Sitting on the orange shag carpet of the bathroom floor I flipped through a musty old human body book, searching for information on girls ‘becoming women’. About two years prior, it had taken every ounce of courage I had to work up the nerve to ask my mom for a bra like my best friend had. She got me a white training bra and told me that someday I’d get my period which meant I’d bleed a little, and then officially ‘be a woman.’ I was curious, and longed to understand more but was far too embarrassed to ask her to elaborate on what she meant, let alone to explain why I had an uncomfortable wetness in my underwear for weeks. My parents were phenomenal at teaching me and my siblings to be kind, to read, and to excel in school, but they were from a generation where personal matters and self-care were taboo to discuss at length, if at all. When that day came where a brown twinge showed up in my underwear and turned red the next day, I was given an enormous, thick, sanitary napkin that was probably meant for postpartum women, and told “Congratulations”! I thought to myself, “Congratulations?.....this is AWFUL, when will it end?!” The main advice I remember receiving during the years of puberty that followed was….”Don’t get pregnant until you’re married.”  

Needless to say, I fumbled through adolescence and eventually figured out what ‘being a woman’ meant from health class, friends, and a gynecologist appointment I set up for myself. Fast forward 20 years to when I’m attending my daughter’s middle school orientation and looking around at the crowd of 10–14-year-old girls walking the hallways, loading up their lockers for the first day, laughing, and taking selfies. It hit me like a brick that while I’d been watching my four children grow through so many wonderful milestones, puberty was sneaking up on us. My daughter was only 10, but this gave me a reality check into what was quickly approaching. The flashback to my own adolescence yielded an immediate commitment to myself and my family to provide a better experience for them, rooted in honest, open communication. That night, I began researching how to prepare myself and my daughter for her journey through puberty, I searched for a thoughtfully curated keepsake box that included a guide to help me navigate discussions, a book for her to explore, and all of the self-care essentials she’d need. I couldn’t find anything that would provide the experience I wanted to share with her, so with the help of my daughters, several pediatricians, child psychologists, health education specialists, and moms like me, we created it! Through this fun and exciting celebration of information, I hope you and your special girl share feelings of confidence and excitement as you embrace the changes together, strengthening your beautiful relationship along the way!