While there should be nothing embarrassing about getting your period, it didn’t always feel that way in middle school. Between the intense self-consciousness of the adolescent years and the fact that you’re just getting used to the ups and downs of a menstrual cycle, it’s a formula for a lot of time spent with a hoodie tied around your waist.
One teacher is trying to make things a little nicer for her students by providing “menstruation care packs” for those potentially frustrating moments.
Kristin Richardson, who teaches eighth-grade math at University Prep Academy Middle School in Detroit, has previously made pads available for students who start their period unexpectedly, but when she noticed the cute makeup bags from her ipsy beauty subscription service piling up, she decided to start making the care packets, which include a few pads, tampons and panty liners, as well as prewrapped disposable wipes.
She posted a photo of one of the kits on Facebook on Monday as a back-to-school idea for fellow teachers. Her post has since been liked over 1,000 times.
“The students know that they can come ask, and they get a really pretty bag with their needed supplies inside,” she wrote. “It’s discreet and more fun [than] being handed a giant pad. I make sure to tell them to take as much as they may need for the whole day. I make a point to ask if they need more to take home.”
She says her students have been grateful to have the products available when needed. She added that while the office has pads for students, it’s often more convenient for students to simply ask her for a kit.
“I’m honestly surprised at the response to this post!” Richardson told HuffPost via email. “I know that so many teachers make menstrual products available to students who need them (along with other hygiene products, even). I hope that this gives parents ideas for their children who menstruate, and teachers who might want to put the cute bags to good use!”
