Tips to Make an Emergency Period Kit
Ahhh, adolescence, pre-teen, tweens. Hormones, mood swings, never-ending appetites. So many changes to help the kids navigate. I learned recently that the age that a girl’s period could start is as early as 8 years old! A few years ago, we had a sponsor that helped us discuss periods with our daughters. Since then, there have been some major improvements in products to make growing up a little easier on our tweens.
One of the biggest challenges is navigating the “female hygiene” aisle. I’m going to write this in a way to help the single dads out there too. It’s not easy, but hopefully, I can help make it a little less awkward. I also want to help you match all the products available to your tween. So, first we’ll start with everything that’s out there: pads, tampons, cups, discs and period underwear.
Pads: Can be made with reusable materials (similar to cloth diapers) or disposable. Fairly easy to use. Can be difficult to match the absorbency with the irregularity of the early cycles causing leaks. Can be uncomfortable or awkward.
Tampons: Risk of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome). Risk is slightly higher because it will be hard for the girl to predict which absorbency will be correct when her cycles will be very irregular. TSS symptoms are similar to flu symptoms, but severe cases can be fatal. Very popular because they are discreet. Important to note that they are NOT flushable regardless of what the packaging says.
Cups and discs are a newer product. Some are reusable and some are disposable. Not really recommended for tweens. Very discreet, risk of leaks will decrease as the user gets used to the learning curve.
Period Underwear: Made with absorbent, sustainable materials, very similar to cloth diapers. Minimizes the risk of leaks, better for the environment. Washable, reusable, can be expensive. This is also very discreet product. Very small learning curve required. Many of these also have a “sleepover-approved” product line available. (This has quickly become my daughters and my preferred product.)
So, it’s anyone’s guess when “Aunt Flo”, ”the monthly friend”, her period is going to make an appearance. This is a discreet emergency kit that can be customized to fit your tween’s personality. It can live in the bottom of the backpack ready to go whenever she needs it.
Period Emergency Kit:
- Cosmetic Case
- Clean underwear
- 2 pantyliners
- 2 pads (buy the size based on the recommendations on the back of the package) or reusable pads are also a terrific emergency backup option
- Small wetbag (or quart-sized zipper locked bag)
- Period underwear
- Wipes
- Craving Snack (optional)
- Midol/Tylenol (optional)
In the photo, we have a couple of options. One is a small/medium-sized cosmetic case that is available in any cosmetic aisle for under $6. The other is a purse that was purchased from a vendor at the Shawano Indoor Farmers Market.
Next will be the pads, starting with just one package will work for now and it doesn’t have to be the most expensive. There may be a few “false starts” so something to get started and used to the process is the most important. Your tween’s favorite brand is going to be trial and error and she’ll find the right one for her eventually. The liners will help with getting used to the routine. The package of liners will also help catch the “false start” that turns out to be the real thing.
Next is an emergency pair of underwear – not a favorite pair. I also picked up a small wet-bag. A quart-sized zipper-lock bag will also work. The wet-bag allows for more discreetness. (It’ll work for a wet swimming suit too). The wipes will help with a quick clean-up.
The next item is a newer product. There are 3 major brands of period underwear. You’ll want to choose the brand that has a Tween collection. The first several cycles will be very irregular so you’ll want something that will be flexible enough to deal with the fluctuations. A “start kit” offers a few options to help decide which will work best for your tween at a bit of a price break. You’ll also want a good return policy. Looking at payment options will also be important. You may be able to use your HRA card to pay for the underwear. Some of the customer service departments are willing to help you navigate if you run into issues. Some of the companies also offer a referral/rewards program so you can get discounts on future purchases. Paying attention to the care instructions is also vital. This is a pretty expensive upfront purchase so you’ll want to do what you can to extend their life. Make sure you find the care instructions that you can live with. A 5-gallon pail in the laundry or bathroom can help with the discreetness and laundry aspect. If you cloth-diapered, it’s a similar set-up. While the upfront cost can be a little daunting, it can also be a significant cost savings over time. There are also some things that are more important than money…. Peace of mind.
This is an emergency kit so there is an emergency craving snack just because it’s something nice. It’ll make the rough days a little easier. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. A snack-sized favorite candy bar, an individual-sized trail mix, etc. It’ll be personal to your tween based on what her cravings are. If it includes chocolate- make sure it’s in a ziplock or something similar in case it melts.
The Midol/Tylenol will also be a personal choice and will be very dependent on your tween’s cycle. Some Midol or Tylenol can alleviate some of the discomfort until your tween can get home and into a comfortable position. If the pain persists or seems excessive, it’s best to consult your tween’s medical professional. A lot of pain/discomfort is not normal. Make sure you consult the school’s policy for medication before including an OTC medication in the emergency period kit.
If you need a little help having the chat with your tween about expectations, we had a previous sponsor help us out.
Virtual Chat: Tips for Having “The Talk” with your Kids
8 Tips for Talking With Your Daughter About Her Period
These are referral/affiliate links to the companies and products that I have been buying for my daughters and myself. I may receive compensation for purchases made through these links:
Flex (cups, discs, wipes, etc) – https://flexfits.com/collections/shop-all
Thinx (period underwear) – https://thinx.club/marievandenberg
Knix (period underwear) – https://fbuy.io/knix/marie897 (save $20 with your first order)
As my kids will tell you, I’ll talk about pretty much anything, so if you have any questions about any of the items I talked about in this article, please feel free to ask and I’ll help any way that I can.
Additional Resources:
- Knix: Questions Answered – check out the menu on top for questions about periods, body changes, sweat, chafing and all other things that happen to us all that we don’t like to talk about. (This link is not attached to my referral link so if you use this one without using the other, you will not get the $20 discount as noted above)
- FlexFits also has an extensive “learn” section on their website. They will also cover slightly more “adult” topics.
- Thinx has a fairly basic learn section as part of their FAQ. This would be perfect for the more simple answers to help with the younger question-askers.
- You can also find more of my favorite products and other purchasing options in our “Top Picks for Every Day Life” article.
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