Psa for moms with teenage daughters

amother

Diamond

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 11:39 am

I honestly don't remember if there were rubbish bins in the school bathrooms or not. Not a Beis Yaakov. I don't remember supplies being available from any source in school, either. We took our bags with us, changing from one room to another for most classes, so it didn't raise any eyebrows if you went into the bathroom with your bag on the way from one room to another. I used tampons and flushable pads, and didn't like the idea of it sitting in a rubbish bin anyway. Maybe it hasn't occured to the management that most pads nowadays are not flushable.

BrisketBoss

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 11:46 am

amother [ Diamond ] wrote:

I doubt the ones you remember as being flushable were truly flushable either. Some people still think tampons are. They are not. The toilet is for TP and stuff that comes out of your body.

Chayalle

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 11:49 am

amother [ Diamond ] wrote:

My mother A"H had a good friend who was a high school principal, in a pretty RW BY. They kept having issues with the plumbing in the bathrooms, which was costing the school a pretty penny. One day she got up in front of the auditorium, and told the girls straight out, there are garbages in the bathroom stalls, please dispose of your sanitary napkins appropriately. Please do not flush them, as it is causing monetary losses for the school.

amother

Diamond

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 11:50 am

BrisketBoss wrote:

I doubt the ones you remember as being flushable were truly flushable either. Some people still think tampons are. They are not. The toilet is for TP and stuff that comes out of your body.

It said in the packet that they were. You had to tear them open long ways so the water could get it. They didn't have a plastic base. There was a while when there were four of us using them at home, a d we never had a problem with the plumbing.

amother

Daylily

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 11:54 am

Chayalle wrote:

Something similar happened at my BY except we had a male principal so he told the teachers to relay the message to us.
We did have mini trashcans in each stall though plus a regular trashcan for paper towels near the sinks. Wouldn't schools at least have 1 of those??

observer

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:35 pm

OOTforlife wrote:

I don't think OP is saying that the school needs to provide all the pads and tampons for student's needs, but just saying they should be available in the building. Every school I've attended, which were non-Jewish public and private, and every workplace I've ever worked has at least had vending machines with pads and tampons in restrooms.

No school or workplace I have been to have. And especially if you know they don't have, you keep a couple of spare in your locker or knapsack.

singleagain

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 12:39 pm

We had them put a box in a shared bathroom for pads/tampons. But I switched to thinx and I love it bc it avoids this awkward mess... Unless it comes unexpectedly but that's why I have spares in the bathroom

amother

Yarrow

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 4:18 pm

Interesting conversation. My elementary school had trash bins only on the Jr high floor until a fifth grader got her period and the mom called up the school and told them they better get trash bins in the bathroom. I really need to ask my daughters what the trash can situation is in their school. Neither have their period yet.

amother

Slategray

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 4:23 pm

Ema of 4 wrote:

I’m sorry this was your experience, it sounds awful and embarrassing. This is not something BY specific though, this is something specific to the school you went to. My BY had pads and tampons available in the office if you needed. The secretary was awesome, and you could totally ask and receive what you needed with discretion. There were hanging garbage cans in every stall in bathrooms on all floors.

I went to bais yaakov and I don't recall the exact set up but it sounds exactly like you're describing.
sorry, OP, I think it was ur school, not related to BY

amother

Geranium

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 4:53 pm

amother [ Lightgray ] wrote:

Girls should always keep some pads in their knapsack. I don't think it's the norm for schools to supply pads or tampons. Though there should be trash cans in each bathroom stall.

Public restrooms often have tampon/pad dispensers as a courtesy. It isn't standard for schools to provide supplies, but it should be. Or course girls should bring their own, but if a girl forgets or doesn't realize she needs one until she's already in the restroom without her bag, she shouldn't be stuck.

Elfrida

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:15 pm

amother [ Geranium ] wrote:

The question is whether a teenage girl would be willing to use such a machine. Girls are highly self conscious and easily embarrassed, and the machine would probably be in the public area of the bathroom where anyone could walk in.

amother

Geranium

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:21 pm

Elfrida wrote:

Schools should just have a basket of pads and tampons. In actual public restrooms, it's a machine, often a vending machine that takes quarters, but even when provided at no charge, a machine designed to prevent someone from stealing the whole supply. A school should just use the honor system and trust that the students will take only what they need. Maybe it should be in a basket with other essentials like hair ties, bandaids, etc. so reaching for the basket isn't an announcement.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:21 pm

It's actually easy these days to be able to walk in with nothing, assuming one is prepared. Wear Thinx type underwear with a pad on top that is removed in the middle of the day and no pad needed for the rest of the day but still protected...

amother

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:40 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

I'm not understanding why a "very, very right wing school" is relevant here. Human biology is the same across all hashkafot.

True but like relations or really anything that they didn't feel comfortable discussing they just pretended it didn't exist. I see lots of pple are saying their friends had some. I guess I didn't have alot of friends I could ask either.

amother

Daylily

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:43 pm

There was a law passed recently I forget where that requires schools to stock free menstrual products in girls bathrooms. I figure it's only a matter of time before it spreads and becomes universal.

But I still don't get how schools had not a single trash can in the bathrooms. How did the girls throw out paper towels after washing hands?

amother

Lightgray

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:43 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I went to a very chassidish school and there were trash cans with lids in all stalls. There was also a girl that has a oad gemach in her locker.
It doesn’t have anything to do with the type of school. It has to do with each individual school. If people don't speak up about it, the issue won't get solved by itself.

amother

Whitewash

Thu, Dec 09 2021, 5:50 pm

The washing room in the bathroom by the sinks always has a large garbage can for the paper towels. That’s where you dispose of all your garbage. I don’t think the school is required to supply pads though I’m sure a secretary would have a few pieces in case of emergency.