Ask Sam letter

Hi A****

Having your first period can be frightening and confusing. It can happen with no warning or time to prepare and can be embarrassing. There is no right or wrong way for it to happen and it's different for everyone.

Not everyone has a person to talk to in their life about this. For many young people, getting support from the people around them can be difficult for lots of reasons. In some cases, it can be too difficult or embarrassing to talk to males about personal and intimate details such as periods or puberty.

ChildLine counsellors won't judge you and you can talk to them about anything.  Most importantly, it's confidential and you can ask to speak to a female counsellor.

When changes take place in our bodies due to periods and puberty it can be normal to gain a little weight or to feel less happy and comfortable about how we look. It doesn't always mean that we need to lose weight but this feeling can be hard to live with. It's often a good idea to speak to someone like a doctor or nurse who can offer help and support. We are all different and accepting who we are and how we look is a big part of growing up.

It's wrong for anyone to call you names like fat or ugly. Even if they're friends. This is bullying and you deserve to get support. Perhaps you can think about what these friendships mean to you and how you feel when you are with these friends. You might want to think about making other friends who treat you with respect and don't call you names.

A first step could be to look at our tips about making friends and our advice about bullying. You could also talk to a teacher at school or an adult you trust to get help with making the bullying stop.

One place where I know you will be able to get help and support is on our message boards where other young people share their stories about puberty, bullying and other stuff.  On the boards they talk about what they have done to cope in situations like this. You can also talk to a counsellor at any time.

Take care
Sam