Whether a person is comfortable talking about it or not, most women will go through a monthly menstrual cycle, starting in their teens, and continuing until they reach perimenopause.
But for some reason, women are often shamed for having their period, for having to purchase period products, for accidentally getting something on their clothes, and definitely for any of the side effects, like body pains and heightened emotions.
For TikToker @annalee and her husband, when their daughter, Phoenix, had her first period, they decided they wanted to take that shame away as much as they could.
Phoenix's dad knocked on her door, encouraged her to put a sleep mask over her eyes, and to spin around in place a few times. He then took both of her hands and led her through a darkened room, stopping at their dining room table.
On the table waiting for her was an entire red cake with careful frosting designs all over it. On the top, it simply read, "Period!" with an exclamation point.
When she lifted the mask and saw the cake, her face lit up, and she complimented the decorations.
In turn, her parents praised her:
"You were a champ... You handled it, actually quite gracefully during a really big week. And you communicated really well."
The parents then encouraged Phoenix to blow out the candle on top, but not before Phoenix's dad said:
"We're channeling good menstrual health for Phoenix."
"Whatever she chooses to do with her body, that it's healthy. Your body is magical."
You can watch the video here:
@annuhleee my heart 🥹
Fellow TikTokers were touched by all the effort the parents had put into making their daughter feel comfortable.










Puberty is already a lot for a young person to navigate, and the first few periods are just an added layer of confusion and possible shame.
It's important that more parents are changing the narrative around puberty and menstrual cycles, teaching their kids that these parts of life are natural and nothing to be ashamed of.
This is a memory that Phoenix will be able to hold onto for the rest of her life—specifically that knowledge her parents will love her no matter what.
















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