Grown Ups

A positive, practical start to puberty

Puberty is an exciting time for girls as they begin to develop their independence, discover more about themselves and their place in the world.

This stage can also be unsettling and confusing. It is often distressing for a girl to get her first period if she has no idea what's happening to her. With one-in-eight girls now starting their periods at primary school, it's more important than ever for girls to be equipped with the products and information they need.

The average age at which girls start their periods is 12, however an increasing number are now starting as young as eight!

Here at PoGo, we believe that girls benefit from being educated about, and understanding, the physical and emotional changes of puberty that they will experience – ideally before those changes start to have a significant impact on them.

An unexpected arrival

Preparing your daughter for the arrival of her first period is easily overlooked as her body starts to develop with the onset of puberty. It takes a conscious decision – and effort – to spend time in our busy lives putting a kit of products together for her.

All too soon it may be too late: her first period has arrived unexpectedly, necessitating a mad scramble to get her some pads. Maybe the school telephones to say your daughter is upset because her periods have started and the only person she wants is you.

We really encourage parents to think about this and take action before their daughter's development reaches this stage.

Helping parents to be prepared

PoGo has created the PoGo Pack, a complete period kit containing everything a young girl needs to handle her periods with confidence. As well as a variety of sanitary towels, including our Ultra Teen Towels specially designed for girls, the pack includes a period planner, and a pull-out purse, so girls can keep a few products handy when they're at school, or out and about.

Having "the talk"

Are you a parent who is at ease talking with your daughter about periods, or does the idea raise unhappy memories of your own experiences and make you feel uncomfortable with the subject?

We know from the many conversations we've had with parents, and health and education professionals that the subject of periods is not always the easiest of topics to broach with a growing daughter. You'll find helpful suggestions in Robyn's blog.

Many girls as well are often too embarrassed to talk about such personal topics and squirm at the very hint of something of that nature.

PoGo helps to bridge that gap by providing girls with the necessary products, and our website can be a great source of reassurance to girls and parents alike. Looking at our website together is a great way to approach this subject together. You will also find lots more helpful information in More useful stuff, including Features on topics to help both girls and parents, including dads.

The girls' pages may also give your daughter some comfort and confidence that what she is experiencing is shared by many of the other girls she knows.

A little about our approach

PoGo's founder, Robyn West, is the mother of a daughter who has gone through the early stages of puberty. It was Robyn's experiences at the time of her daughter's development that brought to light the difficulties in finding one place where parents and girls could get sensible, age-appropriate information and suitable products for young girls.

Some of the websites Robyn found gave information about periods and puberty, alongside subjects such as safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases! She believed that pre-teens needed information more relevant to them in a safe environment. Hence PoGo has developed with a real conviction to support girls in early puberty, especially in the 8-12 age range, in an age-appropriate way.

We've tried to get the balance right between the fundamentals and practicalities that girls need to know to take care of themselves, and respecting parents' wishes about the level of information that their daughters should receive.

Naturally, every parent has their own view on what's right for their child when it comes to the wider subject of sex education, of which periods and puberty form a part. We would therefore encourage parents of girls aged under 12 to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of PoGo's website.

See Using this site for more details.

Disclaimer

The PoGo Pack™ and elements of this website's content have been developed in consultation with experienced, qualified professionals, for example school nurses, including the School and Public Health Nurses Association.

However, all content on PoGo's website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice from a doctor or any other health care professional. PoGo accepts no responsibility or liability for any diagnosis made by anyone based on the content of this website. If you are concerned about your health in any way, you should consult your doctor.