what a strange thought! if you really thought that, the answer to your question would be "when you are not a virgin anymore" (which really could be any age)
I have never used towels for any length of time ... when i first started it was a sunday and we only had tampax in the house, so i used them(from age 15) I hate towels, and they're totally crap for school situations.
well bednobs - im still none the wiser reading ur answers lol i know there crap to use,but i dont want her to damage herself by using them to young! thats why i asked the question in the first place. i didnt use tampons when i first started either,but i dont remember when i started useing them.
I used them on my very first period, my mum gave me a tube of KY and I was young, still at primary school by quite a bit. I couldnt cope with having a sanitary towel in my knickers whilst I was supposed to be running, jumping and climbing trees. If her hymen hasnt been damaged through sport already, it doesnt completely close you up and should leave enough room to insert a tampon.
how can you still be none the wiser? Have you read my first answer? tampons dont "damage" you or noone would be using them! vaginas are very stretchy pieces of equipment, ie can accomodate all sorts of sizes of things. If you are talking about hymens, well there is no set age when they break so can't go by that either. Why not let her chose for herself. I agree with goodsoulette about running and jumping!
There is no best age to start using them really. Anyone can use them, using them doesnt make you not a virgin anymore, and neither does being a virgin make any difference. Theyre safe enough as long as she changes at least every 4 hours, and washes her hands before and after to minimize the rish of TSS. Make her aware of all the symptoms so she will know in the small chance of there being anything wrong. And if she does choose to try them, id get the applicator ones as they are SOOOOO much easier to put in!
Hope this helps :)
oh my god, not being able to use tampons if you're a virgin is just a playground rumour. i'm shocked that as a parent you think this is true. you should maybe read some tips on how best to sit down and talk to your daughter about it. if you pass on untrue stories to her, it will just go on in generations. its best to give her the correct information, then she knows how to handle such a big thing in her life. (if you've got a son, god bless him when it comes to wet dreams....)
well for ur information i didnt tell her anything about it,she knows all about her periods how they work and why she has them,we talk about all sorts of things im very open with ALL my children. i aint a stupid cow that you make me out to be thanks. and yes i have 2 sons that are doing very nicely thanks! i dont see why you feel the need to be so rude i only asked a question because i was unsure if it was ok for someone so young to use tampons not for you to tell me in other words that im a bad parent!
You're not a bad parent, and no on was suggesting you are.
I remember actually ordering my first tampons from a freebie in the 'Jackie' magazine. I'd started my period about a week before and used towels for it. They were so horrible that I was determined to use tampons as soon as I read about them, hence sending off for the sample pack.
I didn't tell my mum I'd started my periods for ages (in young girl terms - about 6 months)
Just make her aware she can use them safely, and leave it up to her. I didn't feel comfortable using them until I became sexually active simply because I found it frightening and quite an alien thing to do. Even now, I dont use them much, I prefer pads. I have also nursed someone who had TSS and it scared me and made me question the risk. A small risk, but a risk all the same which was made very real to me in that situation.