Living with one bathroom and three teenagers can get pretty complicated, especially when it comes to dealing with periods. Our reader’s daughter just started her period, and her two teenage sons are grossed out by it. What’s worse, her husband is siding with the boys, which is upsetting for both our reader and her daughter. Our reader dropped us a message. Our daughter just started her period. We also have two teenage sons, one is 14 and the other is 16. We have one bathroom, and she occasionally leaves her period products there. Once, our sons saw a used pad in the trash can. They were shocked and said it was “disgusting.” I explained to them that periods are normal, but my husband stepped in and asked our daughter to hide everything she uses and disposes of during her periods. He says it makes the boys uncomfortable. Our sons have even started avoiding her when she’s on her period, which upsets both me and her. The last straw was when they refused to sit on the same couch with her because they thought they’d get stained. What should I do? Thank you for reaching out to us! It’s a tricky situation, and we would like to give you some tips that you might find useful. Talk to your sons.

Sit down with your sons and have a conversation about what periods are and why they happen. Make it a safe space where no question is silly. You could also find some educational videos online that explain menstruation in a way that’s easy to understand. The more they know, the less weird it will seem, and they’ll start to see it as just another part of life instead of something gross or mysterious. Get your husband’s support. Your husband should be on the same page when it comes to supporting your daughter. Let him know how crucial it is for her to feel comfortable and accepted at home, especially during her period. Asking your daughter to hide her period might make her feel ashamed of something that’s completely natural. Remind him that when he supports your daughter, he’s also teaching your sons to respect women and understand that menstruation is a natural process. Reassure your daughter. Let your daughter know that nothing is wrong. Having a period is a normal part of life, and she shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. Make sure she understands that her family supports her and that she has nothing to hide. The more she feels comfortable and accepted, the easier it will be for her to handle this natural part of growing up. Normalize periods in your family. Make talking about periods and other body changes just another part of everyday chat. Instead of treating it like a big deal or something awkward, weave it into regular conversations. For example, if you’re talking about health or personal care, you could mention periods casually, like, “By the way, I need to grab some more pads when I’m out shopping.” The more you talk about it openly, the less weird or uncomfortable it will seem. Summer is all about relaxing and having fun in the sun, enjoying the hard work we put into getting that beach body. But for one of our readers, things didn’t go as planned. She felt great in her new bikini, but her friends and their husbands asked her to cover up. This caused a big problem and ruined the whole trip.