We all know sometimes periods can be pretty troublesome .... And it can be even harder as a tween or teen just starting to navigate life with a period.
As a loving role model in their lives, we wanted to stress the impact you can have on their periods. Obviously, understanding what they are going through, being empathetic, yet positive are crucial to helping tweens and teens make their periods better, but there are a few other extra special things you can do to actively show your love and care for them, both on, and around their periods.
Foster Connection
Ensuring that you spend quality time with your children will deepen your relationship in many ways, but also keep communication open and reinforce trust if they ever do need to talk to you about anything, period related or not.
You could go for a beach or park walk together to get moving and share some stories from when you were their age, or if they don’t feel up for walking, watch a movie together with some of your shared favourite sweet treats. As long as you are having some quality time together and both feel up to it, you’re winning. However, if your tween or teen doesn’t want to hang out when you suggest, don’t push it, let them know it’s something you’re hoping to do soon and try to figure out a time and activity together. And remember, quality time comes in many different forms. You could still foster a good connection even if it was just helping them fold their washing one afternoon!
If you need more ideas, you could readthese 4 special ways to spend time together, or sharethis letter with them to show them how you feel.
Prioritise Self Care and Mental Wellbeing
Periods andPMS can result in so many different hormonal and physical changes. Mood swings, crying spells, insomnia, headaches and acne flare ups are just some of the endless symptoms that come with menstruating, and are so different from person to person. What is common to all, however, is that prioritising self care and our mental wellbeing will always make periods more manageable.
For example, reducing period pain, such as with our coolpain relief machine, can be so impactful on our overall period experience. There are countless methods, like thesemenstrual cramp remedies that you can do at home for your tweens and teens, so talk to your young loved one and test out different ways to reduce period pain until you find the best one for you both.
Exercise has also proven toreduce period pain and help with sleep quality, releasing ‘happy’ hormones such as serotonin and endorphins. It also provides a good distraction from menstrual cramps because, let’s be honest, who can focus on anything else when they are working out? Exercise like a light walk, swimming or yoga are some of the most common period helpers (and, who knows, maybe this can be the quality time with your tween or teen we mentioned above!)
The final self care must is sleep. Tweens and teensalready need more sleep than younger children, but a busy schedule, stress, and, you guessed it!, periods, can make it harder to get the sleep they need. Letting your tweens and teens sleep in on the weekends when they don’t have early morning plans, or encouraging them to wind down a bit earlier during/ leading up to their periods will make their periods, and general life, so much easier as they can better regulate emotions and feel energised.
Get Products They Feel Comfortable and Confident In
Everybody (and every body) is going to have a different preference for period products, so help your tween and teen find what works for them (and get them wearingpre-period products before they get their period so you both don’t have to worry about being caught unprepared!)
Remember,not all period products on the market are safe. Do your research and keep your children safe, and make sure they are thoroughly educated on when to change pads and tampons, how to keep themselves clean and anything else they might have questions about.
A good starting point is ourperiod underwear, which are great quality, environmentally friendly, cost-effective and safe! They are made to be breathable, preventing sweat, rashes and infections. If you want to learn more, clickhere.
Satisfy the Cravings (with balance)
Cravings like chocolate, pizza or even savoury items seem to usually be synonymous with periods. And, guess what? There’s a reason!Clear Blue writes about how cravings are our body’s way of telling us we need more of something. Take pizza for example, a very common carb to crave.
“This may be due to some people having a serotonin deficiency that could contribute to PMS symptoms.” Clear Blue writes. “(Some folks are prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors – SSRIs – by their healthcare providers to relieve symptoms of PMS.)”
Serotonin, which we mentioned above as a happy hormone, can be indirectly increased by carbohydrates. This is because eating carbs helps our bodies produce insulin, “which in turn gives tryptophan (the amino acid your brain uses to make serotonin) a better chance of reaching your brain.”
There are obviouslymore beneficial foods to tackle period cravings and overall symptoms, such asbananas, nuts and dark chocolate, but honestly, we think the best thing you can do to help your children through their periods is to show them a healthy balance between eating what we know is good, and satisfying cravings. If you eat well, your cravings should be reduced, but if you still have some, don’t ignore them, let your tweens and teens listen to their body and feel fulfilled afterwards. And, as always, be a role model to them by practising these habits that are going to make us feel better in many aspects of life.
Surprise Them with a Special Gift
Many of our tweens and teens are handling school, jobs, extracurricular activities, social lives and more on top of changing hormones. How amazing are they?! Of course they can be a bit erratic and emotional, they are doing so much every day! So let them sleep in a bit more one morning, or perhaps get them a facial to relax with, or maybe even buy them the book or game they’ve been wanting. We are sure any considerate gift will be accepted gratefully, especially if you let them know you do see all the effort they are putting in. Sometimes, both sides of our parent-children relationships can feel isolating and like we are at constant odds, but it can’t hurt to take some time to reflect and consider their perspective and show appreciation for the moments we do all share.
The one thing that connects us all as parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, family friends etc. is how much we love the incredible younger people in our lives, so let's try and help this period of time a little bit easier for them. If you have any tips on how to make periods easier for tweens and teens, let us know!
