[Ahryin]

If you don't know by now I'm 27 and a single mother of two. I have an 8yr old and a 3yr old. My daughter turned 8 in March and got her first period in May. It only lasted 2days. I still took her to the doctor, she skipped June and got it for 1 day in July and 1 day in August.
I'm loosing my freakin mind! I took her to the doctor and they did a bone age, she was slightly above her age but not to far off of it. I have explained before that my child is gifted, which means she is very intelligent for her age. She does not do well with children her own age and doesn't really fit in. She tries hard to which causes issues (aka she doesn't have street smarts but she has a huge amount of book smarts)
In Feb of 09 I was hit by a car (i'm going to blog about it today) She saw the whole thing. At first I was wondering maybe the stress is what brought about her period. I was 9 when I first got my period but had it on a steady basis for 8 days. I will add that I had a lot of stress in my life at that time. I was raised by my dad and didn't really see my mother. I think I saw her like 3 times a year if that.

So .... when did you first get your period? Do any mothers out there have any advice or suggestions for me

By the way can I mention that this chickas attitude has gone through the roof! Half the freaking time I can visually see myself taking her by her neck ( I only visualize it I don't actually do it...then I realize that she is 8 not 18...even though she doesn't realize that)

[LanaBear]

Oh man - I think I was 12, can't really remember. I do remember I was babysitting at the time and thought "Oh great - what do I do now?" because my mom hadn't had "the talk" with me yet. But 8 seems really young, I couldn't imagine having a daughter who got her period that young, I don't think I would even know what to do. Even 9 for yourself, but I think I remember reading at one time or another that the age you start is kind of hereditary... Not sure, but maybe.

I don't have any great words of wisdom, but I'll listen when you want to vent. My 8 year old has developed quite the attitude lately too, but he doesn't get away with much of it. He likes to push the buttons to see how far he can get, unfortunately for him he gets stopped a lot sooner than I'm sure he'd like.

[Ahryin]

ok it's story time...LOL
I woke up at 9yrs old in a pool of blood! I thought I was dying! The cramps and the wet feeling is what woke me up!
I remember it like it was yesterday. Mind you my father was about 50 some odd at this time. (I lived in a house that at any given time contained 5 boys not including my dad) I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. AT first I sat in the tub and just sat there thinking...i'm dying..this is it, my last day on earth. My father knew what was going on but didn't really know how to convey that to me. I had heard about a period before but no one really sat down and explained everything to me. Now my dad was a ladies man...so all his so called girl friends tried to take this opportunity to attempt to bond with me thinking it would bring them closer to my dad. I have never cussed so much in my life. I didn't even know I knew so many cuss words. They couldn't tell me I wasn't dying.
Then my father had the nerve to bring me those back in the day pads...you know the ones that you had to use a belt to keep on! They came from belly button to middle of the back! So I threw a bar of soap at him told him to get out and locked the door.
Then my mother called...melodramatic me just made my peace with her and explained that I was dying...LOL
So finally my sisters mother came by and she came bearing gifts! A shaver, a small booklet that explained in plain language what my body was going through, some shaving cream, pads of assorted sizes, liquid eve shower gel, powder, and midol. See she knew that I was the kind of kid that had to physically see proof of whatever you told me. If I couldn't read it, research it, prove it and experience it .... it wasn't true for me.
My father was to busy pacing and worrying and my cousins (the 5 boys) were to busy being boys and trying to coax me out of the bathroom than to think about what type of child I was.
Eventually I came out of the bathroom.... Ithink I spent about 16hrs in the bathroom..lol

[Hopeless Dork]

I'm thinking some hereditery factors might be in play since you started at 9 which is also pretty young. More and more girls are getting their periods earlier and earlier. I started at 12 and I was ready and thrilled lol. I had read are you there God its me Margeret with my friends, some of them already had their periods I didn't want to be the last to get it.

I remember checking my panties several times a day the summer I got it, hoping for it to be there for some weird reasons. Finally when it was I was like yay I am a woman now lol. I am such a ... hopeless dork :P

[LanaBear]

I remember checking my panties several times a day the summer I got it, hoping for it to be there for some weird reasons. Finally when it was I was like yay I am a woman now lol. I am such a ... hopeless dork :P

You are too funny. I was MORTIFIED. I didn't want to tell my mom when I needed more tampons or pads, so I started buying my own. LOL - then I remember when I was a sophomore or junior, I think, I told my mom I needed her to grab me a box of tampons when she went to the store. She couldn't believe I was using tampons, even though she used them. Um - yeah mom - for a while now. Not sure how she thought I had survived years in sports without using tampons. Motherly ignorance maybe. I love her though.

[Ahryin]

I didn't use tampons until I was a senior in high school..LOL
I was taught they messed up your organs! Yea...ummm...old school

[WildChild]

Girls are starting menstration at younger ages and you are young enough that you fall into this group along with your daughter. The heavy use of various drugs in animals (BGH being a biggie) as well as other sources of chenical exposure are believed to be the cause. This is scary because it is tangible proof of what we are doing to ourselves and the planet. Sticking with only organic dairy (milk, cheeses, ice cream, ect) and meats would help but how many of us can afford the cost even when we are aware of the costs in terms of health and our bodies?

Certainly family history is a part of this but this is too wide spread for that to be the full story. I don't know if a change in diet to avoid those contaminates would help now but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

[CHANDLERS WISH]

It's so sad, we have to become women so early in life.

I was a late bloomer, although i started getting boobs at 11, period at 13, darned if my parents remembered to tell me what they were as I rithed on the school yard in pain, got sent home, Doctor called, ate spaghetti, went to the loo, saw blood and sooo the Doctor said, ahha, it's her periods. I'm like it's my what? lol...

Guess parents thought sex education explained all that....

CW

[sweetpea85]

I was 8, too. I was sitting on a yellow bean bag (I will never forget that detail) and I looked down and there was blood. I had NO clue what was happening to me.

I can't remember if there was stress or trauma in my life at the time...I'd have to ask my mom. My memories from childhood are vague.

I don't know how I was at 8, but I know throughout life in general, I always got along better with kids older than me. I was hardly ever made fun of, but I was shy (apparently the "artsy girl who was friends with everyone" in high school, according to a friend). I think I was shy because I developed so early. I distinctly remember my friends complaining about getting their first period at 12...I'd been a veteran of 4 years at the time!

I couldn't use tampons, either. I still barely can. They were SO painful for me.

[Stephy]

i JUST got mine yesterday, a couple months shy of 16. i cant imagine having it at eight. that would really suck