My daughter just started her period, and instead of supporting her, my husband told her to hide it because it made our teenage sons “uncomfortable.” They had seen a used pad in the trash and started avoiding her. But the final straw was when he suggested she stay in her room “until it’s over” so the boys wouldn’t feel awkward.
I watched my daughter’s face fall. She wasn’t scared of the cramps—she was scared she had done something wrong. That night, she cried in her room out of shame, not pain. And that’s when I knew something had to change.
The next morning, I called a family meeting.
I explained to our sons that periods are not dirty, scary, or something to hide. Uncomfortable feelings aren’t a signal to shame someone—they’re a signal to learn. They listened. Really listened. They asked respectful questions and admitted they didn’t understand what was happening or how to act. By the end, one son even asked if there was anything he could do to make her feel better on tough days.
My daughter’s shoulders dropped with relief. She wasn’t a problem to be hidden—she was a girl who deserved support.
Later, my husband admitted he grew up in a home where periods were forbidden to mention. He apologized to our daughter and promised to do better.
That weekend, he brought home her favorite ice cream and told her,
“You never have to hide here. This is your home too.”
It wasn’t perfect, but it was the beginning of a family choosing empathy over embarrassment.
