cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Aug 19, 2018 11:08:15 GMT -5
I remember reading somewhere that girls who grow up without a father usually start their periods earlier, but maybe Kristy's brothers canceled that out, or her uterus was anticipating a really long eighth-grade year living with Watson in his -- get this -- real live mansion. Also, I actually assumed that all the eighth grade girls were menstruating and that neither of the eleven-year-olds were, just because I started mine right before seventh grade. Very egocentric of me, but it provided an effective fanwank. Finally -- I would murder my friends if I knew they were telling their grandmothers I had my period. Ugh. That so-called study of girls starting their periods earlier if they don't have a dad living with them was found to be false and mostly junk 'science.' Not all girls grow up the same way...lots of ten and eleven-year-olds have their periods, regardless of whether their dad lives with them or not. And plenty of girls don't start their period until they're sixteen.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Aug 19, 2018 11:11:14 GMT -5
I started my period when I was ten, too, (and felt very cheated as well) and I know most of my friends started at eleven. however, in the book/filmindustrie they always make it seem like 12 or 13 is a normal age to start. Before I had my period, I was terrified of it, really terrified. I think a few mentions in the BSC books or someone wanting to get hers would've made it less scary for me. Maybe this goes for other girls, too, so a mention wouldn't have been so bad. It's widely varied. I have a friend who didn't start her period until she was seventeen...and she was perfectly healthy.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Aug 19, 2018 11:15:03 GMT -5
Heh, well I didn't get my period until I was 13 and in eighth grade, although I was one of the last of my peers to get it. I guess that's why I assumed the BSC should be either anxiously anticipating their periods or just beginning to awkwardly contend with the monthly arrival. Also, on the grandmother thing. I was staying at my Grandma's house and started feeling sick and my grandmother asked me if my period was due. It wasn't, but I wanted to die. I didn't want to hear my grandmother mentioning those things at ALL!! Can't believe there are any 12 yr olds that would truly welcome such a discussion with an elderly relative. I know plenty of girls who aren't afraid to mention their periods to their grandmums...I wasn't either. And thirteen is not an unusual age to start your period...I didn't start until I was almost fourteen and I grew up not so long ago.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Aug 29, 2018 5:27:17 GMT -5
I'm currently reading another childhood favorite by Judy Blume - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and while it would be ludicruous to compare the BSC with Judy Blume books, it makes me wonder? It wouldn't be too ludicrous, Macca. In lots of ways, the BSC is similar to Judy Blume, even though Judy Blume didn't write a series. But the style is similar...same first-person accounts, same strong female friendships, same resourcefulness of the girls from both authors, same epic caliber. The BSC is sort of like a younger sister group to Judy Blume's epics. Of Mary Anne stressing because Claudia, Stacey and Dawn already had theirs and she didn't? Kristy wouldn't be likely to care, of course. That's actually a good fanfic idea! I wrote a fanfic on it years ago and it's kind of a prequel to my stories of the BSC in high school. In my story, even Kristy has her period along with the senior BSC by that August before high school...and Mary Anne is a bit worried and embarrassed...eventually, she gets her period at the beginning of ninth grade, but wow, is it a rather anxious few weeks for her. That's my theory on them and puberty. I also have them all contend with acne in their freshman and sophomore year along with most of their classmates. Their high school years are EPIC.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Aug 29, 2018 5:39:50 GMT -5
Yeah, I always wondered about that too. I mean, I got mine when I was nine...and by the time I was thirteen almost all of my friends had gotten theirs. Are we supposed to believe that out of a group of six thirteen year old girls, none of them are supposed to have hit puberty? It's not something I discussed with my friends, but I most definately "almost missed school because of my cramps" Not all girls have menstrual cramps...and most girls don't miss school because of their periods. I think some of the BSC were probably starting puberty, but in a subtle, quiet way. It just wasn't a central theme in the BSC's lives. And don't forget that puberty doesn't happen all at once and is not an overnight deal. One girl might start breast development at thirteen...and her breasts could grow very slowly until she's seventeen and maybe she'd get her period at fourteen or fifteen. Another girl might get her period at eleven and her breasts might not start growing until she's twelve or thirteen...and they might complete growing when she's eighteen. It's not a uniform thing that occurs at the same age for every girl...not all girls start their periods or developing breasts at twelve or thirteen. And no girl goes to bed short, flat-chested and without periods, then wakes up the next morning with size-C breasts, a full-flow menstrual cycle and tall...just doesn't happen that way in real life, despite what some OTHER not-very-realistic 'puberty' books depict.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 8:48:18 GMT -5
Off topic, but I really wish Judy Blume would write some more books. I think the last one she did was another dumb sequel to the Fudge books. I wonder if she'll ever do another sequel to Just As Long As We're Together/Here's To You, Rachel Robinson about Alison. I really thought one would be written, especially because the last book kinds of hints at it but it's been awhile so I'm skeptical. Me also! It would be nice to see one from Alison's POV. That trio was great also...and they also lived in Connecticut not too far from the BSC. They were also a legend like the BSC.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 8:51:11 GMT -5
hehehehe, sounds very typical. I can't help but at politicians/religious groups etc who argue the pros and cons of "abstinence only" sex ed. As far as I'm aware, kids don't really learn anything moral or otherwise in those classes. It's really all just a bit of a laugh. Those 'abstinence only' classes are a joke. They do NOT lower the incidence of teen pregnancy and VD...only providing teenagers with accurate information about puberty and safe sex does.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 8:57:33 GMT -5
Do any 12 yr old girls really lie in bed at night begging God for their periods When I was 13 and most of my friends had theirs and I didn't, I did this. At one point my friend and I discussed which Babysitters we thought had gotten theirs and which hadn't. I think we concluded that Claudia, Stacey and Dawn probably had, while Mary Anne, Kristy, Mal and Jessi hadn't. Although I could see Mary Anne getting hers somewhere in the series. It could've been a book "Mary Anne's Period". LOL. I am sure some twelve to fourteen-year-olds do ask God when their period will start...most just would never admit it out loud. I think Mary Anne would probably get her period a little AFTER Kristy the summer between eight and ninth grade. There are some short girls who start their periods before some of their taller friends...being tall and having breasts is not always a sign that you'll get your period earlier, even before a girl who is still short and flat-chested. Kids go through puberty at differing rates and in so many different ways.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 8:59:44 GMT -5
Huh. You're right, it is weird that Stacey was supposedly busty. But then if I had to pick any of the girls, it would definitely be Stacey who seemed like the padded bra type. ETA: I am thankful I never had to read a Peter Lerangis reference to menstruation. Lord knows what acronyms he'd have made up for that. Stacey wasn't THAT big-breasted; I say she was medium-sized for her age.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:04:23 GMT -5
I was a very late bloomer too. Is there even a normal age? I'm not sure they could have just mentioned it offhand. It's the kind of subject that would bring up questions, and then you can't not answer them. Maybe if the target audience were older and would already have been through it. I don't know. I also was a bit of a late bloomer also...fourteen when I had my first period and fifteen when my breasts began to develop. I've seen many girls, even today's girls start thier periods as late as seventeen. I say the 'normal' age range is anywhere from nine years to seventeen years old. So, not to worry, you are perfectly 'normal.' Don't let anyone tell you differently just because you didn't start at twelve or thirteen.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:08:48 GMT -5
In all honesty, do we want to read about periods or girls bleeding down below? As if it's not bad enough in real life. Yes...because this NATURAL female happening is NOT a 'dirty,' shameful 'secret' that has to be kept hidden. Granted, it's not something to make a huge deal of like being all, OMG! I started my period! like some teen girl book make the mistake of doing. But it's as natural as peeing or breathing.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:17:57 GMT -5
Stacey was always described as having an ample chest--or at least being able to nicely fill out a bikini. (Which makes me a little uncomfortable when talking about a 13-year-old.) Only Kristy and Mallory and Jessi were described as having no chest at all. Period and boobs go hand in hand, so it's sort of weird they were never mentioned. Maybe Anne just really resented hers or something. No, actually periods and breasts do NOT always go hand-in-hand. I know a short, flat-chested twelve-year-old who started her period this summer. One of my sisters had her breats start developing at age eleven...by the time she was fourteen and starting high school, she was wearing a size-C bra, but still had not gotten her first period yet. She finally started her first period a week before her fifteenth birthday near the end of her ninth grade year. I think Stacey had medium-sized breasts for her age, not huge ones. None of the books that I read ever described her as 'busty' or having any 'ample' chest. I also think during the series, Mary Anne was still MOSTLY flat-chested also. I suspect both Mallory and Jessi were rather 'late bloomers.' I can see them not starting their periods until fourteen or fifteen.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:31:18 GMT -5
It never bothered me that they didn't discuss their periods. I guess I always just assumed that they'd all gotten them already. Plus, these books are targetted at girls younger than 13, so I don't know that an 8 year old is interested in reading about periods. Actually, the BSC series was targeted for ten-year-olds...and most eight to ten-year old girls ARE curious about periods, even though many will never admit it. I like that the BSC didn't focus too much on the physical appearances of the girls or how 'far along' they were on the puberty road. It's especially great that Ann Martin didn't pit the BSC girls into 'contests' on who was 'first' to get her period and/or who was first to wear a bra or who was the 'most developed' like too many other teen girl series did. The BSC had far more important matters on their minds than how they looked or who was the 'most developed.' The BSC was NOT the Unicorn club.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:34:22 GMT -5
The boob thing bugged me too, especially with Stacey. Obviously not always, but thinner girls tend to have smaller breasts since they are pretty much just fatty tissue. How did Stacey manage to be almost too thin but with big boobs? Then again, a big chest to a 13 year old might not actually be that big. None of the books I read ever described Stacey as having 'big' breasts...I say like Claudia, Abby and Dawn, she was medium-sized.
|
|
cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
|
Post by cnj on Sept 8, 2018 9:35:15 GMT -5
I didn't get my period until I was 19, so it wasn't unusual for me to assume that it wouldn't be a part of 13 year olds lives. It wasn't really something my friends and I talked about too much. It used to embarrass me. That's normal also.
|
|