Dot Girl Period Kit

Kathy Pickus from Dot Girl Products sent Ainsley a Dot Girl First Period Kit in preparation for her eventual period.

This was not our first discussion about menstruation, but it was the discussion with the visual aids to illustrate the points. For Ainsley, this was not as exciting as getting a new pair of earrings or some lipgloss.

“What’s this?”

“Pads. You put them in your underwear when you bleed.”

“Gross.”

(I agree, pads are gross. The whole idea has always been repulsive to me. But, I won’t mention that to her until I’ve got a better plan lined up to suggest. The idea of having a period has always been fine with me, but wearing a diaper that leaks doesn’t seem like a great solution.)

She opened the pamphlet and tossed it aside. I started aloud reading from it.

One of us wasn’t very mature about it. You try reading sentences like, “Menstrual blood dribbles out a little at a time.” And “another fluid that comes out of the vagina is called vaginal discharge,” without giggling.

I have yet to say the words “vaginal discharge” ever in my life without cracking up. It’s an hysterical combination of words. Period.

“Vaginal discharge? What is that?”

I try substituting the other hilarious word in the text, “Mucus. Vaginal mucus.”

“What?”

“Snot. Snot will also come out of your vagina.” At this point I was having a wonderful time with big full belly laughs.

The kit also includes one of those cool plastic and gel heat bags – like a modern-day hot water bottle for possible cramps, a nifty little pink carrying case shaped like a dot. They say this is discreet, but I’m not sure how discreet this thing is. It’s definitely not something a kid could stick in their pocket to use the restroom in elementary school or junior high without everyone noticing. You’d have to take the whole backpack.

Still, this might be a great option for you to open the discussion with your pre-pubescent daughters about their bodies, how they work and what to expect. The kit retails for $19.99 and has a lot of extras. Dot Girls also features other products including several informational books and CDs like, The Birds + The Bees + Your Kids and the Ask Anything Journal.