It was going to be a good day at school in the life of 7th grade me. There would be tacos for lunch, and I had a quiz that I felt very well prepared for. I was ready to conquer the day. I went for a quick restroom break after lunch and learned that my period had come early. I remember people warning to always bring spare pads, but I never listened as I wanted to keep a “light” bag. I created a makeshift pad out of toilet paper and went on throughout my day, less ecstatic than before.
While I had been given grand advice from the women before me, I had to get caught in the situation to learn the lesson. After that day, I decided that I was going to create a period kit for my school bag. Never again was I going to be caught off guard with my period. I found a small cloth travel bag and filled it with three pads. My favorite number is three and I mentally believe everything is better in threes, so I felt this would be a good starting point for my period kit. I decided to keep this kit in my school bag at all times. When I would have my period, I would typically just throw a pad in my bag the morning of.
A couple of months later, I went to a local store to purchase a box of pads. I saw in one of the boxes that there was a clutch included for period supplies. It’s no surprise which box I put down and which box I picked it up. It was an upgrade for me. The small cloth travel bag became a clutch with three compartments. It was still light-weight and could be placed inside my bag. I placed the three pads I kept in the bad into the clutch. I now had two smaller pockets to fill. I looked through the rest of my period supplies that I keep in a drawer. I decided to add three liners and three feminine wipes, keeping on the track of threes. This is what I would consider the real start of my period kit. Sure, having spare pads in my bag was helpful, but a whole clutch of supplies made me prepared for whenever my period struck.
The most rewarding part of my period kit is not even the benefit I have had, but the benefit it has brought to others. It’s rewarding to be able to help someone else who was running late and forgot to pack a pad or got her period two days early. I tell people any time they take my kit to the bathroom that if they ever need anything or know of anyone that gets caught off guard, they can feel free to come to me. Keeping three of everything has been helpful because I am never concerned about running out of supplies. When the kit gets low, I just restock it at home.
Getting your period early can be scary and nerve-wracking and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be. By having a period kit, you can be prepared for your period no matter when it comes. A period kit makes having a period a little bit less stressful.
Oh, and a pro tip: If you haven’t gotten your period yet and you’re worried, might I suggest HelloFlo’s totally amazing Period Starter Kit?
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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