A First Period Kit contains the essentials your daughter should have on hand when her first period arrives. She can carry it in her school bag, or to sleepovers so that she has everything she needs whenever and wherever it starts.

Keep in mind that a period kit differs from a Menarche Box. A Menarche Box is a larger collection of both thoughtful and practical gifts. It can be used to introduce your daughter to various aspects of cyclical life. And giving it to her is a beautiful way of celebrating when her first period arrives (more on Menarche Box magic below)!

Here, we'll discuss a first period kit for girls - what to include, when to make it and how to involve her.

By consuming our content, you recognize that it is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical concerns.

What Should You Put in Your Daughter's First Period Kit?

Let's jump right into the items to include in your daughter's kit.

A simple First Period Kit should include:

• 2–4 pads reusable or disposable

• Period underwear

• Spare underwear

• Small disposal bags

• Unscented biodegradable water wipes or soft tissues

• A small zippered pouch

• A reassuring note

• Simple instructions for what to do when her period starts

The best first period kit doesn't just give your daughter products. It gives her a plan.

She should know what she's looking at, what to do, and feel confident in what is normal.

Make the creation of the period kit a joint project and involve your daughter. It will lead to lots of helpful conversations. Aim to have an ongoing dialogue with her rather than having one big sit down talk. Make sure she knows periods are natural and healthy and there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

First Period Kit Checklist: 10 Things to Include

1. Pads Designed for Tweens

When you're shopping for pads for your daughter's first period kit (or yourself) look for 100% cotton (organic even better). Sadly lots of disposable pads have plastic top sheets which can cause uncomfortable chaffing and sweating.

Be sure to avoid all synthetic fragrances. They are not necessary and many of them are known hormone disruptors. They are a big culprit for causing irritation and discomfort.

And avoid chlorine as none of us want bleach near the skin of the vulva or the inside of the vagina.

Look for pads specifically designed for girls to get the sizing right. Ideally explore the different types with your daughter, including wings and no wings, and the different absorbencies. You can explain what you are looking for and why, and then let her choose her favourites.

Do consider reusable pads. They can be really pretty and practical. They come in lots of different prints and it's much easier to find 100% natural fabric options which are more breathable and comfortable. When they need to be changed they fold up and popper together. Your daughter can put them back into her period kit pouch to take home and put them in the wash.

It's great to show her that she has plenty of options. You can tell her about your own preferences and favourites.

Make sure that she has practiced putting pads into her underwear and understands how they work.

When her first bleed arrives you want her to be familiar with everything in her kit and to feel confident and comfortable.

How many pads should you put in a first period kit?

For her day to day kit 4 is plenty (of course if she is going away for a number of days you can add more). That allows for one to get accidentally stuck together and also gives her a spare or two if she needs to change the pad before getting home. 4 pads means she comfortably has enough to give one to a friend in need too.

This little bit of solidarity and support can be a lovely thing to talk to your daughter about in advance of her first period. Make sure she knows she can always ask another woman for help and that she can let her friends know they can ask her if they ever get caught short without a product. This is a lovely part of the sisterhood between women!

Your daughter should practise putting her chosen pad into her underwear several times before the real blood arrives so she feels relaxed when she needs to use them.

2. A Pair of Period Underwear

The invention of period underwear is a major breakthrough for all of us. They are a great first product for your daughter to use as she only has one thing to put on and they are almost the same as her usual underwear so they will feel familiar and unintimidating.

Period underwear looks just like normal underwear but have a specialised multi-layered gusset that absorbs the blood and prevents leaks.

There are all sorts of shapes, colours, and sizes to choose from so they can also feel more fun and personal than disposable products.

I've found that it is helpful to share with my own daughter what I like about them and the benefits.

Depending on the absorbency you choose, one period underwear can hold the same amount of blood as up to 12 tampons. This can make it a very reassuring product choice for your daughter, especially if she does have any worries about needing to change her period product or is anxious about leaking.

Depending on her flow your daughter might find that she can simply wear one pair of period underwear all day at school without needing to change. Show her how she can fold them up and put them back in her zippered bag if she does need to change them.

Period underwear is a wonderful option at night. Tell your daughter so if her first period arrives when she is at a sleepover or staying away she'll be confident about choosing the period underwear with her pyjamas.

You can explain to her that sometimes it feels good to combine period underwear with another product such as a pad - or as time goes on a moon cup or tampon.

Wearing period underwear can offer her extra reassurance if she is particularly worried about starting her period unexpectedly or leaking.

You can also let your daughter know how much better reusable products are for the planet. This might inspire her to choose reusables over disposables and give her a sense of agency over this new part of her life.

As time goes on you might like to encourage your daughter to rinse out her own period underwear so she can marvel at the special qualities of her menstrual blood. This kind of interaction can help to cultivate a healthy connection to her cycle and her period. It's a great opportunity to tell her about how powerful, healing, and regenerative menstrual blood is.

You will likely have your favourite and preferred products but do also remember to listen to your daughter and her preferences. It's important that she feels comfortable and happy with the products in her kit.

3. A Spare Pair of Regular Underwear

One of the simplest but most useful items.

Let your daughter know that leaks happen to everyone, all the women around her - including you, and also her favourite pop star or celebrity - and they aren't something to be embarrassed about.

You can show her how to fold her underwear up to stop the blood from staining other items in her kit. Or you might like to include a couple of small waterproof bags inside her kit so she has somewhere to put them.

Empower your daughter to be able to handle a leak. You can tell her that the best way to get blood out of fabric is with plain cold water. You can show her what you do next time you have a leak. This is a great way to normalise it all and to build her confidence. This way if some blood does get onto her clothes and she does not have anything spare to put on she will know what to do.

4. A Small Wet Bag or Disposal Bags

It's useful to have a few waterproof or disposable bags in the first period kit in case your daughter finds herself in one of the many bathrooms without a bin.

While we are here one excellent way to make your own home more period friendly for your daughter, her friends, and any visiting women is to make sure that all your bathrooms have a lined and lidded bin for this reason. Even better have some period products visible too. You and your daughter might like to make a sign inviting anyone to "take what they need" 💞.

This activity can be a great conversation starter and will impress on your daughter that she does not need to keep her period or cycle a secret and that all the women she knows have them too.

Explain that these little bags could come in handy for storing period underwear, her usual underwear or tights that she wants to bring home to be washed.

Do make sure that your daughter knows that she can't flush any period products down the toilet.

You can tell her how to spot the bins in public toilets that are specifically for period products. Let her know that she can also use her own little bags to take any used products away with her if there isn't a suitable bin.

You might like to point out that while some public toilets have signs on the doors and bins describing period products using words like "sanitary" or "hygiene" that is incorrect language that will hopefully be changing very soon. Tell her there is nothing dirty about period blood. In fact it is one of the most special and regenerative fluids in the human body and none of us would be here without it. Encourage everyone in your family to simply call them period products as the wrong language can have a negative impact on how your daughter feels about her period. This small change can be a powerful way to change perspectives.

5. Unscented Water Wipes or Tissues

It can be reassuring for your daughter if you include a few soft tissues or unperfumed water wipes in her first period kit.

When you put the kit together you can explain that the vagina is a really clever part of her body and it is self-cleaning! During each month it produces exactly the right kinds of fluids to keep it balanced, clean and healthy. This means there is never any need to clean the inside of the vagina - or the delicate skin of the vulva on the outside of her body with anything other than clean hands and water.

Never use any scented wipes or products and avoid anything with any kind of chemical in its ingredients. Although these products are often marketed to women, using them messes with the brilliantly balanced ecosystem of the vulva and vagina and can lead to infection, discomfort, and smelly discharge.

These kinds of products imply that women are "unclean" or smell "bad" and this is not true. These products are just a way for companies to make money.

6. A Small Journal or Cycle Tracker

If it feels right for your daughter you might like to include a mini journal and matching pencil in her First Period Kit. She can jot down the date that her first bleed arrives and write a little note about how she is feeling, both physically and emotionally. This is a lovely way to encourage your daughter to start listening to her wise body.

You can tell her that her first bleed is a very special moment when her power begins to wake up. And that it's worth paying attention to what that power has to tell her.

One way she can do this is to make a little note about how she is feeling emotionally and physically each day.

Hopefully you will share your own tracking practise with your daughter before her first period arrives. This is a great way to model being cyclically aware. It will draw your daughter's attention to the bigger picture of the whole cycle rather than just the part where the body releases some blood.

Use our FREE tracking sheets to share where you are in your cycle and tell her about the different superpowers that come with each phase or 'inner season' of your menstrual cycle.

You can let your daughter know that once her first period arrives she will start to feel the beginnings of all these new powers! It's an exciting time!

In the beginning your daughter's cycle is likely to be irregular. This can be the case for the first one to two years after her first period so manage her expectations about being able to spot patterns immediately. But do encourage her to do a short daily check in in her journal or on a Cycle Tracking Sheet and to reflect about which inner season she feels she is in that day. This is how she is going to get to know her own unique inner landscape.

The sooner you start using this language openly with her the sooner she will become fluent and the more likely she will use it to communicate how she is feeling. This can be a game changer as she moves into and through the teenage years.

Teaching your daughter to pay attention to the messages her body is sending her is a really powerful thing to do. It will help her to take good care of herself: she will begin to notice when she isn't drinking enough, nourishing herself well, getting enough sleep, enough movement, enough rest.

This kind of body literacy also helps to cultivate something very important: self-trust and inner-authority. This will gift your daughter a special kind of confidence. It means she will be much more likely to listen to her instincts. As she grows, that can help guide her towards better choices and help to keep her safe.

if you want to learn more about tracking and how to support your daughter (and yourself) in all four phases of the menstrual cycle take a look at our Mama Daughter Collection.

7. A Simple "My Period Started - Now What?" Card

While you will take your daughter through what to do when her first period arrives in person, it's nice to include a simple instruction card with reminders in her First Period Kit so she has something to refer to at the time if she needs it. It can be really settling to see something in your handwriting if she isn't with you at the time.

The goal: reassurance that she won't have to remember everything you've told her and a way to remind her in the moment that this is special thing.

Here's a suggestion of what to include. Feel free to make it your own.

1. Take a breath. Congratulations! Remember this is normal and a sign that you are healthy.

2. Go to the bathroom (if you're not there already...)

3. Put on a pad or period underwear.

4. If your underwear has some blood on it, you can change into your spare pair.

5. Put your original underwear into your wet bag.

6. Remember you can always tell an adult you trust if you need any help.

7. Enjoy the yummy chocolate (see below for more sweet ideas like this to include in your daughter's kit).

8. Text or call me.
   

8. A Change of Clothing - if practical

If it helps your daughter to feel relaxed you can also include some spare leggings or tights in her First Period Kit in case she leaks and wants to change.

To reassure her you can let her know that it is very unlikely that she will leak through her clothes the first time she gets her period. If she does she can tie a sweater around her waist. You can show her all the tricks you have learned over the years!

9. Something Comforting

A lovely way to make her First Period Kit feel like care rather than some kind of emergency medical kit is to include something comforting or even celebratory. Here are some ideas for how you can do that.

You can include one or several of the following

• Dark Chocolate - Small wrapped good quality chocolate - a treat to celebrate with and magnesium to soothe

• Essential Oil Roll on (choose an oil or blend she loves or keep it simple and go for relaxing lavender)

• Red Hair Scrunchie - she can pop it on to celebrate the moment

• Mini Heat Patch - show how to use it and explain that warmth is often very comforting during a period

• Lip Balm - a fun flavour, a brand she covets. Make her feel celebrated, special, nourished. (Great if you can find one without parabens nor hormone disruptors!)

• Thumb Crystal - you might choose a heart or moon shape. Rose quartz is a lovely choice to remind her she is loved.
  

10. A Note From You

Finally include a little handwritten note on special stationary that you know she'll love. Tell her you are proud of her and there is a hug waiting for her at home

Here's an example of what you could write - but it's even better to make it personal to you and your daughter:

Your body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. You know what to do, and I'm always here if you need me. ❤️

Your daughter may be at school, camp, a friend's house, or sports practice when her first period starts and seeing a little reassurance from you in your handwriting can be really meaningful.

What Should a First Period Kit for School Include?

As we discussed, you create a Period Kit for her to take to school. This can live in your daughter's school bag so she will have what she needs if her very first period arrives during the school day. Of course this kit can also be restocked and used for many years to come.

This kit should include all the items discussed above and can be kept inside a small zippered pouch:

• preferred period products - pads and period underwear are great options in a First Period Kit.

• spare underwear

• soft tissues or water wipes

• a few small biodegradable bags

• instruction card

• something special or comforting

Make sure your daughter knows who she can go to at school such as the nurse, office, or another trusted adult like her teacher. You might want to include a reminder about this on the instruction card inside the kit.

Where should she keep her period kit at school?

Your daughter might want to have a few additional mini Period Kits to keep in various spots such as her locker or sports bag so she has products easily to hand if any friends need them, or if she is away from her school bag when her own period arrives. These mini kits can simply be a little stash of her preferred period product inside a little zippered pouch.

When Should I Make a First Period Kit for My Daughter?

If you're not sure how to spot if your daughter's first period is close and you're curious to find out more about the signs you can look out, download our free guide to the '7 Signs your daughter's first period is close'.

Four signs to look out for (that your daughter's period is near) are:

• breast buds

• underarm and pubic hair

• sudden growth spurt

• vaginal discharge
  

Noticing these signs will help you to make the Period Kits at just the right time. Remember that it's best to have it all ready well before her first period arrives.

The creation of the kit meets more than just a practical need. It is a wonderful way to start talking to your daughter so you can prepare her emotionally and psychologically too.

Ideally you want to have plenty of small conversations about periods and the menstrual cycle in the years building up to her first period so she feels relaxed, comfortable, and familiar with it all. Avoid one big "period talk" and instead look for opportunities to have lots of little chats in the years before her Menarche.

If you're not sure where to start, or you're wondering what to say you can use our Period Prep Plan. A simple period prep guide with age appropriate conversation starters to will tell you what to say, when to say it, and what to do next.

Should My Daughter Help Make Her First Period Kit?

Absolutely help your daughter make her first period kit - it is important! Most of us grew up in a culture of secrecy where discretion and keeping our periods hidden was paramount. At The Menstruality Academy we encourage you to give your daughter a different narrative. She might want privacy around her period, especially her first few, but privacy is very different to secrecy.

Be intentional about the language you choose to use with your daughter, being mindful that you don't want her to feel any embarrassment or shame about her period. Instead you want her to feel proud, confident, and comfortable.

Use the creation of the kit to put her at her ease, explore different aspects of both periods and the cycle as a whole, and to let her know that she can come to you with any questions and that you will be there to guide her through it.

You don't have to make it all serious and grown up; have fun with the different products and choosing the different items together.

You can let your daughter see that it's a privilege to be cyclical and that this new part of her life is going to unlock lots of new and exciting super powers. Share how your cycle has supported you over the years and helped you to get what you want out of life.

The experience of creating her First Period Kit is a perfect conversation starter:

• Look at products

• Open them and explore how they work. Share your favourites

• Practice using them until she is comfortable

• Talk about cyclical life

• Discuss leaks, how they happen to everyone, and what to do in different scenarios

• Answer questions

• Empower her by giving her agency to choose what she wants in her kit

What Should You NOT include in a First Period Kit?

Here are a few things you should avoid when creating your daughter's first period kit:

• Scented feminine sprays

• Vaginal deodorants

• Heavily fragranced wipes

• Products she doesn't know how to use

And avoid creating a kit that unintentionally communicates:

"Periods are dirty, embarrassing or something you need to hide."

The language you choose to use will influence how your daughter feels about her period so avoid words like "soiled" "unhygienic" "dirty" "mess" "smelly" "discreet" "hidden".

A First Period Kit Prepares Her for the Day. Body Literacy Prepares Her for the Years Ahead.

You are doing a brilliant job preparing your daughter for her first period!

She will know exactly what to do when she sees blood in her underwear for the first time.

But over the next 40-50 years she will experience around 450 cycles.

So how can you best prepare her for her cyclical nature?

So many women struggle with their cycle and periods.

So many women simply survive them.

How can you give her what she needs to maximise this part of her life, so that her cycle supports her to thrive instead of hindering her?

Preparing her can also mean helping her understand:

• Why she's bleeding

• Where the blood comes from

• What discharge means

• How her cycle works

• Why emotions and energy can change

• The influence of hormones

• What's normal for her body

• Understanding when her body is sending her a warning

The First Period Kit is the practical preparation.

Body literacy is the lifelong preparation.

Our Mama Daughter Collection has everything you need to prepare her for this foundational piece of her life. It will also help you to better understand your own cyclical nature too so you can be her confident guide but also make the most of your own remaining cycles too.

First Period Kit FAQ

What age should I make my daughter a first period kit?

8

What are the essentials for a first period kit?

Products, spare underwear, reassurance, love.

How many pads should my daughter carry to school?

4

Are pads or period underwear better for a first period?

There isn't one right choice so explore with your daughter and figure out her preference. Even better give her both options. Make sure she is confident about how they work.

Should a first period kit include tampons?

No. When you put the kit together explore all the product options so you're daughter feels super confident and like a period pro. Tampons and moon cups are really helpful options for her to feel comfortable with, especially if your daughter is a swimmer, but for the very first period I would stick to the simplicity of pads and period underwear.

As she begins to settle into her new cyclical life you can help her to try internal options in the comfort of your own home.

Eventually you want your daughter to feel comfortable and able to access all the products but keep it simple to begin with.

What if my daughter's first period starts at school?

Explain that this is why you've put the Period Kit together so she can take that to the bathroom - or go back out to get it - and she will have everything she needs.

What does a girl's first period usually look like?

It is likely to be darker thicker blood and might look more brown than red. Use our →Blood and Discharge Guide

to introduce her to all the different colours and textures she might see. (Note these guides and more are included in our Mama-Daughter Course Collection.)

How do I know when my daughter's first period is coming?

Use our guide to help you to spot the clues

→ 7 Signs Your Daughter's First Period is Close

Help Her Feel Ready Before Her First Period Arrives

You don't need to predict the exact day your daughter's first period will arrive.

You simply want her to be able to think:

"I know what this is. I know what to do. And I know I can talk to my mama about it."

That's the real goal of preparing for a first period.

Go Beyond the First Period Kit: create some Menarche Box Magic

This is a beautiful way to make sure your daughter feels excited and celebrated, and it will also help her to understand and embrace this new part of her life.

→ Download our Free Checklist

Want her to be completely ready and to feel confident you can guide her through this transition?

Our Mama-Daughter Collection helps you teach your daughter what is actually happening inside her changing body: from periods and discharge to her four menstrual phases, from tracking and hormones to body literacy.

Self-paced. Age-appropriate. Designed for mamas and daughters to learn together.

→ Explore the Mama-Daughter Collection

By consuming our content, you recognize that it is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical concerns.