Logical realism
Youngsters look for logical answers
Many teenage girls confess to being shocked when they are first made to observe the rites of menstruation. Suddenly, they are made to change their daily routine and asked to avoid certain areas of the house, eat separately, and avoid touching close family members. A short conversation with Clinical Psychologist Alisha Bhattarai at Nepal Academy of Psychology about how this abrupt change of lifestyle affects young minds.
Clinical Psychologist Alisha BhattaraiHow do young girls react to the physical changes going on in puberty?
Nowadays, children mostly know about the changes going on in the body. I’ve seen that young girls are open about talking about these things with the family. In educated families, girls even discuss these things with brothers and male friends. But again, that’s not true of all female children, and many struggle to make sense of the physical and emotional changes in their body. It’s a difficult time for most of them.
How do they react to the restrictions regarding menstruation?
Youngsters today look for logic in everything they do. They ask for logic even in menstruation rituals, and when you aren’t able to give it to them, they aren’t convinced about doing it. They may start questioning other instructions and parents may have a difficult time convincing them about other things too.
Many families enforce such rules on their daughters. What are the consequences?
First of all, the child gets stressed. And secondly, her negativity increases. Behavior problems arise, and they may reject good things from their parents. Her entire personality may change. The sadness and stress she experiences affect her self-esteem. If she has to depend on others all the time, it may increase her dependency on her parents, and it may lead her to believe she’s weak. It also leads to anxiety in some youngsters.
Nowadays, girls as young as 11 years are menstruating. In what ways does she experience it differently than an older girl?
When a young girl menstruates at 14 or 15, most likely she already knows what’s going on in her body. But the same isn’t true of an 11-year-old. So parents need to be extra careful to educate these youngsters about what’s happening.
What’s your advice to parents with daughters who are approaching puberty?
Parents need to make sure that they prepare their daughter for what’s coming. Life is all about changes, and the earlier your child understands this, the better equipped she’ll be to handle it.
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