WHITE OAK, Texas — An East Texas woman is helping parents across the county navigate a milestone event in their young daughter's lives through a special box.
Bobbie Stephenson, of White Oak, is the owner of Aunt Flow - Girls Guide to Periods. Her small business creates personalized first period boxes for young girls and helps parents start a difficult conversation about body change.
"We don't want to accept that our girls are growing up. We don't want to think about when it comes to that menstrual time for them, their emotions and dealing with the products," Stephenson said. "And so, I just thought, maybe I can make it a business just to help other moms out there, or even dads."
Stephenson said after she created a custom box for her daughter, she realized the importance of personalizing a box. She enjoys creating them because each box is different for each girl.
"I didn't want just a generic thing that everybody’s getting. I wanted something more personalized for my daughter and that's what I want to do for other girls. Give them something that's more to make them feel a lit bit more special," Stephenson said.
East Texas mother helps parents, daughters start menstrual conversations through special box of items
One of her first customers was single father, Angelo Britton, who purchased a period box for his 10-year-old daughter.
"I wanted to do something special for my daughter. Something that would be personalized and would make her feel welcome entering that stage of her life," Britton said. "I immediately reached out to her and requested a box."
Through a Google form, parents have four options to choose from. Each box can be filled with different items such as an informational book, pamphlet, a period tracker book, feminine products, hair items, spa products and more. The price varies from $25 to $100, depending on the additional items added.
"I added a few things that I think she would like and of course, she put them in the box. But on top of that Bobbie went out of her way to add a few extra things that she believed that my daughter would like," Britton said. "Things being like face masks, or facial scrubbers. When my daughter opened the box, she was very pleasantly surprised."
Stephenson said there's a high percentage of girls that never have conversations with their parents before they start. She's glad her period boxes are changing that.
"That's the main goal I have, I just want people to get the conversation started so that many girls can be prepared for that moment in their lives," Stephenson said.
Stephenson is continuing that important conversation online on Facebook, where she talks about menstrual and other health information. She hopes in the future to create boxes for other monumental moments in women’s' lives, such as pregnancy, cancer and menopause.
For more information on how to order a menstrual box, click here.