The Hard Truth About Getting Our First Periods . . . and What Parents Can Learn

The story: I was 13 and in the eighth grade. It was about a week after our class took reproductive education classes, so the information was fresh in my head. I remember being quite methodical; I felt like something was happening down there, asked to go to the restroom, realized there was blood in my underwear, and was just like, "Well, guess I better get to the nurse's office!" I was happy, but overall I just felt different; older, more mature.

My best friend and I went straight to her house after school, where she showed me how tampons work by dipping one in a glass of water, which still cracks me up to this day. After that tutorial, I went home and told my mom, who was really excited and only slightly less dramatic than the school nurse had been. She cried, and we hugged, and I told her that I already learned how to use tampons so I didn't need her help with anything. So mature! — Britt Stephens, senior editor, Celebrity and Entertainment