Ok i had to ask Amara what the heck moon cycle was! I know typical male.. Amara wishes she was there to help , As things like this she is trying to focus on whilst doing her civil celebrancy , As these things are usually shunned by society but she wants to bring back awareness of special moments in girls lives. Congrats to your daughter from the both of us as parents of an 11yo girl we are approaching this day soon. Amara is looking foward to creating something for her.

My kid just turned 10 and the doctor says it is one to two years off - which is perfectly fine with me! I don't want my baby (my only child) to grow up too fast! Anyway, here is something I found online -

www.ritualwell.org/lifecycl...truation/

I had an online friend who, when her younger sister got her first, sat down with her and helped her make her first set of cloth pads.

I started pretty late too, but the day it happened I called Mom at work to tell her because we needed 'feminine hygiene product'.

When she came home she had also bought me my first bottle of 'grown up' perfume. We cooked a special dinner that night as well.

Not really a ceremony as such, but how about a Mother-Daughter day at the spa? Her hormones are now officially going to go all sideways on her and cramps and zits are a permanent part of her life, so how about a facial and a massage? Cap off the afternoon with a decadent dessert somewhere fancy?

I would have been completely horrified at a ceremony when I first got mine, but if it were my daughter I would go along the lines of a previous poster and cook a special dinner, or take her out and do something more "grown-up" or something like that. I would also show her all the different ways of dealing with it like pads, tampons, reusable pads, the Diva Cup, etc so that she knows all the options...and make sure that she knows all the kinds of symptoms that can come along with it. Knowledge is power!

Of course, this being the FDHBD tribe, the first thing I was gonna suggest is to toss her a bottle of Midol and a whiskey shot and say, "welcome to the club, honey! Take two of these, drink this and take the day off from school tomorrow..."

hee...

While spa and facial and dinner are all nice ideas, much more personal and useful would be showing her how to take good care of herself at home every month.

I love the idea of making cloth pads with her, you can easily find patterns to print online. Very important for her to know how many options she has for dealing with menstrual blood without keeping toxic plastics and perfumes pressed against her precious parts, without funding the gigantic corporate machine, and without filling up the landfills.

Instead of getting a professional massage, you could show her how well wet heat, salty baths, self massage, stretching, and Tiger Balm can help with the low back pain.

Instead of a spa facial, you might make your own natural facial products together, apply them together, cut up cucumber slices for your eyes, and brew some Female Toner Tea to relax together with.

And instead of a dinner out, you could review together which foods and herbs can help satisfy cravings without contributing to cramps, bloating, moodiness, tenderness, etc. and then spend time preparing them together.

I like the spa and dinner idea..you could also add piece of jewelry to mark the occasion..something moon related like a ring or a pendant?
Just a thought.

Aw, all these ideas sound really cute! I almost wish something like this had happened when I got mine. I didn't tell anyone when I got mine. I was 11 and I knew where the pads were in the bathroom so I just used them and didn't say anything because I was so annoyed and angry about it (I still consider it in the top three worst things that has ever happened to me). My mom found out three months later when she found one of the pad wrapers and realized it wasn't hers and she sat me down and tried to have The Talk with me. I was like, "I know, Mom. I've had it for three months." Maybe if something like what you ladies are describing had happened I wouldn't have so much hatred towards it...

In the book: 'Grandmother's Secrets' the author described the celebration as one where the new woman/girl would briefly dance within a circle of older women (close friends and family) and would be allowed to ask them anything regarding womanhood and be given straight answers. And of course, with a bunch of women gathered, there was dancing and FOOD! I thought it was pretty cool and planned on doing it when my girl reaches that age.

My coming of age happened at slumber party and was celebrated by 'Sunny' the dog humping my leg all night.....

My mom came home from my adopted sister's baptism to find I had "started" without her. She cried. I was just pissed, because I hate bleeding.