The idea for the PoGo Pack™ sprang into life when our daughter was going away for summer holidays with friends. It suddenly occurred to me that if her periods started while she was away from home, she would be unprepared – and upset at a time when she really needed me.
So off I went to the shops, thinking I could get it sorted quite easily. First of all, there didn't seem to be a kit that I could buy. I was confronted with a wall of sanitary pads – all in different shapes, sizes, absorbencies, thicknesses, with or without wings, plus a host of other options. The choice was totally confusing. There was certainly no quick and easy solution.
After spending a ridiculous amount of time wondering which pads to buy, I grabbed several types and decided to sort it out at home. I also looked for a trendy little purse to put it all in because I wanted it to be special for her.
Once home, I realised that the pads I'd bought were way too big to fit my daughter and totally inappropriate for a girl of her size. I finally chose the ones that would probably work best, and decided how many of which pads to give her. It was then that I discovered the purse I'd bought was barely big enough!
I sat down with my daughter and showed her how to use the various pads and explained when to use them. I talked about hygiene and disposal, too. Most important of all, however, was that she felt confident about knowing what to do if her periods did start. For my part, I felt really proud that I'd prepared my daughter in the best way possible. It was also a moment of togetherness that felt quite special.
A girlfriend suggested that what I'd created for my daughter was potentially a great idea that, if more widely available, could really help parents and their daughters deal with this important event. Very quickly I realised that there was a desperate need for a Period Kit as there seemed to be nothing like it available commercially. The idea of creating one took hold in a quite profound way. Within 48 hours, "PoGo – the Period Pack for Girls on the Go!" was born.
We were very clear from the outset about what would, and would not, be in the pack. As well as including a selection of pads and accessory products, we wanted to provide some helpful advice for girls starting their periods because not every girl has a mum she can talk to. It was also important to include a calendar that would help girls to track their bleeding so that they would be able to identify their cycle when it settled down.
Months later, and after lots of research and testing, we'd developed a prototype and sourced a regular pad that was specially designed to fit girls. The feedback from friends with daughters was absolutely fantastic and we realised that we had found a solution to a surprisingly widespread problem.
PoGo is very much a family business: our daughter has been involved with the PoGo Pack™ from the outset, helping with the design and giving feedback on the products (and earning some pocket money for doing so in the process!); Robyn fronts the business and Ian provides plenty of sound business advice in the background. Even Grandma helps out!
Historically, periods have been a subject of taboo in many cultures. Here at PoGo, we think that because periods are one of the most natural things on earth, the subject should be out in the open.
We're incredibly proud of the PoGo Pack™. In essence, it is about supporting girls with periods in a very practical sense – especially for girls entering puberty when they tend to be particularly anxious about what's to come – and it's also about helping busy parents to prepare their daughters in a caring way for her next stage of development into a young woman.
The PoGo Pack™ has been designed with today's girls in mind, whether they are yet to start their periods or are already into the monthly routine. It's stylish and practical, and sensitively designed so that girls can feel comfortable carrying it. Young girls will be reassured by the PoGo Pack™, and teenage girls will also find it really useful as a convenient bag that holds everything she needs to manage her periods every month.
Our daughter's PoGo Pack™ and PoGo Purse™ get plenty of use these days, whether the occasion is a school trip, holiday, sleepover or a normal school day. She is now in complete control and feels relaxed because she is always prepared.
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