should a 10yr old use tampons?

[mindz]

i'm shocked my 10 yr old got her period, we have talked about it in the past and she assured me she would come to me when it happened. Well she didn't, i discovered it in her pants...i gave her pads but she wants tampons, i didn't know if they were safe someone her age. Now she won't talk to me about any of it. plz help! 10 yr olds shouldn't be doing this yet!

[Ttfgyfccgddfgfcgfhgf]

My 10 year old hade a **** tampon experiqnce

[LadyFresh]

Your 10-year old using tampons is not necessarily a concern on the surface, but it's important to gauge if she's ready for the responsibility that comes with wearing tampons. Will she be sure to change her tampon frequently enough (every 3 to 4 hours) when she's away from you? The risk of TSS from tampons is very real for all women. If I were in your position as a mom, I would feel more comfortable with pads until she clearly demonstrates that she can stay on top such a potentially dangerous situation.

[AnnieBrooke]

Oh, incidentally, get the kind with the smooth white cardboard tubes, so she doesn't have to mess with the ones where you push them in with your finger right at first.  Those shorties are great to carry in your pocket once you're experienced at putting them in, but they are tough to use for one's first experience.  In other words, (in the United States), start her on junior Tampax, not ob's.

[AnnieBrooke]

Sure she should be doing this.  A generation ago, my friend's doctor started all her sisters and herself on tampons directly when they began their periods, and they never had any cramps or issues or anything.  A lot of girls at 10 begin their periods, especially nowadays when kids are maturing a little faster and there are a lot of hormone traces in our diets and all.  Tell your daughter that you'll get her a selection of sizes, from the ones the size around of a pencil to the fatter ones, and some pads with wings, and she can practice starting with the smaller ones and use a pad as backup so she can learn how often to change them.  Give her the supplies, and advise her that if she can feel the tampon, she hasn't pushed it in far enough, and then get out of her embarrassed hair.  Just don't add to it by being smarmy, emotional, or embarrassed yourself.  My mom said to me when I finally admitted to her that my periods had come, "Now you are a woman," in this appallingly Victorian voice, and I wanted to crawl under the table in humiliation.  She should have just come in and tossed some supplies on my bed, and said she'd supply the linen closet with more, and I should read the instructions in the box, and then she should have put a sock in it and left the whole topic alone.  :)  

[Dhanyelle]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a 10 year old using tampons as long as she is instructed properly and is comfortable with it. I would try to find some ultra-light or light ones for her. She probably shouldn't wear anything bigger until she's a bit older.