“It's Normal…Mom Will Be Home in an Hour”: The Role of Fathers in Menstrual Education

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine fathers’ self-reports about their role in educating daughters and sons about menstruation. Through postings in online venues, 110 fathers were recruited. Fathers indicated that they were an important source of information for their children, particularly sons. Traditional beliefs about mothering, but not fathering, negatively predicted knowledge and comfort in talking about menstruation. Fathers reported that they would talk about it earlier to their daughters than to their sons, but conversation topics were generally similar for both sexes. Negative aspects of menstruation (e.g., mood swings) were more likely to be raised with sons, however.

Keywords:

• menstruation
• fathers
• daughters
• sons
• parent-child communication