Research shows that over 70% of children hate everything to do with their periods when they aren’t taught a complete, holistic and affirming menstrual cycle education.

When the focus is on managing blood and pain so it is hidden away, when children equate having a period to a fear of getting pregnant, and when they feel that they can't talk to anyone about it because it’s so painfully embarrassing, children suffer.

When we dislike and fear our period, we dislike and fear our body, and so we dislike ourselves.  

Body shame, lack of boundaries, inability to voice concerns and ask for help, low self-esteem and self-respect, poor sexual decision making, poor future health outcomes and traumatic birth experiences can all be attributed to how a child is or isn’t supported at their first period. 

It sounds shocking and alarmist I know, but the truth is that we live in a culture that taboos periods, leaving us suffering in silence. 

Instead, when we offer children a safe, nurturing and empowering environment in which to learn all about their bodies so they’re prepared, informed, and appreciate why and how to nurture themselves in a cycle-friendly way, children thrive.

Body literate children are proud, they ask for the help and care they need, and they listen to their body’s need and intuition so they know what a yes and a no feels like inside. They learn to love their cycle as a ‘moon’ not a ‘sun’, and instead of seeing this as an inconvenience they honour it.

My First Moon Circles aim to cover what is missed in regular school education and typical books on the subject, and intend to support you as the parent to learn about your own cycle, and how to support your child with theirs. I see families become closer through attending a First Moon Circle, where we can reach children who just need to hear this from someone else.

Children leave feeling more confident and empowered through greater knowledge, understanding and acceptance of what’s to come, and how powerful, important, special and transformational this phase of their life is.

Parents and children are supported to open up conversations to discuss periods and puberty (and who knows what else!) afterwards, having been held in the safe space of circle where this talk is safe and normalised.

If friends attend together, then they gain the added benefit of sisterhood, having this shared experience to refer back to, and to share wisdom with their other friends.

Parents are also supported to learn this wisdom alongside their daughter, feel safe and heard and be guided with tools and language to support their child. 

And often, mothers are able to heal a part of their own relationship to their menarche and menstruation, through giving their child the support they wish they’d had as a child, and learning about their own cycles.

First Moon Circles are split into 2 parts

PART 1: Periods, puberty and answer ALL of their questions

We start with a 90 minutes experience just for the group to come together, have fun, be silly, make new friends, and learn accurate information about what's happening to their physical body, as well as their emotional and spiritual selves as they approach and encounter menarche (the first period, or first moon). 

​Here First Mooners learn about:

• What periods and puberty are, what happens during this stage of development and what they can expect to notice, sense and feel within their body and emotions,

• ​An introduction to the female body, hormones, and the reproductive system, 

• Body and earth friendly period product options and a chance to play with different options,

• And they can ask me any and all awkward, embarrassing, curious questions they've not felt able to ask yet
  

PART 2: Introduction to Whole Menstrual Cycle, Cycle Awareness and Celebration with our loved ones

A celebratory afternoon tea where Mums/Nanas/Carers are invited to join us to share what the girls have discovered, whilst the elders are invited to share positive guidance and beautiful wishes they have for the girls in their lifetime. 

Here the intentions are to: 

• Introduction to Cycle Awareness (remember, the period is just 1 part of a 4 stage cycle!) and how our energy, superpowers and needs change across the month,

• Introduction to self-care for their cycle (a couple of examples include: why rest is important, why its ok if suddenly they might feel a bit cranky and how to nurture themselves through the pre-menstrual phase),

• Role model that it is possible to talk openly about periods and puberty amongst friends and adults,

• Give the parents an opportunity to affirm the positive learning and experience, and to encourage the girls to be able to talk to them about personal topics, 

• Parents share wisdom with everyone present, which helps the girls feel supported and remember that they are not alone, and that all womxn before them have been through the same experience. 

• Girls share what they have learned with the adults which will no-doubt offer you new knowledge yourself!

• To celebrate a very special time in a person's life - and to frame the natural process as normal, healthy, magical, and a time a girl meets her power. ​​

I also hold period & puberty education circles for boys.  They are our sons, brothers, uncles, friends, future-dads/partners/husbands, & allies, and I think it is important that they too learn about cyclical living & the menstrual cycle.  This has been received well by both the boys & their parents.