Menstruation

Our gd started at the age of 10, she is now 18, she was the first one in her primary school to start her period, we had spoke to her about periods and she coped well.

I started at 14, hated having periods as they prevented me from doing things, so when I went on the pill I decided to take them every day to do away with periods altogether. At that time it was mostly members of the medical profession who did without periods.
Saved me a fortune and allowed me to keep up with men in my work and hobby. Can't understand why women put up with it but menstruation is still a taboo subject so I expect knowledge of your options is hard to come by.

I started at 11, and that was more than 30 years ago. It's not that uncommon.

I was banned from sex education lessons by my very strict and prudish parents . I was made to sit the lessons out. My mum writecto the school saying that she wanted to tell me herself “when she thought the time was right” ( highly unlikely given her nature) sadly started periods at 13 and didn’t have a clue (seriously), pregnant at 17 and didn’t even know . I’m 57 and still waiting for that sex education lesson from my parents .

“Wrote to the school”

I was 10, I’m now 73 so don’t think it’s anything new

I was 10 or 11 & not at all large. I think it is all in the genes- my mother started at 11 too.
My best friend was 14 when she started & was soooo envious of me- she soon learnt is was no 'treat'.

One of mine started at 9 too and I agree it was difficult! She was still very much a little girl as you are at 9 and found it all very difficult to deal with! I have heard that the age is getting younger I started at 13 and my other DD’s were 14 and 15 so I am not sure of the hereditary angle

AlieOxen your link my explain man-boobs!

I was 11 when I started. I don't have the evidence to know if 'across the board' girls are starting earlier but if they are maybe it's because most of them (I know not all) are better nourished these days and seem to be bigger and develop earlier. Nature probably has a way to ensure bodies are ready for childbirth, so an underdeveloped child would not start too early. Plus a hereditary factor.

WHO in their right mind decided unisex toilets are a good idea!!!!! I had not heard of this. Maybe the 'transgender' brigade where it's impossible to provide separate loos for girls/boys/those transitioning. So they think 'let's shove 'em all in together then no one can moan'.

I think that's dreadful. What happens with urinals? Do the girls stroll past urinating boys to get to a cubicle? I bet the boys have a great time trying to peek under the doors. Grief. Or go into the next cubicle waiting for the rustle of a tampon or towel wrapper so they can tease. It's such a delicate age, even having a bowel movement would be excruciating in the next cubicle to a boy . I'm going to ask my GD's at the weekend to find out if they have unisex toilets. I sincerely hope not.

Over the years, I must have stopped keeping track and these days, I don't even have a clue. I do recall a classmate who started at age nine, which was extremely rare. In the 1950's most girls started between 11 and 13.

I started at 11 and a quarter, still in junior school and a bit of a heroine because I was the first. This was in 1951. My mother (born 1907) also started at 11.

My granddaughter is 6 and a half, so hopefully she has is few years to go!

Earlier puberty due to the better health and living conditions nowadays. In what we call 3rd world countries where nourishment is scarce puberty is delayed quite a bit.

Has a few years to go. Forgive typo!

In middle school, when I was 12, there was only one sanitary bin, outside the toilets in the washbasin area. Even in an all-girls school I found it excruciatingly embarrassing to put the used item in the bin in full view of everyone.

Agree with Philomena.....I read somewhere that body fat has a lot to do with the onset of puberty.....there are reports of extremely athletic women (i.e. gymnists, body builders) that stop menstruating (not enough body fat?).

In any event, diet may also play an important role, particularly the use of food containers that contain Bisphenol=A or BPA.

BPAs are endocrine disruptive and can play havoc on both men and women. These Estrogen like chemicals are primarily found in reusable plastics. BPAs have also been linked to Estrogen receptive breast cancers.

Nannylovesshopping
My daughter is severly autistic nonverbal this condition PP is the worse thing that could have happened as at 7 ..she begun to have aggresive mood swing staff members were signed off as she had physically harmed them.her strength was like a mans.Everyone was involved.
I have never seen anything like it .
When I went anywhere it was blamed on her autism
I took her out of the country to find support and guess what they did tests upon test as well as skeletal xrays of the hand what was found out was she was almost at puberty her body showed body of an 11 year old child ethnically this is something that could happen I was told but i started in secondary school so around 11 years old
My daughters care was taken over with all the evidence and extensive tests done once again in the Uk to validate and she was given horome injections this is monthly.
Then after the injections ..she was ince my living child again.I thank God that I was able to find out the reason why she became what she had become
She didnt get the injections till she was 8 as it took a long time to get it all sorted. When its getting to.the 27 28th day you can see the drop in behaviour again .
Thought to share

4allweknow
Yes to an extent but W Africans have periods early this i was told was due to our skeletal frame

my eight year old gd is showing signs with mood swings and a bit of a discharge. I hope she doesn’t start her period for a while but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.

I think as long as parents are open and honest about periods the child will cope with it . I was the first girl in class to start ( aged 10 ..1960) and my parents had prepared / informed me well - and my older and younger brothers.
Just as well I knew , I became the girl to go to for information for many school friends and particularly remember a classmate who knew nothing until she " cut the top of her leg badly " and came running over for help bless her . I took her to the school nurse who sat and explained things to her , she was soooo shocked and really upset . Not every parent was open at The beginning of the '60 s , and until you covered the subject of rabbits in biology the school told you nothing either ! Thank goodness my parents were sensible !

Ellie Anne
Most likely does she sweat a bit in the armpit area
Thats another sign

Periods are discussed more and talked about more from an earlier age even in schools.

There have always been early starters, we're just more aware as the conversation is opening up more.

I started my periods in 1957 when I was just 11. It was awful as my mum hadn't told me anything about them. Glad my own DD had another couple of years without them as she was 13.

In many past times, and other cultures, early starters were hidden by their mothers as starting periods = being marryable / ready for sex.

I had a friend who started at 9 way back when. She told me as a "secret".

My DGD started at 10 - I'm the co-parent and "mother figure" so it was my job to talk to her, make sure she had everything she needed. Now at 13 she is getting Depo injections to stop them all together , since they were so heavy. She's happy !

I think there was a passage in a Shakespeare play about it being wasteful to not have a girl married once her periods had started or am I thinking of something else?