One evening when I was in third grade, tucked in bed, my mom and grandma sat in my room and told me about periods. The details of the conversation were immediately forgotten—I’m sure it covered the basics about monthly bleeding and pads—and were replaced with growing panic that I could begin bleeding at any moment.

At no point did my mom and grandmother explain when I might expect to begin menstruating, and I worried it was imminent. As soon as they left the room, I rushed to the bathroom to check my underwear for signs of blood.

I got my period two years later, in fifth grade—a life event that overshadowed my class field trip to Space Center Houston with the shame of being the first of my peers to face this new adult reality.

Now, as a mom of two children born with female reproductive anatomy, I am navigating conversations about menstruation with the next generation. I answer their questions, and I offer additional information, even when they cringe. I would have recoiled at my mom telling me more too, but I know it’s important for parents to talk about puberty and provide this information openly.

I thought I was prepared to offer my children something less traumatic and more informed than I had when I was younger. To destigmatize the period. To step away from the purity culture that pervaded my adolescence. My husband and I reared our kids on Robie H. Harris’ books about bodies, sex, puberty, and sexuality .

However, I am raising kids in Houston, Texas, and the oppressive anti-abortion and anti-trans laws in the post-Roe landscape means going beyond the traditional period talk. Forget the nuances of tampons versus pads, or normalizing the humiliation of bleeding through your pants during seventh period.

Our children need robust conversations that directly address how to navigate an ever-evolving reproductive health landscape.

Teaching caution without fear

I try to give my teen and tween daughters age-appropriate context. I tell them to track what’s going on in their bodies, to share any concerns with us (their parents), and that we will share those concerns with their doctor. I know how important it is to be honest and open with your doctor.

When our pediatrician asked if my eldest daughter had any questions about puberty at her 11-year well-child visit, I flagged that we were having conversations at home not just........

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