Is It Weird To Buy Teens Jewellery When They Start Their Period? Nobody Can Agree
A parent has taken to Mumsnet to ask if it’s “weird parenting” to buy their daughter a necklace to mark the start of her period – and people are seriously divided over the concept.
Offering a bit of context, the parent said their daughter is a young teen “who hasn’t yet hit puberty”.
“I have been thinking that when she starts her period, I might buy her a small piece of jewellery to give her, to mark her transition to womanhood,” they said, adding a link to a £115 pendant necklace with a pink stone in the centre.
“Am I being weird? Or is this a nice thing to do?” they asked.
What was the consensus?
The question was added to Mumsnet’s Am I Being Unreasonable forum and more than three-quarters of those who saw it (77%) thought the OP (original poster) was being unreasonable.
People didn’t hold back when it came to sharing their two cents on the idea. “Personally I think it’s very bizarre,” wrote one commenter.
“I’d love a menstrual necklace! Said no teenager ever,” added another.
And then there was: “I wouldn’t want anything to remind me of that.”
Others were less appalled by the idea, however. “I don’t think it’s weird if that’s what you want to do,” said one parent, before adding they opted to buy their daughter some chocolate and a hot water bottle instead.
“I think it’s a lovely idea,” added another commenter, “it’s a nice marker of having a good, positive relationship towards her period and being a woman.”
Why does it matter?
Period stigma is still a pretty big issue in society. In 2019, a survey by Plan International UK found one in five (20% of) 14-21 year olds had experienced teasing around their periods and made to feel shame, with only half (49%) telling anyone about it.
More recently, a survey by Bodyform and YouGov found 27% of girls have missed school due to their period, citing embarrassment and shame-related factors as the main reasons.
In recent years, period parties have become increasingly popular as a way to celebrate menstruation, alleviate the anxiety that surrounds periods, and normalise the fact they happen – all in a bid to diminish shame.
The trend has particularly taken off on TikTok, with parents and older siblings sharing period party decor ideas and cake inspiration.
Whether you’re considering throwing a party, buying a necklace or are keen to call in a month’s worth of chocolate, any efforts to reduce shame and open up conversations about periods should – in my view – be applauded.