Having a period is a completely natural thing for females, and periods can start at any age from around 10 to 16. It can be hard to talk about because many young women find it embarrassing. Although the idea of your parents finding out might be scary, they might not be surprised by it and youve not done anything wrong.
If youre feeling unsure about talking to your parents you could think about other women or older girls that you would feel comfortable talking to about your worries. If you have a school nurse they may be able to talk to you about managing your periods at school. You can read more about how periods work and get advice on our pages about periods and puberty for girls. You can also talk to other young people about any fears you have, and ways to cope on our puberty message boards.
It sounds like you might be feeling a bit unsure about the best way to stay clean when you get your period. Periods can sometimes be irregular when they first start so its a good idea to have some sanitary towels or tampons ready at home. Keeping one or two in your bag might help you feel more prepared too.
Please remember that you can always talk to a ChildLine counsellor about periods or anything else. They are there to support you.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
