When my daughter was 8, I took her to a Puberty Tea. I wondered to myself whether she was too young to be talking about puberty.
But seven years later she still vividly remembers that afternoon; we dressed up, drank tea, learned about how amazing it is to be a girl, and of course there was a gift bag. This tea is much more important than I had imagined because it built the foundation for having many other important talks with her about puberty, sex, consent and contraception.
I like to have resources on hand; books, websites, trusted friends or family and I’ve recently discovered a new resource! I had the chance to sit and chat with Erin Flynn from Pill Club, along with 4 other Macaroni Kid publishers and ask our burning questions about how to approach “the talk” with our kids. These questions never go away (and only get more difficult as they get older!) and the support system is always needed!
Remember that first question; isn’t 8 too young to talk about puberty? Erin shared with us that “{The sex talk} should be a natural part of the conversation. You should be aiming for that to happen sometime between {the ages of} 6-10… it can be a very natural time without hormones getting in the way. You’re not really talking about sex so much as the clinical aspect.”
Kids need to understand what’s happening as their body begins to change. Erin reminded us that “it’s very important for kids to feel empowered.” They need to know about body autonomy, like how to say no if they’re uncomfortable.
Erin also highlighted the importance of talking about birth control, because while it has a specific job of preventing pregnancy, it “can also be used to treat medical conditions that we shouldn’t have to suffer with.” Whether it’s horrible cramps, heavy periods, your daughter is sexually active, or you simply don’t want to make the trip to the pharmacy for your pills anymore, Pill Club has made it simple and convenient to get your birth control prescribed and delivered to your door. You can also transfer your prescription, so you can continue receiving the same prescription but have it delivered with goodies and empowering stickers (take a look here for what you get in the package)! It only took me a few minutes to fill out my health profile and I never have to worry about running out again.
Now that I’ve signed up online, I can get my birth control, generic Plan B, free goodies and more delivered - all for $0 with my insurance plan {I know that it’s really affordable if you’re paying out of pocket} It’s delivered in discreet, unbranded packaging as well. The whole process all happened from the comfort of my home and on my own time. I can even text their medical team with any questions I have - no appointment required!!
Another perk is if I’m traveling somewhere in the country, I can change my address and have it delivered to the new location - super simple!
I’m excited to get my first box filled with empowering stickers, goodies and of course my prescription. It’s like getting a gift bag every month! The questions will keep coming since I have two more kids to have the talk with, but it’s nice to know that I have Pill Club to turn to now!
