Talking to your Child about Vaginal Care

While it may feel uncomfortable and unnecessary, talking about vaginal care with your daughter is incredibly important from an early age on. You don’t have to go into details right away but using and teaching your daughter the correct terminology of her body parts such as “vagina” and “vulva” and explaining a bit about how her body works is a great place to start.

In our culture women’s bodies are oversexualized, and girls and women are led to believe their body is for the approval of others. It’s important when discussing your daughter’s body with her to tell her that her vagina and body are her own and no one else’s. You can discuss what is inappropriate touching and what boundaries exist regarding her body.

When it comes to teaching personal hygiene, instruct your daughter to always wipe her vagina from the front to the back to avoid infection. Provide her with a gentle cleanser, like our feminine wash, to clean her vagina and instill that she should always use her hands, not a wash cloth that can harbor bacteria. Outside of mainstream advertising, vaginas don’t smell like flowers and there’s nothing wrong with a normal odor or discharge. Let her know her vagina isn’t ‘dirty’ but if it ever becomes itchy or burns, that may be a medical issue and to speak up to let you know.

There’s no reason your daughter shouldn’t be aware of menstruation, even before she enters puberty. It’s a natural part of womanhood and isn’t something to fear.  Learn how to talk to your daughter about her period so that you can share basic information with her about menstrual products; this way your daughter will feel confident as she grows up and can expect these normal changes to her body.

Taking the time to discuss your daughter’s amazing body with her through various stages of her life can ensure that she will maintain good self-esteem as she grows up and owns the power that she and her vagina have! Knowing how to talk to your daughter about her body makes a huge difference in bonding and health.