Raising teenage boys is basically a constant cycle of laundry piles, feeding voracious hunger, nagging, laughter, and little, quick, teachable moments just like this one. Anything you can do to help them navigate the difference between things that are a big deal (like keeping your friends safe at parties, being aware of your surroundings, and the safety of others around you) and things that are NO big deal (like puberty, periods, and yes, bleed-throughs) can make a huge difference.
As you normalize these things in your own family by regularly discussing them, they become normal to your kids, too. It’s my hope that kids of all genders, know that my boys are a safe place to get period supplies, should they ever need them. But it is an even bigger hope of mine that these small actions change the way kids in our high school handle and view the whole subject.
When I first posted in that private Facebook group, I thought that a few other parents might think sending their boys to school with period supplies would be a great idea for their kids too. And while there were a few (very vocal) naysayers, the vast majority of people did react positively. From single mothers of teenage girls to parents of young boys (who will ‘remember this for when they are older’), they all seemed to agree that the road to change includes erasing period taboos, maybe a couple of teenage boys at a time.”
