Period shaming someone is not the way to go—parents should know better than to do that. Whether a woman uses pads, tampons, or cups is entirely up to her and her alone.
Redditor u/Comfortable_Plum234 turned to the AITA online community for advice after having a big row with her dad who insisted that she “grow up” and use tampons instead of pads. And all because the dog kept stealing the used pads from the bin. The internet was very supportive of the teenager. Check out the full story and everyone’s advice below.
Bored Panda reached out to the author of the post, u/Comfortable_Plum2347, who was kind enough to share her thoughts about what happened. "Most people were super nice and helpful and consoling me, especially the older women," she told us how the internet reacted to her story.
It's up to each woman to decide what menstruation products she feels most comfortable using
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)
A teenager turned to the net for support after sharing how her dad gave her some unsolicited advice about her periods
Image credits: ccox888 (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Timur Weber (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Comfortable_Plum2347
The young woman got blamed for something that was completely not her fault
There were a few core issues that were plaguing redditor u/Comfortable_Plum234 at home. The first—and probably biggest—was that her dad appeared to tackle the entire situation about using pads in an insensitive way. Based on the author’s post on the AITA subreddit, the dad blamed his daughter instead of finding other ways to tackle a problem that had very little to do with her and more to do with the dog.
The second issue is that the family’s dog is causing a lot of trouble at home by digging out the used pads from the trash and making a huge mess. One solution, which the family is now going to implement, is very straightforward: getting a bin with a lid.
However, it might also make sense if the family took the time to train their dog so it doesn’t go around poking its cute nose in the trash in the first place. There are plenty of free resources on the internet to help with this. Failing that, it might be worth investing in some classes with a professional dog trainer.
The third problem, which might not be apparent to everyone at first glance, is the fact that all the women in the family, apart from the OP, flush their tampons in the toilet. The result is that the dad seems to think that this is apparently ‘normal.’ It’s not.
Image credits: Polina Zimmerman (not the actual photo)
Many female readers were very supportive of the young woman
"Women in the comments stated that even though they were 40+, they still used pads because [eff] tampons," the author of the story told Bored Panda, adding that the comments "absolutely helped."
"I wouldn’t have been able to convince myself that what I did was right and that wearing pads didn’t make me any less of a woman."
However, according to the OP, neither of her parents has discussed the issue with her. The family also hasn't gotten around to getting a bin with a lid yet.
"They don’t intend to train their dog because hiring a trainer is costly and since my mom works all day, my dad would be the one expected to train the dog and he just doesn’t seem to care enough to take the time out of his day to do so," Reddit user u/Comfortable_Plum2347 explained.
"My dog is also very disobedient and even when we had a trainer, she couldn’t be trained very well so I don’t really think training the dog would help."
Meanwhile, Bored Panda wanted to see what the author would advise someone else to do if they might feel embarrassed or scared to stand up to their family members when it comes to their periods.
Here's what she had to say to all young women out there: "I know that it’s scary and uncomfortable to have to go up to a parent, especially a father, and tell him that he needs to learn that your period is your business, not his but I believe in you."
She shared that one way to make family members more sensitive about the issue is "being super forward" about it to "make your parent [feel] awkward."
"A lot of people also suggested flushing pads and tampons down the toilet so your parent has to pay to get the septic tank/pipes cleaned so if that’s your vibe, do it!" she said. However, keep in mind that this type of revenge will definitely harm the plumbing, as well as the environment.
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Even if she decides to use tampons in the future, they should never be flushed in the toilet
As Tampax points out, it’s vital that you do not flush tampons, ever. It’s bad for the plumbing, as well as for the environment. “Flushing tampons and other period-care products down the toilet can not only clog your pipes, but they can end up in rivers and oceans, harming the environment. Do your part and please don’t flush tampons,” Tampax urges women.
“Tampon disposal is pretty straightforward; instead of flushing it down the toilet, you can simply wrap your used tampon up in toilet paper or in the wrapper of your next tampon and bin it. Tampon applicators can be disposed of in the same way—both cardboard and plastic applicators. Just wrap it up and bin it.”
Taking this advice into account, switching from pads to tampons would not solve the issue with the dog at all. Proper training and bins and more parental support, however, would.
It's vital to remember to change tampons every 4 to 6 hours to prevent infection
According to ‘KidsHealth,’ many girls start out using pads. However, they may want to use tampons when doing sports or going swimming. Though tampons are easy to use, women need to learn how to put them in: there are clear directions on the box.
“Change to a new tampon at least every 4 to 6 hours. You can't see it as you would with a pad, so be sure to remember when it's time to change to prevent spotting and leaks on your underwear,” ‘KidsHealth’ reminds everyone.
Tampons cannot ‘get lost’. However, a vital thing to keep in mind is that if a tampon is left in for too long, it can potentially cause an infection. That’s why it’s so essential to change tampons every few hours.
“Symptoms of toxic shock syndrome are a high fever, vomiting or diarrhea, severe muscle aches, weakness, dizziness, or a rash that looks like a sunburn. If you use tampons and get any of these symptoms, take out the tampon and tell an adult immediately. Have someone take you to the nearest emergency department as soon as possible,” ‘KidsHealth’ warns.
Image credits: Polina Zimmerman (not the actual photo)
Many readers shared some great advice with the teen. Meanwhile, she opened up a bit more about what happened
Most internet users were on the young woman's side. Here's what they had to say
The author of the post later update her story a couple of times
