In many cultures, a young girl’s menstrual cycle is seen as a rite of passage. Not only does it signal that the girl is turning into a woman, it’s also cause for a celebration. Sadly, in our western society, we’ve been conditioned to believe that periods are something disgusting that we should keep to ourselves.
We’ve been taught to regard them with shame and try our best not to speak of them. Thankfully, things are shifting a bit. More parents are starting to lean into this natural part of life, and even celebrating it with their daughters. One couple on TikTok became instant #parentinggoals when they shared the brilliant idea they had to help comfort their teen daughters when they're on their periods.
These parents created a 'period board.'
These TikToker parents showed their followers a special spread they make in their house once a month. It’s not a charcuterie board, with meats, cheeses, and fruits. It’s not a trendy butter board dotted with edible flowers. It’s a period board.
In the video, a mother and father show us what goes into making the perfect period board for that time of the month in their home.
Mom explains how it's made.
This mom and dad duo craft the period board as a show of support for their girls. The board is a traditional wooden cheese board, but what is on it is different. Mom shows how it’s done, explaining that if your daughter comes home from school feeling emotional, you want to meet her at the door with everything she might need. That includes a bottle of Aleve and tissues, just in case.
The board comes complete with salty and sweet snacks.
In the event that she’s "raging," mom is armed with two kinds of chocolate: Reese's and Hershey’s. Then there are salty snacks. Mom has included several flavors of Pringles, Cheez-Its, and pretzels. Mom knows from personal experience that a good heating pad is important, so that's on there, too. And she didn’t forget the most necessary thing of them all: pads.
There's something for mom and dad, too.
Finally, there’s a bottle of wine for mom and dad. With teenage hormones all over the place, they might need something to take the edge off.
The TikTok community was fully in support of this board.
“Will you adopt me????” one user asked.
"I’m 39 but will you meet me at the door once a month?" one person asked. "I want the wine though.”
Just the thought of anyone going through so much effort to comfort a girl — or woman — during that time of the month makes us tear up a bit. With parents like these in the world, the kids really will be all right.
