Have you noticed how many girls have their first period at summer camp? When I speak to young girls, my message to them is to always be prepared for a period to start. Put a pad and change of underwear in a small bag and always have it with you, especially at summer camp.

Another way to prepare your daughter for her first period is to help her understand the stages of the menstrual cycle. This is a simple diagram from my book, I’m a Girl, Hormones!  

The secret to understanding the menstrual cycle is learning about the hormones that are important in each stage.

• Estrogen from the ovaries is the main hormone in the first stage, the first two weeks of the cycle.
• Progesterone from the ovary that released an egg at ovulation is the main hormone in the last stage, the last two weeks of the cycle.

Hormones are going to be an important part of your daughter’s life for the remainder of her life. I think it’s important for her to understand where they come from and what they do. This diagram is a good beginning for that information.

We want our daughters to feel like they have some control over what is happening in their body and it begins with understanding how these hormones impact their body.