Life Hacks/Explain it to her
“It’s just something that happens when girls get to be about Angel’s age,” you say to her, picking up the baton that Brittany had fumbled. “don’t worry, it’s normal. Angel’s not in danger or anything.”
“Are my privates going to bleed when I turn 10?” She asks.
“Somewhere between 10 and 12 or so,” you tell her, “It’s different for every girl.”
“Why does her privates bleed though?” She asks.
“It is part of your body getting ready to have a baby,” you tell her, “You know how babies grow in a woman’s belly? Well, your body has to grow some special lining inside your belly to help the baby grow, but if you don’t get a baby in your belly then your body decides to get rid of that lining and replace it with something new. When that lining comes out, it comes out through your privates as blood.”
“Eeewwww...” Bastian says, a sentiment mirrored by Roni as she wrinkles up her nose. Brittany gives Bastian a mean glare for his commentary, but doesn’t seem to say anything. You get the distinct impression she uncomfortable with you answering Roni’s questions, but admits it has to be done. However, she does not want anything more than necessary coming in to the discussion, such as Bastian joining in on it. He definitely seems to be on her shit list right now.
“Why does her body have to get rid of it though?” Roni asks.
“Well, it is kind of like boogers for your uterus,” you say to her, “your uterus is the place in your belly where the baby grows, and the lining is sort of like the same thing for your uterus as boogers are for your nose, except your body puts some blood into it. You know how your boogers get all hard and crusty if they stay in your nose long enough? Well, the same thing happens with this lining, so your body needs to get rid of it, but it is a little harder than with boogers because your uterus is inside you.”
“Eeew!” This time it is Roni who responds.
“Girls have boogers in their privates!?” Bastian joins in. “That’s gross!”
Despite their words, both Roni and Bastian seem to be pretty entertained by the comparison of menstrual blood to boogers. It is not an entirely inaccurate comparison. The endometrium is mostly a mucous membrane, the only difference is that the glandular cells that produce the mucous come out with it during mensuration, it would be like if the entire inner lining of your nose came out and grew back once a month. Angel seems to be a little uncomfortable with the new perspective on the stuff coming out of her being somehow like boogers, but you can see beneath it that she also is feeling a little more at-ease and will be better for it once she gets over the initial gross-out.
How do you proceed from here?
- Try to draw the biology lesson away from reproduction
- Cover the last few bits on the subject of female reproduction
- Try to wrap up this subject
Infinity Pocket
Loki controls the local area.
