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       #Post#: 42132--------------------------------------------------
       Menstruation question UPDATE #36
       By: jpcher Date: November 16, 2019, 9:52 pm
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       I think we're all adult enough to discuss this topic freely.
       LadyB, if this is an off topic, please remove it.
       A friend of mine came to me with a story of woe and didn't know
       how to deal with it. Wondering what advice you would have given
       her?
       Her 16 year old niece spent the night in her guest room. Niece
       had supplies for her period which was evident in the bathroom
       garbage can.
       Friend didn't change the bedding for a few days after niece left
       and to her horror, when she went to clean the bedding, she found
       the sheets, blanket and mattress to be "soaked" with dried
       blood.
       Friend told me that she needed to replace the mattress because
       it was that bad and threw the sheets and blanket away, and said
       "This girl will never spend another night in my home!"
       I understand Friend's angst. I taught my DDs that if an
       accidental leakage occurs in the middle of the night then at the
       very least, if not taken care of immediately, then first thing
       in the morning wash the bedding!
       Friend wants an apology from Niece but doesn't know how to go
       about getting one. Does she talk to Niece directly? Scold Niece?
       Does she talk to Niece's Mom? (Friend's SIL whom she doesn't
       really get along with).
       What would you do in this situation?
       #Post#: 42136--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: Mrs Rat Date: November 17, 2019, 1:10 am
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       Sounds like the niece was too embarrassed to say anything to
       your friend, I can imagine at her age I would have been too.
       Accidents happen and I think if she broaches the subject with
       her SIL in a calm non confronting tone simply stating that she
       would like an apology and leaving it at that. That puts the ball
       into SIL's court to prompt her daughter to make the apology.
       We all make mistakes at such a young age and the way you handle
       it will teach her that it's not so bad to own up to something
       that's possibly beyond your control.
       #Post#: 42137--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: Aleko Date: November 17, 2019, 3:27 am
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       I can remember in my adolescence being so creased with
       embarrassment at accidents and missteps, even ones that didn't
       involve menstruation (a subject that of course has a whole layer
       of embarrassment of its own), that my instinctive response was
       to run away and pretend it never happened.
       And of course, if the accident was on - and to - the property of
       someone judgmental and given to anger, doubly so in spades. I
       totally get how upsetting a discovery that must have been for
       jpcher's  friend, but: can she really summon up no shred of
       sympathy for a teenager struggling with her first fertile years,
       when periods are so often irregular and heavy, and the hormones
       violent, who has an accident that would be embarrassing enough
       at home but crucifyingly awful in someone else's house? I mean,
       really? Frankly, that aunt has no need to ban her niece from
       staying overnight in her home: the unhappy girl won't even want
       to look her aunt in the eye again.
       If that were my niece I would like to think that I'd summon up
       the empathy and kindness to write directly to her, sympathising
       sincerely with her distress at the accident, and the difficulty
       of owning up to it, and saying as gently as possible that hard
       as it is, it's always best to do so at the earliest opportunity.
       I'm 100% sure that the niece sincerely wishes she knew how to
       apologise, and once the subject was out in the open she would do
       so without any prompting.
       I think she would be dead wrong to write to her SIL. I don't
       think that would be the right approach even if the two of them
       were on good terms; but as they're not, there's a danger that
       SIL might take it badly and resent both her for 'blaming' her
       for her daughter's accident and her daughter for 'letting me
       down'.
       Edited to add:
       Even if the SILs were on good terms, she still should not
       contact the girl's mother.  All that could possibly achieve
       would be to humiliate the girl further, (a) by spreading the
       knowledge of her mishap, and (b) by treating her like a small
       child who can be told 'Say sorry to your auntie!'.
       #Post#: 42140--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: LifeOnPluto Date: November 17, 2019, 5:27 am
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       Honestly - if I were the aunt, I'd say absolutely nothing (to
       either the niece or the SIL) and just carry on as if nothing had
       happened.
       I'm sure the poor girl is completely mortified. At that age,
       periods can be erratic and heavy, and it's quite possible that
       it came on suddenly in the middle of the night. I mean heck -
       it's not like the niece deliberately choose to bleed all over
       the bed!
       At the very most, if the niece ever comes back to stay, the aunt
       can maybe say casually "Hey Niece, if it's ever that time of the
       month, and you get some spillage on the sheets, just give me the
       heads up about it in the morning, okay?"
       #Post#: 42142--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: Dazi Date: November 17, 2019, 5:44 am
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       This is why you should have a really nice mattress pad on all
       beds in your home.
       I agree the aunt should not bring this up. She is being
       ridiculous. She needs to remember what periods are like at that
       age. For crying out loud, have some compassion. 🙄
       #Post#: 42145--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: Kimberami Date: November 17, 2019, 6:44 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
  HTML https://www.wikihow.lif
       e/Remove-Blood-Stains-from-a-Mattress
       Poor kid.
       #Post#: 42147--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: vintagegal Date: November 17, 2019, 8:16 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=Dazi link=topic=1406.msg42142#msg42142
       date=1573991096]
       This is why you should have a really nice mattress pad on all
       beds in your home.
       I agree the aunt should not bring this up. She is being
       ridiculous. She needs to remember what periods are like at that
       age. For crying out loud, have some compassion. 🙄
       [/quote]
       Right, I don't get paying hundreds for a mattress and not
       springing an extra $25-50 for a protective mattress pad. I got
       one for my new mattress and I am post-menopausal and still
       continent. Dealing with late DH's accidents when he was ill made
       me paranoid I guess. It was especially bad when we were visiting
       people, I carried protection with us and would put it under the
       sheet.
       #Post#: 42149--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: sandisadie Date: November 17, 2019, 9:45 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I agree with those who wouldn't say anything to anyone about
       this accident.  I'm sure the teen is trying to just forget this
       ever happened.  The next time I saw the teen I would take her
       aside and assure her that you realize this was an accident and
       she probably had no idea how to tell you about it.  I would also
       gently tell her that you remember being her age and dealing with
       periods so just make sure if it happens again that she lets
       someone in the house know so it can be cleaned up in the
       morning.  I'm sure all of us women have our stories to tell!  As
       an aside - I have good quality mattress covers on all the beds
       in the house.
       #Post#: 42152--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: Rose Red Date: November 17, 2019, 10:25 am
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       Is she looking for compensation? If not, I'd leave it alone. If
       your friend want to say something, make sure she be sensitive
       and that niece can come to her for anything because it's easier
       to solve if she knows the issue right away.
       If niece never had a history of causing trouble or hiding
       things. I agree the niece was probably embarrassed and chose
       flight instead of "fight" and just hoping it will go away.
       I admit your friend's reaction of never inviting niece for a
       sleepover again makes me wonder about their relationship. If
       niece is normally a decent person, I'm sure she'd do anything to
       prevent the same thing from happening again. Is there a reason
       your friend doesn't believe the same?
       #Post#: 42154--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menstruation question 
       By: gramma dishes Date: November 17, 2019, 1:10 pm
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       Chances are the niece is mortified about what happened and quite
       frankly she's probably so embarrassed that she hopes the subject
       of staying overnight at Auntie's house never ever EVER comes up
       again.
       I also think it would be a huge mistake to blab to the girl's
       mother.  The poor girl would never trust her Aunt again.
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