talked about it at my junior school or at the grammar school ( all girls too!)

I had a friend whose mother told her nothing about periods. When hers started she thought she was dying. I don’t understand how she hadn’t learnt about them from school friends, because she was 13. In my junior school we talked about such things a lot in the last year, or even last two years. How does anyone reach 13 without knowing?

My Mother didn’t tell me about periods either, I was about 12 and at school when I started.The nuns gave me a little talk and a towel, and sent me home.My Mother said it’s called ‘being unwell’ ( weird, I thought.)

Jalima ?you must have thought he had something about to drop off.

I thought I was the only one whose Mother didn't tell, but it seems not ? I can laugh about it now but it was excruciating at the time.

Apparently I came home crying from little friend's next door when I saw little friend's brother's 'bottom' in the bath. I didn't like it and was very upset.
I must have been about 4 at the time.

Yes my information consisted of " don't bring trouble to this house " I had no idea what was meant by this.

I remember when DD was accepted for high school I was told that she must know all about menstruation and the facts of life before commencing her first term. Whole different ball game to when we were young, still waiting for my mother to tell me, thankfully I was studying anatomy and physiology.

Tank th, you have my sympathy. My mother never told me about periods either but a family friend had told me about them when I was about 10. She showed me an ad for Kotex towels and asked if I knew what they were and explained. I never mentioned this to my mother and when I started my first period I just helped myself to my mother's supply of towels. Mum noticed and told me I would always find some there in future. End of!
I dread to think how I might have reacted to my first period without the kindness and foresight of that lady.

Neither had I gillybob ?
Am sure that I must have had an embarrassing childhood realisation, have to have a think.?

Oh dear Madsad, if I remember Wilhelmina was plump , round and said ‘Nien,nien,nien’ a lot! Lol
BTW I think it was by Thunderclap Newman, not The Quo

My mother never told me about periods it was the most awful time as I tried to deal with things myself . She finally realised months later and bought me the relevant equipment but still didn't really explain anything. I have no clue why one of my 3 older sisters didn't help me either.

As a child I honestly had no idea what boys had at all. I had never seen a boy without any clothes.