This week on Ask Cristen I'm coming at you from a rooftop in Brooklyn and for that reason--oh
god, what was that sound? I'm just alone on a rooftop in Brooklyn about to read some comments
about pubic hair. So let's jump right in shall we? Because sooner or later someone is probably
going to try to kick me off this roof.
Thanks to everybody who commented on last week's Ask Cristen video 'Why do women shave
their pubes?'. Not surprisingly it generated a lot of conversation, uh excuse you honking
truck. Truediva18 had this to say. 'The feminist in me says that removing hair is stupid because
it is supposed to be there to protect me from yeast infections and other issues. But the
girly girl in me says take it off because it is seen as disgusting by society.' Girl
you just do you. Relumnie21 had this to say. 'I don't think pubic hair is bad but sometimes
hair can get in the way. I feel like the most important thing is not feel pressurized into
removing or keeping your hair. Just do whatever you're comfortable with.' Why not? Play around.
Go to town. Quarter Coyote asked, 'Why is it that the only place society doesn't want
women to shave is the top of their heads?' Have you checked out my videos 'Why do women
have long hair?' and 'Why do men have short hair?' This week's Ask Cristen question is
coming from Dylan Drees who says, 'I've got a hard question for Cristen. What's the best
way and time to bring up the beginning of a female's menstrual cycle to a young girl?
I am a single father and I know at some point I have to have this talk with my daughter
(age 7) and I am naturally unprepared. Some advice would be greatly appreciated in a stuff
your mom isn't around to tell you situation. Thanks Cristen. You're awesome.' Gold star
to you for even wanting to have this conversation in the first place. Stuff Mom Never Told You
the podcast has done an entire episode on giving kids the talk all about sex and puberty
and whatsnots. For a more in-depth look or listen to this topic I highly recommend you
click on the link floating somewhere around my head right now. That'll take you straight
to the podcast. You need to start having these conversations, plural, with her as soon as
possible because her period could actually come as early as eight or nine years old.
A lot of sex educators advise parents to not make the whole puberty and sex one big, scary
load of information that is delivered to them one time in a very awkward setting and you
never really talk about it again. Maybe one good way to kick off this conversation is
kind of finding out what she knows about puberty. Find out whether or not she's learning about
this stuff in school and possibly dovetail your conversations with whatever folks at
school are teaching her. Hopefully not her fellow students. Hopefully there are trained
teachers teaching her these things but obviously we are in the United States and that is not
a guarantee. For some really great down-to-earth info on menstruation, female anatomy et cetera,
I highly recommend going to kidshealth.org. It's sponsored by the Nemours Foundation.
They're a fabulous resource for these kinds of topics, putting it in language that kids
will understand. For a little bit more of an adult resource I highly recommend go ask
Alice out of Columbia University's health department, they do a fantastic job answering
all of these questions that students have actually asked them about periods, sex, consent,
STDs, whatever it might be. Great resource for you to have on hand as she gets older
and becomes a teenager because nothing is easier than living with a teenage girl. I
know when I first learned about menstruation and sex it was in the setting of one big awkward
conversation and I left I kid you not praying to God that I would not get a period. Dude
please do me a solid. I don't need that. If it had been more of a gradual conversation,
my parents talking to me about bodies and puberty and what to expect and normalizing
those kinds of topics, I would have been a lot more comfortable. I'm also very pro not
using genital euphemisms around kids. If you're going to talk about vaginas and penises, call
them vaginas and penises. Don't call them private parts. Try to use language that doesn't
imply that she should be ashamed at all of these kinds of changes that will soon be happening
to her body. One final resource that might be really good for you to check out especially
since you're a single dad trying to talk to your daughter about these girlier kinds of
things, menstrual tool kits. Essentially they're period starter kits for girls that might include
things like information on how to use pads and tampons, what to expect during periods,
things about PMS, cramping, et cetera, and also information for parents. If she has any
questions and wants to ask me directly, you can simply e-mail me at momstuff@howstuffworks.com.
Good luck Dylan and everybody else if you have advice for Dylan as well, let me know
in the comments below and as always ask me your questions so I can give you some answers.
Next time not from the top of a Brooklyn roof that's very loud. Boodebooboodeboodeboo just
don't this on a roof top.