Hi fellow parents. i have a 14 year old who is changing her pads in her bedroom and leaving the used items in there unwrapped and for weeks. i have 3 young children who use the same toilet as her so i said she can use mine while she is on her period, so they don't go through the bin and she has privacy. But I'm still finding them in her room!
I have told her it is insanely unhygienic, but she is a fact person, and asks why. Does anyone know why it is unhygienic and all the facts to go with this?
She was also going all day without changing her products, I was able to explain TSS which helped, but that rule doesn't apply to this situation. Please help
tween period product - incorrect disposal concern
tween period product - incorrect disposal concern
Posted in:
Teenagers, Tips and Advice, Puberty
8 Replies
I'd buy her some plastic bags (available in sanitary section of supermarket) to keep in her room and get her a special rubbish bin for her bedroom. I felt the same at that age, I didn't want to put in a bathroom or toilet bin.
As to the facts, when blood is exposed to air it begins to smell, badly! Used sanitary products are also full of bacteria, and dead skin cells (as is underwear, which is why we wash it regularly) sanitary products aren't washed so we need to wrap and throw them away. Blood also attracts bugs amd flies. It also prevents the spread of blood born diseases, just like in a hospital if someone is bleeding from a wound, the hospital disposes of used bandages using certain procedures to prevent spread of those diseases.
Another reason for wrapping is to be respectful to everyone in the house. Although its her room, it's your house and it's respectful to the owners of the house that used products are wrapped.
I'd also just ask her on rubbish bin day if she has emptied her bin for awhile. Sometimes these things are about habits. If she isn't used to thinking about rubbish bins etc it's just as likely she forgets about it until things have gone on too long.
Awesome advice!
I would agree its just the habit how would she feel if a visitor looked in her room and saw it. Or a friend visited and she left it or forgot it. If it gets knocked into her school work or school bag or sticks to the back of her clothes and makes its way out in the house or public. If its disposed of she knows thats not going to happen.
Personal hygiene is important. Washing hands is very important. So, tell her there is a sort of protocol to follow. We do it in the bathroom, because we wash our hands before we change a pad/tampon, so that no germs/ bacteria is put on to it, than we change it, the bin is in the bathroom so that it is easily disposed of in there, than we wash our hands again.
Also explain to her, that they can smell. Therefore leaving them in her room will emit a smell that isn't exactly nice to have in her own personal space.
I'm sorry she is 14 I got my periods at an early age once it was all explained what was expected in terms of cleanliness hygiene and disposale realisticly its not hard at 14 she should understand it all.
In saying that mama you need to make sure you have made everything as easy as possible for her great to see you allow her to use your bathroom, could she maybe have a spot to keep pads so she doesn't have to carry them from her bedroom to the bathroom as this may be embarrassing for her make sure she has bags (i use paper bags) you cant see anything throhgh the paper bags or you could use nappy bags that way no odor. Give her a bin and little liners and make it apart of her a routine that she empties it out every other day to the out side bin. To avoid smells.
Melissa Coyle responded to your comment on Facebook, what she says is great.
When I first got my period I was so ashamed and emabaressed, I hid it for 6 months, I had to throw soiled undies in the wheelie bin so no one would find out. eventually i was running low on undies.....so I eventually told mum "I just got my period" I was so embarrassed and I knew she would tell dad and he would feel uncomfortable and my young sibling would think I was strange and ask questions about me! . I didn't have a bin in the toilet .....that would have been helpful.......I had to go to the bin in the kitchen and put them in there...where someone might see me, I started hiding them in my room, I didn't want anyone to know I was on my period, I was told it was personal, I was ashamed someone might know!
It drove my mum crazy! She would yell and call me disgusting and lazy! Which made it worse......maybe she doesn't put them in the toilet bin for a similar reason, when it's emptied by whom ever, they will know ?!?
Yes she needs to learn hygiene, but this is a big adjustment I felt like getting my period was the worst thing to ever happen to me, it was depressing. Try the bin in her room.....you may have to remind her for a while to empty it after her period.
I just remember doing something similar.....mine stemmed from shame.....
Thank you for your comment. I am so sorry you went through that, I remember asking my cousin if I could change my pad in her room cause I did not feel I had the privacy to do so in the toilet, I got yelled at and called disgusting.. Which is why I have offered her our toilet for more privacy from her sisters. There have been so many negative comments on fb about this, its s shame but I also think they've never felt the shameful side of this.
I posted a reply on Facebook. I hope you saw it. I too was upset at the horrible replies, and prayed you would not go down the punishment route. I'm so glad to hear that you didn't. im so glad you have talked to her, and got to the bottom of the issue. Much luck and love for your continued journey.