And So It Begins...

Good grief. I thought I had a couple more years before I needed to pull out the heavy artillery and have "THE TALK" with Miss Priss. I was wrong. Beware all you moms of young children out there. If I'm not immune, no one is.

After coming home from the hospital with our new bundle of joy, my bathroom was quickly stocked up with all sorts of extra supplies. You know, the ones we just love to use every month of our girly lives. For me, for about a week or two after having a baby there are no more nice, discreet little packages. Oh, no. I have to use those enormous, horrific woman diapers. Ugghhh. But soon enough those atrocities disappear and I'm left with just a single box of the slightest protection. They're harmless enough looking, so I set them next to the toilet instead of hiding them in a cupboard somewhere.

And then one afternoon while sitting at my vanity trying to make myself presentable, my six-year-old Miss Priss finds herself exploring in my bathroom.

"Mom, what are these?" she asks, holding up a pantyliner.

"Um, those are just for grown up girls. Put it back, please."

"But what do you do with it?"

Crap. Am I seriously going to have to explain this right now??? I've always known this day was coming, but TODAY??? I mean, I've never read a book on what to say, but I've heard all the advice out there about how you're just supposed to keep it simple and answer only the questions they ask. So I'm thinking to myself, ok, don't delve into the depths of the birds and the bees here, lady. Calm down and just answer the question.

"It goes in your pants."

"In your pants? For what? Is it to help hold up your pants or somethin'?"

Grrr. I suppose that would have been a little too easy.

"No. Well, uh, when little girls grow up, their bodies get ready so that when it's time, they can have babies ..."

I went on a little and explained what I felt was appropriate for her. And yes, I used the words 'period' and 'bleed.' I told her how special her little body is, and that being able to have babies is a gift that our Heavenly Father blessed us with.

I didn't get any looks of disgust or confusion, or even the giggles I had expected. She simply accepted the information I gave her, and that was that.

About a week later I was putting some things away in her room. I opened up her desk drawer where she keeps some of her schoolwork and her school supplies. And there I found one of my "supplies." I have no idea if she put it in there before or after our talk, but I promptly removed it and disposed of it. She hardly needs a daily reminder of her future monthly visitor.

Although I feel the explanation I gave went pretty smoothly, I am nowhere near prepared to answer any other questions (like, perhaps, how the baby gets in there in the first place, or what in the world a husband has to do with that). I don't even want to have to repeat this explanation to the next one. So please, if any of you out there find a way for a simple pantiliner to "hold up your pants or somethin'," let me know so that when DC gets curious, that's all I'll have to tell her.