Every girl has had a period emergency in her life. Often, more than one.
These range from realizing you forgot to replace the emergency tampon you keep in your purse at the exact time you need it most, to sacrificing your favorite white pants to the trash can gods because nothing is getting those stains out.
And because the universe has a sense of humor, most of those emergencies happen during your school years.
By the time you’ve matured enough to know how to deal with emergencies calmly and with much less embarrassment, your period has often become like clockwork.
Sometimes it predictable down to the hour.
That’s not an exaggeration. For a while, I knew that on the second day after finishing a package of birth control pills, I should slip a tampon into my pocket before the standard 10am, I-drank-three-cups-of-coffee pee break.
But during puberty, anything goes.
Just had one two weeks ago? Too bad, here’s another! Starting to get worried as the time between them stretches into eternity? It’ll start on prom night and you’ll be too bloated to fit your dress.
It’s the least fun guessing game ever.
Are you sick? Could the sudden increase in periods be some sign that death is imminent?
Or maybe you’re pregnant, and if you’re still a virgin, what the heck is going on?!
Any emergency that doesn’t make it through your clothes is considered a mercy.
You end up wearing dark jeans religiously because the heavy fabric may slow down the moisture as it soaks through and the color means that any stains may not be as visible.
But you never forget the bad accidents.
I have very clear memories of a time involving white jeans and sitting cross-legged on the floor during a group project in school. I was eleven.
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Kids and teens are not the most understanding or subtle people in the world.
It’s far more likely that someone will point and announce to the room that you have a stain on your pants, resulting in rounds of laughter.
Often, it’s the girls who are the worst offenders, even though they should empathize.
That’s why one mom wanted to give an anonymous shout out to one boy in particular.
The story starts with the words, “My daughter started her period on the bus ride home today…” which caused my chest to tighten up with sympathy anxiety.
Getting off the bus would basically be parading any stain at eye-level with kids still seated.
Add extra shame and embarrassment if you don’t actually realize the stain is there until they’re all pointing and laughing.
But an older boy that she didn’t even know well noticed first and saved her.
He quietly took her aside, letting her know about her pants and offering his own sweater to tie around her waist. When she tried to refuse he insisted and explained that he has sisters.
Clearly, he had witnessed the embarrassment and shame such an accident can cause.
As for why she wanted to share the story, the mom said:
We hear so many bad things about today’s youth, and I wanted to share something positive!
I agree and hopefully sharing stories like these will encourage others to help out too.
It’s all part of easing the stigma against menstruation and teaching girls not to be ashamed of something they can’t control. Those accidents happen and it’s embarrassing enough without being laughed at.
