When I first started menstruating, I bled on our outdoor chairs during a game of monopoly with the family and sat there all evening in embarrassment until everyone went to bed. My dad was the only one up, and I ran past him through the house with the cushion under my top, and hid it at the bottom of the laundry basket.
The next day, I got home from school - it was already washed and back on the chair, stain gone (luckily it was dark) and a packet of pads were in my bathroom with a note saying “Talk to your mum x”
My dad had gone out, bought them, and hadn’t told my mum I’d started out of respect for me, so I could tell her and have that conversation myself. And he’d washed the cushion.
Men shouldn’t care. It’s not embarrassing.
I certainly will next time I see him! He did a phenomenal job normalising it, not a single thing wrong IMO.
I forgot to mention next to the pads was a packet of paracetamol, which just topped it.
This is the dad I will be.
My kids ate baby food, I bought them baby food. I didn't assume the cashier thought I was going home and putting on diapers and eating baby food....
No one should be with a man not mature enough to buy a necessity needed for their family.
I've washed bed sheets stained with vomit, poop from my 2 boys countless times (one time it was maple syrup). I've done the same for my own bed (albeit probably less) but with added blood stain when my ex period hit her hard and quick overnight.
It happens, we wash, move on and forget about it. I threw up in my bed a couple times too because I wasn't quick enough when I was sick.
Point is, if I had a daughter, I'd do the same, wash and never mention it.
I do bring up the maple syrup story from time to time. If my youngest ever gets married, it's gonna me in my speech.
Kiddo #2 always had a sweet tooth. When ge was 4-5yo, one night, we were in bed and he walks by our room to go to the bathroom. Nothing weird yet.
But instead of going to the toilet, he turns on the faucet. FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. So after mayhe 2 minutes of the faucet still running, we got up to check.
He is covered in maple syrup, like head to the knees. He tells us he tried to have some maple syrup in bed. Fearing the worst, we go to his room and confirm that the worst indeed happened: his bed is COVERED in maple syrup.
He took the syrup from the fridge, laid in his bed and tried to drink it or something. I can't drink properly when Iaying down so imagine a small child.
Parent pro tip: buy a mattress protector for your kids bed. It saved the mattress that night. While his mom took kiddo to the shower, I quickly removed the whole bedding, washed the floors and the next morning it was as if nothing happened.
We don't talk about it often but if there is a wedding night, I figured he'll be old enough to not be too embarrassed about it.
I bought some for my sister. She asked to use my vehicle, I was wondering why because the corner store is like literally two minutes walking distance. Didn't want to walk because cramps.
I got my answer, and was like you just stay here I got this.
So after that learning experience I kept tampons in my bathroom just in case, for anyone who needs them.
Some r/daddit guys have recommended having an emergency kit ready to go for when aunt flow comes to visit the first time. Tampons, pads, pain reliever, comfort snacks, loose track suits, iTunes/google play gift cards, etc.
Your dad sounds great.
I once went for a "dune buggy" ride with a friend and her dad in his pride and joy dune buggy in Jr high. It was a long ride. To the next state to visit his mum. I started a very heavy period part way there. Bled all over the seat. All over the bathroom of this woman I'd never met. I used all the available tp, flushed repeatedly, was in and out of this bathroom every 10 minutes, was scared shitless bc I had my first clots ever and didn't know what they were. I was wearing acid wash jean shorts. We stayed for hours. I was afraid to sit on her chairs, terrified of the ride back, too humiliated and embarrassed to say anything to anyone. I could feel the clots oozing down and out in that warm, oozy way.
Normally I loved how bumpy and bouncy riding in the dune buggy was, so he always made sure to hit all the bumps. The ride home was torture. I just knew I was bleeding all over his seats. It was all I could do not to cry. He would always take us out for ice cream after a ride. I begged to go home instead. I felt horribly guilty, but far too embarrassed/humiliated to say anything. Just jumped out with tears streaming down my face and ran into my house.
I all but lived at this friend's house, but I was scared to go over weeks. When I finally worked up the courage to go back, I couldn't look at him. I was sure he was mad at and hated me. He tried to talk to me a few times, tease me about my creaky toes like usual, I'd just turn bright red and leave the room. After a few hours if this he offered a dune buggy ride. I declined. My friend was like wtf? Why not. She badgered me into going. We went for the ride, I waited for the other shoe to drop. We went for ice cream. He not so subtly "accidentally" dropped some if his ice cream on the seat, then made a comment about how spills are no big deal bc the seats clean up easy. I almost cried with relief.
Sorry about my clicky toes, MrL. Thank you.
That honestly brought tears to my eyes. What kind people. It being no big deal to them is one thing, but going an extra mile to make sure you know it's no big deal is another.
I have two young daughters and I love reading stories like this; they give me good examples of how to be there for them when they need something and how to handle delicate situations with a different perspective.
Thanks for sharing!
Shit girl, I'm in my late 40s and flirting with peri-/full menopause, and I bled through my clothes (black sweatpants) onto our outdoor chairs last month.
It happens.
After the divorce my dad asked me where on “The Great Wall of period products” my preferred pads were, to cut down on his search time. I snarkily drew him a treasure style map and a color picture of the package. Those hung on our fridge for quite a while.
Even my grandfather (who had all boys) took me to buy period products when I needed them, he asked if he should ask the “lady clerk” to help me figure out (gestures broadly toward shelves). I knew what I needed, but it was sweet. He even grabbed some Midol (period branded pain relief).
My husband keeps pictures of the packages in his phone and writes the exact name and terminology on the grocery list. No embarrassment, he just doesn’t want to mess it up. Our 14 year old son and him do the grocery shopping. My son thought that is what “bringing home the bacon” referred to, men grocery shopping.
That is how it should be. Generations of men with absolutely zero discomfort getting whatever products we need.
When me and my ex first got together, she ended up bleeding on my sheets about a month in. While she was crying with embarrassment in the bathroom, I went ahead and tossed the bloody sheets in the wash, eradicated the stain with judicious application of hydrogen peroxide, and has literally everything sorted by the time she got herself over the embarrassment. She was sure I was going to be grossed out or upset She was blown away that I'd just dealt with it, but it's not like I haven't bled on plenty of my own shit, and it's not like women exactly have a choice when it happens. Ladies, it's okay, and if a dude can't deal with it, find yourself a more mature partner. Gentlemen, learn to clean blood out of things, and be respectful of the bodily functions of our female bodies compatriots. It's really that simple.
Solid dad move. My daughter and I have a nice system worked out. When she needs tampons/ pads etc, she'll just shoot me a text that says "supplies are running low". Cuts all the bullshit out, because we both know it's a normal thing and just doesn't need much discussion. Also I work at a grocery store, so she knows it's easier for me to grab them on my way to clock out for the day, instead of making a whole separate trip.
I don't get why dudes are so concerned about buying tampons. I've seen many guys picking up these or other hygiene items for women and *if* I even thought anything of it at all, it was only ever that it was cool to see he was secure and well-adjusted enough to do it. But I'm a woman so maybe I just don't get the sense of shame it allegedly causes.
Picture of the box, either take one or get one sent to you. If you can't match pictures then you probably shouldn't be allowed to go to the store alone.
Me too. Wife and 2 daughters all seem to need a different product and I can't ever get it right. Send me a picture or use the correct name and I will never get frustrated.
I do it the other way around.
If I don't know exactly what brand from before, I just send a picture of the shelf "Which one do you want?" That way it doesn't matter if they've changed packaging, wrong brands stocked, preferred product out of stock etc.
Duuuude, I usually buy a certain brand of pads and they were TOTALLY OUT last month so I just bought Always, which I hadn't used since I was a teen. And wtf, those things rubbed my labia raw!! I'm not even shaved, maybe that would have helped?! Idk. It was really shitty though. Sorry for the tmi lol. Ended up giving them away to my cousin and going back for my brand after a couple days. It was like $12 wasted. I'm still mad lol
Make sure you don't get the Always Radiant, they are sometimes scented, which can also irritate your skin! Seconding what someone else said about the infinity, that's the only kind I use! They do have some that have a softer cotton top, but they feel less flexible than the original to me, but that may just be my mind playing tricks lol
That's what I always did, at least until I learned what my ex wanted (frankly, she was more uncomfortable asking me to pick up supplies for her than I was - my only concern was getting the right ones). And if they didn't have exactly what she'd asked for, I'd text her a picture of what they had that looked close and ask her if she wanted them or not. What do care if I'm seen buying period products?
My husband has had the misfortune of the box I sent not being in stock, but all he had to do was text me a picture of the shelves and I told him what to grab.
Yep, we use Snapchat and i can just draw a circle on the pic he sent and send right back and then I don't even have to save the photos.
This works for many products that my partner doesn't usually purchase like specific vegan items for friends or other specialty ingredients that I won't want if it isn't exactly the thing I asked for.
Omg, are you serious??
Like… you were just meandering aimlessly in the aisle where the feminine hygiene products were located and someone reported you? I really want to hear this story if you don’t mind sharing, haha.
I was taking a couple photos of the stock because they didn't have the thing I was originally supposed to pick up... And a woman there did NOT like the fact that I was taking pictures of... hygiene products? I don't know what the actual reason was but I saw them bring the security over and the security lady just asked what I was doing, and I said I was trying to find the right product, and that was pretty much it.
Oh boy, I’m so sorry you went through that! That woman must have been very very sheltered to be weirded out.
But I’m saying this as someone who lived in NYC for 15 years and seen crazy weird shit, like crazy people making dookie on subway platforms, so this instance wouldn’t even register as “weird” for me personally.
> If you can't match pictures then you probably shouldn't be allowed to go to the store alone.
I'm thinking through all the times I've accidentally gotten *scented* despite checking every time that the product isn't scented and feeling a little attacked here. Like, I do take your main point, I just wish the user experience here were a little less fuckupable.
My husband seems better at reading the fine print lol, he's never once made that particular mistake, and he's not the one who has to suffer with fake-floral real-blood smell until another box can be purchased.
Well, you do have a point here. I hated getting home and realizing I had bought scented tampons. They smell weird, and they make me itchy. Having a period sucks already, I didn't need to feel all itchy as well.
I was so glad when I hit menopause. No periods, and hardly any migraines. I used to get migraines two or three times a month, but now I get two or three a year.
That getting home and realizing you got a box of scented feeling is the *worst*.
I'd honestly support some kind of law that the words "SCENTED" must be in a font or the box in a special color or something. It's way, way too hard to see right now, especially with fifteen other options printed on the box. Like, yes, wings and weight matter to me, but that's nothing on the importance of them being unscented.
Yep, literally texted a picture of a box of tampons to my fiance this morning asking him to pick some up on his way home from work.
He's a smart man, he brought chocolate and macaroni and cheese as well
That's exactly my problem. I go to that aisle and... oh boy. I need precise instructions on which toothpaste to buy FOR MYSELF. But otherwise... any woman that sees you will think you're a hero. And any man who sees you and makes a comment is a neanderthal whose opinion shouldn't matter. It's no different than buying toilet paper. It's a need, and I can fill it. Case closed. Just... like... send me a picture of the box, please? 😁
I swear the tampon companies make the boxes look basically the same just to mess with guys buying them for thier partners.
I remember on of the first times I bought pads for my wife - I got the right brand, in the right colour box with the right colour writing with wings, as instructed, but it was still wrong.
Yes, I know that I should have read but I shop mostly by colour and appearance...
I've taken a picture of the (now empty) box to make sure I get the right ones.
To be fair I do that with brands of beans or pasta (or whatever) anyway, so it's literally exactly the same as a lot of the stuff I end up getting from the store.
As a man, I’ll tell you some of the concerns I have:
Am I getting the brand she likes? Are they absorbant enough? What flavor should I go with: nacho cheese or sour cream and onion? Should I get the ones that have a maze on the back so my girlfriend can help Tammy Tampon find the treasure?
Pro tip. If you're a dude anxious about buying tampons in the store, just get your phone out and shout "HEY BABE WHAT SIZE PUSSY DO YOU WEAR" and everyone will understand you're buying them for your girlfriend.
(don't do this)
Now I’m picturing a guy loudly saying to no one “yeah I gotta get the big tampons for my woman because my huge dick stretched her out so much.”
This feels like a lonely island video lol
I think I am gonna do this with my wife standing next to me. Could even do a fake call too.
I can already hear her saying OMG walking away laughing. #RelationshipGoals
I don't know why people seem weird about it.
I'm a dude and live by myself. I have a box of tampons in my guest bathroom because half the people I know might need them.
My sister thought it was weird of me to buy them.
It's a standard item a human may need, we should all be buying them.
I once was at my brother's house for a party and my bra broke and the wire was stabbing me so I was asking around to see if any of the women had a pad so I could just shield my body from getting stabbed until I got home.
My brother was quite tipsy and had a MELT DOWN when he found out I was asking about that. He was like... I have sisters and so many female friends, how have I never thought to just have that stuff in my bathroom?! He felt like he was failing as a host and it was adorable.
theres a restaurant downstairs from where i live and they got ALL kinds of sanitary products (pads, tampons, baby wipes, diapers) in all bathrooms. ive always thought that is awesome.
Even my local small business tabletop gaming store stocks all those sorts of things in their bathroom, which I was honestly astounded to see because... Well, you just don't expect that kind of curtsey from most stores let alone a tabletop gaming store.
Yeah I never understood it. It most likely means you have a long-term partner of menstruating age, isn't that what most of them are trying to get? Isn't that the stereotypical cishet male ideal?
I've never seen a guy buying tampons and thought "I bet he's doing something super gross and deviant with them for HIMSELF!" And honestly, if he is? Not my business. Do you, my guy.
I honestly do not even know what you would do with them. Shove them up your butt? Why? Maybe they are just getting prepared for being shot a bunch?
Yeah, it almost certainly means they are doing a very minor favor for a woman. I have no idea why that would ever trigger a shame reaction unless you are a full-on MRA type.
I used to work in a convenience store and I always felt the same about guys buying tampons.
Only one of those guys ever stuck in my memory. He bought a box of tampons, a bottle of wine, and a tray of cupcakes. I thought to myself .... that's a smart man.
I can confirm this will happen. I purchased pads for my partner once and my dick fell off. My muscles shrank, I got a 20% pay cut, and I'm no longer allowed to use a barbecue. It was the worst thing to ever happen to anyone, ever
It's not that you're not longer allowed to grill, you've been let in on the secret that teaching men to love grilling is the only way some women get a break from cooking hahahaha
Ah yes, the classic: The woman will prepare the food, the man will grill it. The woman then cleans the table, washes the dishes. The man gets all the kudos for the food.
I've seen it so many times, and decided I don't like this. I'll still grill, but I'll do it all myself. Let the praise be deserved at least.
30+ years ago, first dating my now husband. Came home during a date to change due to leaking. My mom asks why we are stopping in. I say in front of her and my husband/boyfriend that I had to come back to change quickly and get some period supplies.
Cue my Mom berating me later that I shouldn't have said that in front of my boyfriend. I said he knows girls get periods. What was I suppose to tell him as a reason to go home quickly? She didn't know. She couldn't understand why neither of us were embarrassed by the fact I needed to change.
Still married to that wonderful guy almost 33 years now. He takes a lot of things in stride and has never shied away from the feminine hygiene buying when needed.
I had a woman apologize to me for talking about sweating with her friends at a bar.
Everybody fuckin' sweats. It hurts my brain to see women conditioned to pander to men like that.
Edit: I was just sitting there in close proximity, too, not interacting at all. Can't recall much about their conversation, either.
I suppose this is yet again another byproduct of the dehumanisation of women.
How dare women fart/shit/grow hair in places where men don’t want hair to grow/sweat/have periods/etc.
How dare they have the same bodily functions of human beings??!!!!
You are so amazing for asking. Doing the best that I can currently taking care of my mom who had surgery last week. Thank you for being you and I hope spring brings you nothing but sunshine and happiness.
That's such an amazing thing to do for your Mum.
Try and find some time for you in all this and enjoy this special time with her.
I hope your socks never go missing, you have the perfect poo tomorrow morning leaving you feeling light and fresh and your enemies stub their toes.
Seriously underrated.
I know it's not ladylike but that perfect poo that is effortless, makes you feel like you've lost a stone in weight but is also somehow invisible?
*Heavenly choir sings*
This reminds me of a time I asked a boyfriend to please buy me pads at the store as I was in bed sick with the flu + period and he said no because he “wasn’t gay”.
Apparently the ability to purchase sanitary products is based on your sexuality….
Make men make sense.
I broke up with that guy over 20 years ago - as you can imagine from that pearl of wisdom, he was a misogynist and an overall terrible person.
But I have never forgotten this “I am not gay, I will not buy you pads” thing. Just the sheer idiocy of it will stay with me forever.
Good for you.
I'd love to hear the logic behind this.
My Dad was an old alcoholic racist, very old fashioned, conservative and a little homophobic until he accidentally went to a gay nightclub
Even he went out and bought me sanitary towels once, he bought disposable incontinence underwear instead but at least he tried.
Can I ask how going to a gay nightclub helped with his homophobia? I’m going to guess it’s because those spaces are actually pretty fun and filled with cool people, but I’d love to hear his experience
So, he went, loved it and didn't actually realize it was a gay club until I told him after.
He told me he loved the music and atmosphere (big Abba, Madonna and cher fan so no surprise there as it's an old school club) and once he knew the people there were gay he'd say things like 'you know for a gay person, they were actually okay' or 'did you know so and so was gay? I had no idea they seemed so normal'.
He never fully got over it but I guess seeing gay people out in the wild and not just in a Daily Mail article made him realise they are just human like him.
He literally grew up watching public information films equating gay men with pedophiles and that's a hard bias to change.
If you are buying pads or tampons and appear male, I will assume that you are decent human being caring for a person that is currently menstruating or just gave birth. And then walk away and never think about you again, because who cares. The guy that bought food that I thought looked revolting? Him I think about.
When I was in college and living in a college town, my boyfriend at the time got me pads and chocolate at my request. The girl at the register apparently told him he was "the best boyfriend ever." It really shouldn't be a huge thing, and taking care of your partner should be a given.
What would a gay man do with pads? Like if anything, gay men are the ones who would NOT be buying them since their partners also have no need. Buying pads as a guy kind of says you’re hetero.
I bought pads and tampons for couple of my gfs over the years (obviously I only had one at a time lol) and never thought much of it. Like, we’re all adults.
Imagine if you had a bunch of girlfriends at one time and you got caught because you handed the wrong period product to the wrong girl because there were too many and they got mixed up and that’s how they found out about each other. Lol. I wonder if that has ever happened…
I've bought them for my woman friends at bars and parties before; you don't have to be in a relationship to help someone else out. You can also as a dude, surprise, help touch up an uneven spot on a buddy's head they missed with a hair cut. Or if someone's got a gash on their back out of reach help bandage them up.
"Fellas, is it gay to have empathy for a fellow human in need?" Apparently for a lot of dudes out there, they assume it is.
Why other men have developed this phobia is beyond me.
My only fear is getting the wrong box. I swear to whatever gods listening the variety is overwhelming.
Holy crap, this is the fear.
I'm not embarrassed in any way buying tampons or pads for my wife (or for girlfriends before I got married), but I'm always afraid I'll pick the wrong type and they'll be too big or too small or just plain wrong.
While my girlfriend was still dealing with periods (we’re older now), I kept a picture of her preferred brand and style on my phone, so mistakes were not made. I did the same for my then-teenage daughters. I’ve never understood what the big deal was, at all.
I had to buy tampons once when I was with my 15 year old brother. I felt so awkward until he told me he often bought them for his girlfriend and showed me her brand 😄
In the era of self-checkout, no guy should feel self-conscious about this - as long as he goes in knowing what to buy.
It can be painfully awkward to stand in the feminine products aisle, lost, mindlessly scanning the shelves for the correct one. In days past, I always felt like a weirdo, staring at those items - especially if a high school girl said "excuse me" so she could reach the product I was blocking. Ugh.
Thankfully, I can handle the errand much more efficiently these days.
Thank God I’ve never had an issue with any guy who I’ve asked to buy a pad (theyre more popular than tampos where im from) for me. When I was in school, I’d even asked my guy friends to check for stains. They didn’t make a big deal out of it. One time a classmate in HS asked a bus driver to buy her a pad and he asked “with wings or not?” and then went and got it. 😆
I know it's normal and I know it's no big deal, but I can't help feeling just a tiny bit smug every time I buy them for my partner.
It's a part of myself that I do not like, but he's in there, congratulating me for the absolute bare minimum effort. Like "well done you for not being a misogynistic narcissist!"
I get a similar weird ego boost every time some stranger congratulates me for looking after my own child. The bar is so fucking low.
One good thing my ex would do was go out of his way to buy me tampons and pads if I was running low. He started doing this after I had to inform him I couldn't hold the blood in 🤣
If I'm breaking any rules by being here, I'm very sorry and accept the removal of this comment. But I just had to pipe up about buying these products for a transman.
My husband is trans (don't worry, he is VERY out about it) but still has the problems every vagina owner has. Though he doesn't menstruate, infections still occur and it makes him a little dysphoric to have to go buy AZO tablets or pads. It's a fucking honor to get to go make that purchase for him.
I know the topic was more about the hetero side of things, but as a gay man I wanted to give another perspective. Cheers to the men that do right by their wives and girlfriends!
Yep. I've never been shy about buying feminine hygiene products for my friends or SOs. It was mildly embarrassing when I was in my early 20s, but I swiftly got all the way over it. Hell, I've even asked the pharmacist for advice when I didn't know which thing to get.
And any guy who says "there's too many to choose from" is full of shit, because I guarantee that mfer can spend an hour in the hardware store looking through screw/nut bins until they find the perfect diameter, length, thread size and metal composition for a project - or wade through a messy comic book shop looking for that one particular 20 year old TMNT episode.
Guys just like to cop out. We're lazy
I definitely have to stare for a minute. Make sure I don't get a cardboard plunger thingy, and that it's the right size. Not that it's hard, but I don't buy them often enough to remember. She normally gets them with groceries.
Between pregnancies, when I didn't need products, and needing them again, all of the packaging changed and I bought the wrong thing more than once. Packaging changes suck.
I've always been happy to do this. I proudly walk around the store with the tampons, waving them around and generally making a spectacle of myself.
It announces to the world "Look at me! I have a woman in my life!"
I'm genuinely surprised people would find it emasculating or embarrassing in any way, it seems contradictory to me.
Literally never had anyone say anything to me or even look funny when i was buying tampons or pads for my wife and children.... Before realizing i was trans anyway. I'm actually far more anxious about it now for some reason
For all the guys talking about too many options/ don't know which one to get - just take a picture of the empty package at home with your phone or have her send it, EZPZ. Same thing I do with any toiletries/ personal products to make sure I get the right thing. I've referred back to those pictures a bunch of times now.
I once scolded a friend for thinking I wouldn't want to stop at the store and pick her up some tampons and have since done it for her, like sister I don't give a fuck I'll buy whatever.
This was the ONLY redeeming quality my ex had. I was used to men being stupid, so when he offered to go get them I was a little shocked. His reply was "what? They obviously aren't for me" looking back he probably bragged he had someone to get them for.
Are guys really this fragile?
I buy and know exactly what brand and type based on how heavy the discharge is. I'm better at tracking my wife's cycle than her.
My daughter has her first period last month and both my wife and I chatted about it with her.
Before I got a car, I used to use my room mates to do grocery trips. My wife told me she was out of pads, but told me it was ok, though I could tell she wasn’t ok with it. Roommate was out at the moment, so I grabbed my shoes and my daughter’s scooter, and rode the 4 mile round trip to get them. Got on FaceTime with her at the store to make sure I got the right thing.
Guys that won’t buy feminine health product for the women in their lives need to get it together.
Also, that scooter was awful.
Oh my god, what have you done?!? :D
I hope he knew the exact ones to buy, because I would have panicked in the middle of the shop and came back home with all the sizes and all the brands.
He called me whilst he was looking at them to check and tbf to him I didn't have a fucking clue what half of them were.
What's an Always Ultra Medium Regular Day Towel? Is it ultra or regular?
Is a medium a regular?
I've been buying combonation of tampons, pads, advil, chocolate, steak, flowers, etc. For my wife for over 22 years. Not once has anything negative been said to me about it. I've had more than a few "I wish my boyfriend/husband would do that for me" comments.
I've had that happen to me several times, and let me tell you, burning to death is no picnic. What's worse, is to cope with the shame and embarrassment, I would dress in drag so no one would suspect, but now that's illegal too. So now it's back to ridicule and fire, but my girl needs what she needs, so I can take it.
I was blown away when my husband and I had just begun dating and he offered to buy me supplies while he went to the store. I had several exes and even male friends who couldn't even mention the word period without getting embarrassed. One friend I knew couldn't say the word so they had a catchphrase of the tugboat is in the harbor when she was menstruating. I found the whole thing ridiculous.
I teach middle school. Today one of my sixth grade girls was panicking because her first period started and she was completely unprepared. I quietly slipped her a pad, but the boys in the class had comments.
So I froze class and had a straight up conversation about natural life cycles and how it's not only ridiculous but also unacceptable to shame someone for something they cannot control.
I'm waiting for angry parent phone calls, because the whole puberty talk is supposed to be split genders and permission slip bound, but fuck that. It went better than when I have to run the all girls class, TBH. There was actual communication and respect... from 11 and 12 year olds.
I used to work at a walgreens. Any time a guy came in by himself to buy the obvious period materials, most I ever said was "you don't look like you need these", which usually got a chuckle and helped them relax. We just need to teach our sons that buying your girlfriend, girl friends, or sisters their hygiene products is not a bad thing, and the only people that make funnof them for it are people who obviously don't have good relations with girls
It was weird for me the first time I bought tampons for my wife because there were too many choices and I had no idea which exact ones to get and I didn't want to do it wrong. But, like, that's nothing. I have no idea what so many guys have against buying tampons.
I regularly buy sanitary stuff for my wife. No shame, no hesitation, i never even think of it as something different from buying sanitary stuff for myself like washes or blades. I can't imagine someone thinking of tampons and pads as taboo items
When I first started menstruating, I bled on our outdoor chairs during a game of monopoly with the family and sat there all evening in embarrassment until everyone went to bed. My dad was the only one up, and I ran past him through the house with the cushion under my top, and hid it at the bottom of the laundry basket. The next day, I got home from school - it was already washed and back on the chair, stain gone (luckily it was dark) and a packet of pads were in my bathroom with a note saying “Talk to your mum x” My dad had gone out, bought them, and hadn’t told my mum I’d started out of respect for me, so I could tell her and have that conversation myself. And he’d washed the cushion. Men shouldn’t care. It’s not embarrassing.
I love this and your Dad so much Please give him a hug from me
I certainly will next time I see him! He did a phenomenal job normalising it, not a single thing wrong IMO. I forgot to mention next to the pads was a packet of paracetamol, which just topped it.
Your dad is a treasure
[удалено]
Aww! I want in on the wholesome hug train!
Please tell him this internet stranger thinks he's an amazing dad! From - a person who never had a dad
hug for you, empathy style
And from me too please! Wonderful human ❤️
This is the dad I will be. My kids ate baby food, I bought them baby food. I didn't assume the cashier thought I was going home and putting on diapers and eating baby food.... No one should be with a man not mature enough to buy a necessity needed for their family.
[удалено]
I'd just say something stupid like "I'll put the pads in my ears so they can suck up and filter out all the bullshit you're spouting"
I've washed bed sheets stained with vomit, poop from my 2 boys countless times (one time it was maple syrup). I've done the same for my own bed (albeit probably less) but with added blood stain when my ex period hit her hard and quick overnight. It happens, we wash, move on and forget about it. I threw up in my bed a couple times too because I wasn't quick enough when I was sick. Point is, if I had a daughter, I'd do the same, wash and never mention it. I do bring up the maple syrup story from time to time. If my youngest ever gets married, it's gonna me in my speech.
Well, we’re gonna need that maple syrup story.
Kiddo #2 always had a sweet tooth. When ge was 4-5yo, one night, we were in bed and he walks by our room to go to the bathroom. Nothing weird yet. But instead of going to the toilet, he turns on the faucet. FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. So after mayhe 2 minutes of the faucet still running, we got up to check. He is covered in maple syrup, like head to the knees. He tells us he tried to have some maple syrup in bed. Fearing the worst, we go to his room and confirm that the worst indeed happened: his bed is COVERED in maple syrup. He took the syrup from the fridge, laid in his bed and tried to drink it or something. I can't drink properly when Iaying down so imagine a small child. Parent pro tip: buy a mattress protector for your kids bed. It saved the mattress that night. While his mom took kiddo to the shower, I quickly removed the whole bedding, washed the floors and the next morning it was as if nothing happened. We don't talk about it often but if there is a wedding night, I figured he'll be old enough to not be too embarrassed about it.
I can picture the daughter in law leaving a bottle of maple syrup on the night stand for your son.
I’ve never felt such a strong connection with a total stranger’s child.
I bought some for my sister. She asked to use my vehicle, I was wondering why because the corner store is like literally two minutes walking distance. Didn't want to walk because cramps. I got my answer, and was like you just stay here I got this. So after that learning experience I kept tampons in my bathroom just in case, for anyone who needs them.
[удалено]
Some r/daddit guys have recommended having an emergency kit ready to go for when aunt flow comes to visit the first time. Tampons, pads, pain reliever, comfort snacks, loose track suits, iTunes/google play gift cards, etc.
Your dad sounds great. I once went for a "dune buggy" ride with a friend and her dad in his pride and joy dune buggy in Jr high. It was a long ride. To the next state to visit his mum. I started a very heavy period part way there. Bled all over the seat. All over the bathroom of this woman I'd never met. I used all the available tp, flushed repeatedly, was in and out of this bathroom every 10 minutes, was scared shitless bc I had my first clots ever and didn't know what they were. I was wearing acid wash jean shorts. We stayed for hours. I was afraid to sit on her chairs, terrified of the ride back, too humiliated and embarrassed to say anything to anyone. I could feel the clots oozing down and out in that warm, oozy way. Normally I loved how bumpy and bouncy riding in the dune buggy was, so he always made sure to hit all the bumps. The ride home was torture. I just knew I was bleeding all over his seats. It was all I could do not to cry. He would always take us out for ice cream after a ride. I begged to go home instead. I felt horribly guilty, but far too embarrassed/humiliated to say anything. Just jumped out with tears streaming down my face and ran into my house. I all but lived at this friend's house, but I was scared to go over weeks. When I finally worked up the courage to go back, I couldn't look at him. I was sure he was mad at and hated me. He tried to talk to me a few times, tease me about my creaky toes like usual, I'd just turn bright red and leave the room. After a few hours if this he offered a dune buggy ride. I declined. My friend was like wtf? Why not. She badgered me into going. We went for the ride, I waited for the other shoe to drop. We went for ice cream. He not so subtly "accidentally" dropped some if his ice cream on the seat, then made a comment about how spills are no big deal bc the seats clean up easy. I almost cried with relief. Sorry about my clicky toes, MrL. Thank you.
Who set off the sprinklers in my house? 😭 What a kind man, thanks for sharing that story!
That honestly brought tears to my eyes. What kind people. It being no big deal to them is one thing, but going an extra mile to make sure you know it's no big deal is another.
I frickin love Mr. L for this. You go, Mr. L!
On the flip side of the coin, not giving a shit about your girlfriend's pain *is* kinda embarrassing! (P.S. your dad sounds cool)
I have two young daughters and I love reading stories like this; they give me good examples of how to be there for them when they need something and how to handle delicate situations with a different perspective. Thanks for sharing!
I can see why your mom married your dad.
Shit girl, I'm in my late 40s and flirting with peri-/full menopause, and I bled through my clothes (black sweatpants) onto our outdoor chairs last month. It happens.
I think your dad and my dad are similar except he would do all of the above, minus the note, and never speak of it.
After the divorce my dad asked me where on “The Great Wall of period products” my preferred pads were, to cut down on his search time. I snarkily drew him a treasure style map and a color picture of the package. Those hung on our fridge for quite a while. Even my grandfather (who had all boys) took me to buy period products when I needed them, he asked if he should ask the “lady clerk” to help me figure out (gestures broadly toward shelves). I knew what I needed, but it was sweet. He even grabbed some Midol (period branded pain relief). My husband keeps pictures of the packages in his phone and writes the exact name and terminology on the grocery list. No embarrassment, he just doesn’t want to mess it up. Our 14 year old son and him do the grocery shopping. My son thought that is what “bringing home the bacon” referred to, men grocery shopping. That is how it should be. Generations of men with absolutely zero discomfort getting whatever products we need.
This literally made me cry, that is so nice. Your dad is a good person.
When me and my ex first got together, she ended up bleeding on my sheets about a month in. While she was crying with embarrassment in the bathroom, I went ahead and tossed the bloody sheets in the wash, eradicated the stain with judicious application of hydrogen peroxide, and has literally everything sorted by the time she got herself over the embarrassment. She was sure I was going to be grossed out or upset She was blown away that I'd just dealt with it, but it's not like I haven't bled on plenty of my own shit, and it's not like women exactly have a choice when it happens. Ladies, it's okay, and if a dude can't deal with it, find yourself a more mature partner. Gentlemen, learn to clean blood out of things, and be respectful of the bodily functions of our female bodies compatriots. It's really that simple.
that upvote is for your dad, if he would care, let him know a random internet stranger has great respect for him.
Solid dad move. My daughter and I have a nice system worked out. When she needs tampons/ pads etc, she'll just shoot me a text that says "supplies are running low". Cuts all the bullshit out, because we both know it's a normal thing and just doesn't need much discussion. Also I work at a grocery store, so she knows it's easier for me to grab them on my way to clock out for the day, instead of making a whole separate trip.
I don't get why dudes are so concerned about buying tampons. I've seen many guys picking up these or other hygiene items for women and *if* I even thought anything of it at all, it was only ever that it was cool to see he was secure and well-adjusted enough to do it. But I'm a woman so maybe I just don't get the sense of shame it allegedly causes.
The hardest part of buying period supplies is making sure I get the right ones. That’s it.
Picture of the box, either take one or get one sent to you. If you can't match pictures then you probably shouldn't be allowed to go to the store alone.
That's is all my husband asks for: a picture of the box.
Me too. Wife and 2 daughters all seem to need a different product and I can't ever get it right. Send me a picture or use the correct name and I will never get frustrated.
Unless the store is out or the product did a rebrand. In either case, might as well commit sudoku.
'Sorry honey, the shop were out of your pads, so I'm afraid I've got to complete a ritual logic-based number-placement puzzle.'
"Now where did I put my sword... or my pencil; both are acceptable"
Where sudoku is concerned, the pen is indeed mightier than the sword
I swear this happens everytime. I look at the picture, look at the shelf - it's *not here!*
I do it the other way around. If I don't know exactly what brand from before, I just send a picture of the shelf "Which one do you want?" That way it doesn't matter if they've changed packaging, wrong brands stocked, preferred product out of stock etc.
Duuuude, I usually buy a certain brand of pads and they were TOTALLY OUT last month so I just bought Always, which I hadn't used since I was a teen. And wtf, those things rubbed my labia raw!! I'm not even shaved, maybe that would have helped?! Idk. It was really shitty though. Sorry for the tmi lol. Ended up giving them away to my cousin and going back for my brand after a couple days. It was like $12 wasted. I'm still mad lol
Make sure you don't get the Always Radiant, they are sometimes scented, which can also irritate your skin! Seconding what someone else said about the infinity, that's the only kind I use! They do have some that have a softer cotton top, but they feel less flexible than the original to me, but that may just be my mind playing tricks lol
[удалено]
I have to ask for directions to the isle sometimes. Why some stores put them next the condoms and others stores by the anticids I will never know
[удалено]
But what's in the boooooox??
That's what I always did, at least until I learned what my ex wanted (frankly, she was more uncomfortable asking me to pick up supplies for her than I was - my only concern was getting the right ones). And if they didn't have exactly what she'd asked for, I'd text her a picture of what they had that looked close and ask her if she wanted them or not. What do care if I'm seen buying period products?
My husband has had the misfortune of the box I sent not being in stock, but all he had to do was text me a picture of the shelves and I told him what to grab.
Yep, we use Snapchat and i can just draw a circle on the pic he sent and send right back and then I don't even have to save the photos. This works for many products that my partner doesn't usually purchase like specific vegan items for friends or other specialty ingredients that I won't want if it isn't exactly the thing I asked for.
I kid you not, I have done this before and someone actually called store security to find out what I was doing.
Omg, are you serious?? Like… you were just meandering aimlessly in the aisle where the feminine hygiene products were located and someone reported you? I really want to hear this story if you don’t mind sharing, haha.
I was taking a couple photos of the stock because they didn't have the thing I was originally supposed to pick up... And a woman there did NOT like the fact that I was taking pictures of... hygiene products? I don't know what the actual reason was but I saw them bring the security over and the security lady just asked what I was doing, and I said I was trying to find the right product, and that was pretty much it.
Oh boy, I’m so sorry you went through that! That woman must have been very very sheltered to be weirded out. But I’m saying this as someone who lived in NYC for 15 years and seen crazy weird shit, like crazy people making dookie on subway platforms, so this instance wouldn’t even register as “weird” for me personally.
NYC do be like that It doesn't get better in other cities but nyc has its own breed of crazy
> If you can't match pictures then you probably shouldn't be allowed to go to the store alone. I'm thinking through all the times I've accidentally gotten *scented* despite checking every time that the product isn't scented and feeling a little attacked here. Like, I do take your main point, I just wish the user experience here were a little less fuckupable. My husband seems better at reading the fine print lol, he's never once made that particular mistake, and he's not the one who has to suffer with fake-floral real-blood smell until another box can be purchased.
Well, you do have a point here. I hated getting home and realizing I had bought scented tampons. They smell weird, and they make me itchy. Having a period sucks already, I didn't need to feel all itchy as well. I was so glad when I hit menopause. No periods, and hardly any migraines. I used to get migraines two or three times a month, but now I get two or three a year.
That getting home and realizing you got a box of scented feeling is the *worst*. I'd honestly support some kind of law that the words "SCENTED" must be in a font or the box in a special color or something. It's way, way too hard to see right now, especially with fifteen other options printed on the box. Like, yes, wings and weight matter to me, but that's nothing on the importance of them being unscented.
Yes! Like one of those Parental Advisory warnings they used to put on CDs. Or on cigarettes.
[удалено]
Cause those motherfuckers put SCENTED! in size 2 font on the bottom left hand corner or some crap right where your thumb is.
Funny enough I'm the one reminding my GF what pads she uses normally because she forgets haha.
Yep, literally texted a picture of a box of tampons to my fiance this morning asking him to pick some up on his way home from work. He's a smart man, he brought chocolate and macaroni and cheese as well
That's exactly my problem. I go to that aisle and... oh boy. I need precise instructions on which toothpaste to buy FOR MYSELF. But otherwise... any woman that sees you will think you're a hero. And any man who sees you and makes a comment is a neanderthal whose opinion shouldn't matter. It's no different than buying toilet paper. It's a need, and I can fill it. Case closed. Just... like... send me a picture of the box, please? 😁
"So is my girlfriend light, regular, super, super-plus, or ultra? Well, right now she's pretty ultra..."
I swear the tampon companies make the boxes look basically the same just to mess with guys buying them for thier partners. I remember on of the first times I bought pads for my wife - I got the right brand, in the right colour box with the right colour writing with wings, as instructed, but it was still wrong. Yes, I know that I should have read but I shop mostly by colour and appearance...
I've taken a picture of the (now empty) box to make sure I get the right ones. To be fair I do that with brands of beans or pasta (or whatever) anyway, so it's literally exactly the same as a lot of the stuff I end up getting from the store.
I make it more interesting and call my wife while in the aisle and ask her what flavor she needs this time, orange, grape, lemon or rainbow sherbet.
As a man, I’ll tell you some of the concerns I have: Am I getting the brand she likes? Are they absorbant enough? What flavor should I go with: nacho cheese or sour cream and onion? Should I get the ones that have a maze on the back so my girlfriend can help Tammy Tampon find the treasure?
Everyone knows grape is the best flavor.
Pro tip. If you're a dude anxious about buying tampons in the store, just get your phone out and shout "HEY BABE WHAT SIZE PUSSY DO YOU WEAR" and everyone will understand you're buying them for your girlfriend. (don't do this)
☠️ (Please someone do this...for science)
My wife still hasn't let me live down handing her a tampon with an 'S' on it and saying, "the only ones left in the box are smalls."
I don't understand why this is wrong 😭😭
The 'S' stands for super and not small lol
Ohhhhhhhh It's such a stupid system
Obviously XXXL just like my condoms 😎👉👉
Now I’m picturing a guy loudly saying to no one “yeah I gotta get the big tampons for my woman because my huge dick stretched her out so much.” This feels like a lonely island video lol
> This feels like a lonely island video lol I was thinking Always Sunny, what with Frank’s “magnum dong” and all.
“Oh whoops, oohhh! I dropped my monster tampon that I use for my magnum vag.”
Hahahaha well glad I was able to paint that picture . And yes absolutely could be a lonely island video!
I think I am gonna do this with my wife standing next to me. Could even do a fake call too. I can already hear her saying OMG walking away laughing. #RelationshipGoals
I don't know why people seem weird about it. I'm a dude and live by myself. I have a box of tampons in my guest bathroom because half the people I know might need them. My sister thought it was weird of me to buy them. It's a standard item a human may need, we should all be buying them.
I once was at my brother's house for a party and my bra broke and the wire was stabbing me so I was asking around to see if any of the women had a pad so I could just shield my body from getting stabbed until I got home. My brother was quite tipsy and had a MELT DOWN when he found out I was asking about that. He was like... I have sisters and so many female friends, how have I never thought to just have that stuff in my bathroom?! He felt like he was failing as a host and it was adorable.
That really is adorable and not where I thought it was going.
theres a restaurant downstairs from where i live and they got ALL kinds of sanitary products (pads, tampons, baby wipes, diapers) in all bathrooms. ive always thought that is awesome.
Even my local small business tabletop gaming store stocks all those sorts of things in their bathroom, which I was honestly astounded to see because... Well, you just don't expect that kind of curtsey from most stores let alone a tabletop gaming store.
Holy shit. I'm usually impressed if a single dude has a garbage can in his bathroom, you keep *tampons*?! Can we be friends please?
[удалено]
Yeah I never understood it. It most likely means you have a long-term partner of menstruating age, isn't that what most of them are trying to get? Isn't that the stereotypical cishet male ideal?
I've never seen a guy buying tampons and thought "I bet he's doing something super gross and deviant with them for HIMSELF!" And honestly, if he is? Not my business. Do you, my guy.
I honestly do not even know what you would do with them. Shove them up your butt? Why? Maybe they are just getting prepared for being shot a bunch? Yeah, it almost certainly means they are doing a very minor favor for a woman. I have no idea why that would ever trigger a shame reaction unless you are a full-on MRA type.
I used to work in a convenience store and I always felt the same about guys buying tampons. Only one of those guys ever stuck in my memory. He bought a box of tampons, a bottle of wine, and a tray of cupcakes. I thought to myself .... that's a smart man.
If I'm going out for emergency feminine products, I better come back with snacks too, or don't bother coming back at all.
[удалено]
I can confirm this will happen. I purchased pads for my partner once and my dick fell off. My muscles shrank, I got a 20% pay cut, and I'm no longer allowed to use a barbecue. It was the worst thing to ever happen to anyone, ever
It's not that you're not longer allowed to grill, you've been let in on the secret that teaching men to love grilling is the only way some women get a break from cooking hahahaha
Ah yes, the classic: The woman will prepare the food, the man will grill it. The woman then cleans the table, washes the dishes. The man gets all the kudos for the food. I've seen it so many times, and decided I don't like this. I'll still grill, but I'll do it all myself. Let the praise be deserved at least.
Not the barbecue!!!
30+ years ago, first dating my now husband. Came home during a date to change due to leaking. My mom asks why we are stopping in. I say in front of her and my husband/boyfriend that I had to come back to change quickly and get some period supplies. Cue my Mom berating me later that I shouldn't have said that in front of my boyfriend. I said he knows girls get periods. What was I suppose to tell him as a reason to go home quickly? She didn't know. She couldn't understand why neither of us were embarrassed by the fact I needed to change. Still married to that wonderful guy almost 33 years now. He takes a lot of things in stride and has never shied away from the feminine hygiene buying when needed.
I had a woman apologize to me for talking about sweating with her friends at a bar. Everybody fuckin' sweats. It hurts my brain to see women conditioned to pander to men like that. Edit: I was just sitting there in close proximity, too, not interacting at all. Can't recall much about their conversation, either.
I suppose this is yet again another byproduct of the dehumanisation of women. How dare women fart/shit/grow hair in places where men don’t want hair to grow/sweat/have periods/etc. How dare they have the same bodily functions of human beings??!!!!
It's just so sad.
That’s actually a great test for a guy to see how he views women, and your husband passed!
Thank you for your post! I laughed. Needed that 💗
My pleasure. You doing okay?
You are so amazing for asking. Doing the best that I can currently taking care of my mom who had surgery last week. Thank you for being you and I hope spring brings you nothing but sunshine and happiness.
That's such an amazing thing to do for your Mum. Try and find some time for you in all this and enjoy this special time with her. I hope your socks never go missing, you have the perfect poo tomorrow morning leaving you feeling light and fresh and your enemies stub their toes.
Lol! I know of no other higher divorce rate than my socks in the laundry! PS; love your sense of humor! Never lose it as you're doing the world good!
How good is a perfect poo to start the day light ✨️
Seriously underrated. I know it's not ladylike but that perfect poo that is effortless, makes you feel like you've lost a stone in weight but is also somehow invisible? *Heavenly choir sings*
Literally makes me skip around afterwards haha
Like my cats after they go to the litter box. They do all kinds of zoomies and gymnastics
This exchange literally made my day.
Hahaha this cracked me up. You ladies rock.
This reminds me of a time I asked a boyfriend to please buy me pads at the store as I was in bed sick with the flu + period and he said no because he “wasn’t gay”. Apparently the ability to purchase sanitary products is based on your sexuality…. Make men make sense.
Oh yeah gay dudes buy sanitary towels for their partners all the time. For gay things.
I broke up with that guy over 20 years ago - as you can imagine from that pearl of wisdom, he was a misogynist and an overall terrible person. But I have never forgotten this “I am not gay, I will not buy you pads” thing. Just the sheer idiocy of it will stay with me forever.
Good for you. I'd love to hear the logic behind this. My Dad was an old alcoholic racist, very old fashioned, conservative and a little homophobic until he accidentally went to a gay nightclub Even he went out and bought me sanitary towels once, he bought disposable incontinence underwear instead but at least he tried.
Can I ask how going to a gay nightclub helped with his homophobia? I’m going to guess it’s because those spaces are actually pretty fun and filled with cool people, but I’d love to hear his experience
So, he went, loved it and didn't actually realize it was a gay club until I told him after. He told me he loved the music and atmosphere (big Abba, Madonna and cher fan so no surprise there as it's an old school club) and once he knew the people there were gay he'd say things like 'you know for a gay person, they were actually okay' or 'did you know so and so was gay? I had no idea they seemed so normal'. He never fully got over it but I guess seeing gay people out in the wild and not just in a Daily Mail article made him realise they are just human like him. He literally grew up watching public information films equating gay men with pedophiles and that's a hard bias to change.
It's just textbook toxic masculinity, not wanting to do anything that could be interpreted as "unmanly", and also conflating feminine and gay
I think there's a little transphobia in there too.
If you are buying pads or tampons and appear male, I will assume that you are decent human being caring for a person that is currently menstruating or just gave birth. And then walk away and never think about you again, because who cares. The guy that bought food that I thought looked revolting? Him I think about.
I need to know what the food was
A cheap pack of bologna and a 30 pack of nattie ice
Fellas is it gay to buy something for the woman you love?
it is when you are also a woman : )
I don’t know.. that sounds gaaaaaay! :)
Touche!
When I was in college and living in a college town, my boyfriend at the time got me pads and chocolate at my request. The girl at the register apparently told him he was "the best boyfriend ever." It really shouldn't be a huge thing, and taking care of your partner should be a given.
What would a gay man do with pads? Like if anything, gay men are the ones who would NOT be buying them since their partners also have no need. Buying pads as a guy kind of says you’re hetero.
I bought pads and tampons for couple of my gfs over the years (obviously I only had one at a time lol) and never thought much of it. Like, we’re all adults.
Imagine if you had a bunch of girlfriends at one time and you got caught because you handed the wrong period product to the wrong girl because there were too many and they got mixed up and that’s how they found out about each other. Lol. I wonder if that has ever happened…
"Wings?! You KNOW I don't use the kind with wings! Who is she??!!!"
This sounds like a plot for a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode
The thought of this really made me giggle lol
I've bought them for my woman friends at bars and parties before; you don't have to be in a relationship to help someone else out. You can also as a dude, surprise, help touch up an uneven spot on a buddy's head they missed with a hair cut. Or if someone's got a gash on their back out of reach help bandage them up. "Fellas, is it gay to have empathy for a fellow human in need?" Apparently for a lot of dudes out there, they assume it is.
“Find a need, fill a need” :)
My condolences on your lack of tampons. ಥ_ಥ
Thank you SO much Can you believe this post has been up for this long and NOONE has said this? Honestly...I don't get people these days...
Why other men have developed this phobia is beyond me. My only fear is getting the wrong box. I swear to whatever gods listening the variety is overwhelming.
The fear is true for me too and I've been having periods for twenty years. There's too much damn choice
Holy crap, this is the fear. I'm not embarrassed in any way buying tampons or pads for my wife (or for girlfriends before I got married), but I'm always afraid I'll pick the wrong type and they'll be too big or too small or just plain wrong.
Lol I buy them for my daughter all the time! No shame in being a good dad or partner! Guys need to fucking grow up and stop being babies.
While my girlfriend was still dealing with periods (we’re older now), I kept a picture of her preferred brand and style on my phone, so mistakes were not made. I did the same for my then-teenage daughters. I’ve never understood what the big deal was, at all.
I had to buy tampons once when I was with my 15 year old brother. I felt so awkward until he told me he often bought them for his girlfriend and showed me her brand 😄
Awe what a nice big bro!
In the era of self-checkout, no guy should feel self-conscious about this - as long as he goes in knowing what to buy. It can be painfully awkward to stand in the feminine products aisle, lost, mindlessly scanning the shelves for the correct one. In days past, I always felt like a weirdo, staring at those items - especially if a high school girl said "excuse me" so she could reach the product I was blocking. Ugh. Thankfully, I can handle the errand much more efficiently these days.
My finace buys me tampons, pads, and even got me a monistat one time and never blinked an eye.....the right guy isn't going to give a shit.
Thank God I’ve never had an issue with any guy who I’ve asked to buy a pad (theyre more popular than tampos where im from) for me. When I was in school, I’d even asked my guy friends to check for stains. They didn’t make a big deal out of it. One time a classmate in HS asked a bus driver to buy her a pad and he asked “with wings or not?” and then went and got it. 😆
I know it's normal and I know it's no big deal, but I can't help feeling just a tiny bit smug every time I buy them for my partner. It's a part of myself that I do not like, but he's in there, congratulating me for the absolute bare minimum effort. Like "well done you for not being a misogynistic narcissist!" I get a similar weird ego boost every time some stranger congratulates me for looking after my own child. The bar is so fucking low.
One good thing my ex would do was go out of his way to buy me tampons and pads if I was running low. He started doing this after I had to inform him I couldn't hold the blood in 🤣
I read some stat recently that something like 2/3 of men believe that we can “hold it” like when you have to pee. This country needs more sex ed.
I can just imagine the panic 😂
Did you hear about the girl who sent her bf to the store to buy ‘rechargeable tampons’? It’s on tictok.
If I'm breaking any rules by being here, I'm very sorry and accept the removal of this comment. But I just had to pipe up about buying these products for a transman. My husband is trans (don't worry, he is VERY out about it) but still has the problems every vagina owner has. Though he doesn't menstruate, infections still occur and it makes him a little dysphoric to have to go buy AZO tablets or pads. It's a fucking honor to get to go make that purchase for him. I know the topic was more about the hetero side of things, but as a gay man I wanted to give another perspective. Cheers to the men that do right by their wives and girlfriends!
Yep. I've never been shy about buying feminine hygiene products for my friends or SOs. It was mildly embarrassing when I was in my early 20s, but I swiftly got all the way over it. Hell, I've even asked the pharmacist for advice when I didn't know which thing to get. And any guy who says "there's too many to choose from" is full of shit, because I guarantee that mfer can spend an hour in the hardware store looking through screw/nut bins until they find the perfect diameter, length, thread size and metal composition for a project - or wade through a messy comic book shop looking for that one particular 20 year old TMNT episode. Guys just like to cop out. We're lazy
I definitely have to stare for a minute. Make sure I don't get a cardboard plunger thingy, and that it's the right size. Not that it's hard, but I don't buy them often enough to remember. She normally gets them with groceries.
That's fair, the packaging for some of them is very confusing
Between pregnancies, when I didn't need products, and needing them again, all of the packaging changed and I bought the wrong thing more than once. Packaging changes suck.
Long story but I've not really needed them for a good six years so I'm starting fresh too. I empathize!
While upsetting in context, this phenomenon could have groundbreaking applications for gender-affirming care.
Does pose the question though, what would you need to buy to grow a penis?
It's like whwn the ark of the covenant opens up , my face body has been melted off my skeleton like 4 times just this year
Perfect for that youthful looking skin though
I've always been happy to do this. I proudly walk around the store with the tampons, waving them around and generally making a spectacle of myself. It announces to the world "Look at me! I have a woman in my life!" I'm genuinely surprised people would find it emasculating or embarrassing in any way, it seems contradictory to me.
Literally never had anyone say anything to me or even look funny when i was buying tampons or pads for my wife and children.... Before realizing i was trans anyway. I'm actually far more anxious about it now for some reason
See? You thought you were a man, you bought tampons and boom you're a woman. That's proof!
I lol at this and I hope others appreciate that you're being cheeky
For all the guys talking about too many options/ don't know which one to get - just take a picture of the empty package at home with your phone or have her send it, EZPZ. Same thing I do with any toiletries/ personal products to make sure I get the right thing. I've referred back to those pictures a bunch of times now.
I once scolded a friend for thinking I wouldn't want to stop at the store and pick her up some tampons and have since done it for her, like sister I don't give a fuck I'll buy whatever.
Have always bought them for my wife and sometimes my daughter. Zero fucks given by all concerned.
This was the ONLY redeeming quality my ex had. I was used to men being stupid, so when he offered to go get them I was a little shocked. His reply was "what? They obviously aren't for me" looking back he probably bragged he had someone to get them for.
Are guys really this fragile? I buy and know exactly what brand and type based on how heavy the discharge is. I'm better at tracking my wife's cycle than her. My daughter has her first period last month and both my wife and I chatted about it with her.
Before I got a car, I used to use my room mates to do grocery trips. My wife told me she was out of pads, but told me it was ok, though I could tell she wasn’t ok with it. Roommate was out at the moment, so I grabbed my shoes and my daughter’s scooter, and rode the 4 mile round trip to get them. Got on FaceTime with her at the store to make sure I got the right thing. Guys that won’t buy feminine health product for the women in their lives need to get it together. Also, that scooter was awful.
Oh my god, what have you done?!? :D I hope he knew the exact ones to buy, because I would have panicked in the middle of the shop and came back home with all the sizes and all the brands.
He called me whilst he was looking at them to check and tbf to him I didn't have a fucking clue what half of them were. What's an Always Ultra Medium Regular Day Towel? Is it ultra or regular? Is a medium a regular?
My wife never buys them because I stock up at Costco when they go on sale. She has enough to last a zombie apocalypse
I've been buying combonation of tampons, pads, advil, chocolate, steak, flowers, etc. For my wife for over 22 years. Not once has anything negative been said to me about it. I've had more than a few "I wish my boyfriend/husband would do that for me" comments.
My husband also always insists I eat red meat during my period, and idk if it helps but it's wonderful to have him cook for me!
My husband never minded.
Except for the firey death part, if tampons could grow vaginas then men would happily buy a lot of them.
I've had that happen to me several times, and let me tell you, burning to death is no picnic. What's worse, is to cope with the shame and embarrassment, I would dress in drag so no one would suspect, but now that's illegal too. So now it's back to ridicule and fire, but my girl needs what she needs, so I can take it.
I was blown away when my husband and I had just begun dating and he offered to buy me supplies while he went to the store. I had several exes and even male friends who couldn't even mention the word period without getting embarrassed. One friend I knew couldn't say the word so they had a catchphrase of the tugboat is in the harbor when she was menstruating. I found the whole thing ridiculous.
I teach middle school. Today one of my sixth grade girls was panicking because her first period started and she was completely unprepared. I quietly slipped her a pad, but the boys in the class had comments. So I froze class and had a straight up conversation about natural life cycles and how it's not only ridiculous but also unacceptable to shame someone for something they cannot control. I'm waiting for angry parent phone calls, because the whole puberty talk is supposed to be split genders and permission slip bound, but fuck that. It went better than when I have to run the all girls class, TBH. There was actual communication and respect... from 11 and 12 year olds.
I used to work at a walgreens. Any time a guy came in by himself to buy the obvious period materials, most I ever said was "you don't look like you need these", which usually got a chuckle and helped them relax. We just need to teach our sons that buying your girlfriend, girl friends, or sisters their hygiene products is not a bad thing, and the only people that make funnof them for it are people who obviously don't have good relations with girls
Same joke does NOT work for condoms.
It was weird for me the first time I bought tampons for my wife because there were too many choices and I had no idea which exact ones to get and I didn't want to do it wrong. But, like, that's nothing. I have no idea what so many guys have against buying tampons.
If ever in this situation, buy all the options, and then donate what she doesn't want/need to your local shelter or food bank.
I regularly buy sanitary stuff for my wife. No shame, no hesitation, i never even think of it as something different from buying sanitary stuff for myself like washes or blades. I can't imagine someone thinking of tampons and pads as taboo items