bloodytales:

Teach boys about periods

My mother also talked about periods to my brothers.

When I first got mine I had terrible cramps. Crippling cramps. I once was camping with my family and a few of my big brother’s friends when my period came. My cramps were so bad that my mom gave me a full pain killer ( I was 13 and before that she only gave me pills cut in half).

I literally laid down on my parents’ air mattress and cried in pain for an hour before the pill kicked in.

My brothers friend came in to the big tent and I was just curled up and sobbing. Now, I was quite the tomboy and was known to rough house with my brothers and their friends and made sure I wasnt seen as just “a little girl.” So my brother’s friend was confused to see me openly weeping in the fetal position (seriously, these were the worst cramps I have had in my life. My vision went white). He asked what was wrong with me.

My big brother stood up immediately and suggested a nice long hike. During this hike I am sure he had a pretty awkward conversation with his friend explaining menstrual cramps, because when they got back the pain pill had (mostly) kicked in and I was sitting up at a table when my brother’s friend sheepishly asked me if I was feeling better. I said I was better, and he said good.

When we made s’mores that night my brother and his friend kept me well supplied with chocolate.

Making sure sons know as much about periods and menstruation as daughters makes them better brothers, better sons better fathers, and better men. A man that understands a period will not lightly accuse a woman of “being on her period” if the woman is in an argument.

Raise better sons Teach them about normal bodily functions.

Fun story:

In chinese medicine theory, it’s considered bad to drink cold things during period (btw it’s true!). And one time, me and my family was eating in a restaurant together. It was summer, so my mother ordered some shaved ice. She wanted everyone to try hers (why mothers always do that?), and I said “No, I don’t want to eat” because I was on my period. My mother insisted “Why don’t you have some ice?” and I replied “No, I CAN”T eat it.” (in Taiwan, whenever a girl says she can’t eat something cold, you know she’s on period). But my mother didn’t catch the hint and was still saying “Why can’t you have it?!”. My brother, who was silent before, simply snapped “SHE CAN’T EAT ICE BECAUSE SHE IS ON HER PERIOD!” and my mother was like “Oh, why didn’t you say so?”, and I was like “HELLO, even my brother caught the hint!”

The few times I had early day off because of a bad cramp, I would sleep on my brother’s bed because mine is a double deck bed/desk and I don’t have the strength to climb. Whenever my brother came back home from school or later work, he would immediately know what’s wrong, and he always keep the light off, turn on his PC and put on his earphone so that he can play games without disturbing me.

So yeah, I can’t imagine him being awkward if his friends are in the bloody situation. Just teach the boys about period and they’ll see it as a normal thing, they can even be helpful, which is great.