Raise the Cycle
Raise the Cycle & You
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You are the parent/carer of a child aged 7+ who will one day have a menstrual cycle. You are perhaps confused by the mixed messaging around the menstrual cycle and unsure where to start. You would like community to share with and learn from.
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You work within an organisation that supports young people and recognise the need for greater menstrual education and support systems.
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You are looking for ways to support your child’s health and well-being. You would like your child to have a better experience than you may have done at menarche. You perhaps feel like it will be hard for you to find something positive to celebrate about the menstrual cycle but know it’s important.
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You are looking for ways to approach and engage in these conversations with your child. You want to take time to prepare and acknowledge that important change is coming.
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You would like support to process and understand your own menarche, to ensure you can focus on your young person and be sensitive to THEIR needs, not recreating what you may have needed and wanted.
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You have gaps in your own understanding and knowledge of the menstrual cycle and would like practical support in how to approach and guide your child.
Changing Narratives
Raise the Cycle counters the notion that periods, especially the first one, occur unexpectedly in other words ‘catching us out’. Raise the Cycle helps you understand the process of physical development so you can be prepared and ready to support young people in your life. Receiving a positive menstrual education should take place before the first period. The average age in Europe for first periods is 12.7 years, although some will start at around 8 years. We also dispel the concept that someone starts their periods ‘early’ or ‘late’.
Menarche is a shift both a physiologically and psychologically. Despite improving attitudes, it’s happening today against a backdrop of complex cultural and political events and remains stigmatized. Positive menstrual experiences are linked to higher self esteem, improved body literacy, better sexual decision making and improved health outcomes. Our modern approach to the menstrual cycle significantly reduces the importance of this milestone, keeping us from knowing one of our vital health signs and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world we live in.
Raise the Cycle is based on the understanding that the menstrual cycle can be a path to embodiment and a feeling of belonging. This is a markedly different approach to that which we see in the mainstream which teaches us to disconnect and endure.
Reframe, Re-Educate, Research and Community
Raise the Cycle uses a dual-aspect approach to
provide focused support for parents/carers to learn a broad spectrum menstrual education for their young people using a whole-cycle perspective
provide space, time and community for parents/carers to revisit and reframe their own menstrual experience. Thus supporting processing and integration for the adults in order to support our children to create their own story.
At Raise The Cycle, we want you to feel confident in your approach and help you get clear on your menstrual narratives so your young people have the best possible support. We recognise that this can be a daunting time for parents, especially if your own experiences have been challenging, painful or isolating. Our society tells us that someone else should deliver this information to our children via schools, books and groups. Whilst these are all valuable and supportive tools, not having these conversations at home can perpetuate menstrual shame and stigma, further embedding isolation and menstrual silence. One research study shows emotionally engaged mothers at menarche were able to mitigate some of the more negative feelings of menstrual shame that exist in our society.
To read more about the themes covered and what is included in the Six Weeks of Support click here.