We are what we are

OVULATION is when an egg is released from the ovary in a girl’s or woman’s body. The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the womb in the hope of being fertilised. If it is not fertilised during the journey, the walls of the womb come away and the female has a monthly period, also known as menstruation. This is an example of the female reproduction system at work. It is essential for this system to stay healthy and functional to enable a female to conceive and have a baby.

This series of events is controlled by the brain, and once a girl child is developing healthily, she will begin to ovulate, usually between the ages of 12 to 13 years old. However, some girls start to ovulate as early as nine years old.

It seems unfair that young girls in the prime of their childhood (while they are still climbing trees and sliding down bannisters), should have to contend with this additional bodily function and all that it entails during its 28-day cycle. But contend with it they must, for three, maybe even four more, decades, until the brain tells the body to stop ovulating.

Because girls are ovulating earlier, it makes sense to begin an open dialogue about certain bodily functions while they are young, and increase their knowledge as they grow. By doing this, conversations on subjects such as sex, abstinence and puberty will not appear to be taboo later on, and they will come naturally.

For example, if a child around four or five years old saw a tampon or sanitary towel on the shelf in the bathroom and asked what it is, or what it’s for, you don’t have to hide and lie, or tell them to shut their mouth and get out or, it’s ‘big-people thing’, and they will know when they get older. No; you can simply explain to the child that women need to use them at certain times of the month. Then the child may ask: “What for?” And you can reply, “Well, women’s bodies are designed to have babies, and when they are not having babies, they go through some changes every month.”

You don’t have to be specific; you only need to give enough information that a young child can understand. By doing this, you are creating a place in their minds for open discussion on normal, natural issues instead of hiding and hoping that as they grow, they will find out information through their teachers at school, or covertly from friends.

You can grab opportunities as they present themselves to you to talk about most subjects that are considered taboo. Your choice of words, and the manner in which you put over the information needn’t be harsh or contrite. Learning can be fun: You can set the tone and choose the content.

Everybody has a reproduction system, and when children are pre-adolescent, it begins to prepare for procreation without help from anyone. It has already been programmed by the brain, so, whenever it decides to do what it does, it cannot be prevented.

Preparing children psychologically for the inevitable physical events that will take place in their lives is always best done by parents or long-term caregivers. There are so many changes that our bodies go through naturally which we cannot hide or avoid, that it makes sense to prepare children in good time.

Some parents worry that their children look small for their age, while others have to contend with some children being on the cusp of puberty at nine to 10 years old, but the ‘stage’ of the child is far more important than the ‘age’ of the child: Even healthy children grow at different rates, so once your child is healthy, there’s no need to make comparisons.
Nowadays, people spend so much time and effort bothering about, firstly, how they look, and secondly, how the outer world perceives them.

They have little time to look inwardly at the small but important factors that they need to put in place while children are developing. When grown-ups take a little time and patience to put measures in place early on, it enables them to fulfil their task as competent parents successfully.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the Childcare and Protection Hotline on 227-0979; or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION

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