Question for Moms of Middle School Girls

Updated on January 21, 2011
M.!. asks from Glendale, AZ
13 answers

HI Moms, my daughter is getting ready to start middle school in a few weeks. She hasn't started her menses yet, but I was thinking of having her start carrying a purse now so that when she does start, it isn't obvious as to why she is carrying one. My question is, do middle school girls even carry purses now or is it not "cool". If they don't what do the carry their hygiene products in?
Thanks so much for your help.

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So What Happened?

I talked it over with my daughter and she decided to put a couple pads in a small pouch and carry it in her backpack. I know middle school can be a challenge, I wanted to make sure I wasn't giving her outdated advice. Thank you everyone for your responses.

More Answers

C.L.

answers from Phoenix on

My 11yo started hers last Oct while she was still in 5th grade. She just has a few pads in her backpack. I would just go that route. I don't think anyone really carries a purse to school in any grade. I know I never did even in High School, I had a wallet/planner in my backpack, but never carried a separet purse and don't remember anyone else having one.

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M.R.

answers from Columbus on

Our school does not let the kids carry a purse. The pads and tampons are so small now, one slips easily into a pocket and they can keep a supply in their locker. Mine keeps a lunch bag in her locker so that she can slip one into her pocket if she needs it. They figure it out, it is not a big issue.

M.

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L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

When my daughter was in middle school, I put some supplies in a pencil case and hung it on one of the hooks in her locker. It was always there for her or anyone who needed hygiene supplies... She carried a purse some of the time in middle school - she had a lot of books, so the purse was almost too much. She only carried it when she thought she might need her supplies...
Now that she's in high school, my daughter carries a purse most of the time. She keeps supplies in a small case her backpack. If she has her period, she often keeps a tampon in her pocket - I get her the compact kind so it's not noticeable.
YMMV
LBC

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W.H.

answers from Phoenix on

I remember a high school friend of mine hid her tampon in her sock along her leg, under jeans of course. Not sure what people would do in scanty summer clothing or flip-flops. The teen supplies are quite compact nowadays and would do fine in a jean pocket, backpack pocket, etc.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Find out if your daughters school allows them to carry back packs, and/or if they use lockers.. This will help.. At our daughters school they carried backpacks and I do not remember even one girl carrying a purse. They kept their wallets in their back packs, our daughter kept her suppiies in one of the inside zippered areas.

They did not use lockers in her middle school.

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T.B.

answers from New York on

The girls in my daughter's middle school carry a small purse inside their backpacks or they store the product in a small compartment of their backpack, I am told.

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J.J.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughter just keeps things in her backpack or in her lunch box. She doesn't really use a purse unless she has a need to carry money (going to the movies). Some girls do carry a purse, but not all. It's just depends on her personal preference.

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G.A.

answers from Phoenix on

My daughters went to a middle school that went to wearing uniforms so they were not allowed back packs nor did they have lockers. They were allowed to carry small purses. So they would carry their supplies in their purses. My youngest daughter never did carry a purse until she absolutely needed to... and no one gave her any problems once she started to carry one. I think most kids just assume that when girls get a certain age they start carrying purses like their moms.

S.G.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, a purse is always good especially if it is something she really likes...color, brand, size etc. When my oldest daughter was in middle school (she's a junior now) I made her carry a purse because when the time did come I didn't want her classmates to wonder why she had one all of a sudden. Plus, as we pass the middle school these days I see so many designer purses; so its definitely still a cool trend.

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D.F.

answers from St. Louis on

Wow, my daughter isn't allowed to carry a purse or any type of bag around her school anymore. She'll be in 7th grade this year and thats one thing I hadn't even thought of. Her older sister's didn't have this rule sooo I never even gave it a thought until now. That's a great ? now I'll spend this afternoon on the phone with the school board to figure this one out. Our kids are also not allowe to go to their lockers by 3 times a day before, lunchtime and after school.

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

the middle schools in our area are required to have see through bags so don't think that would solve your issue. I agree with the poster below who kept them in a lunch bag in her locker. I worked at a cafe for years and we kept a brown paper lunch sack under one of the counters full of just this stuff.

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Oh my gosh YES!!!!
Let her choose one she likes, they are everywhere. MIne likes to carry her lipgloss in hers, she isn't wearing makeup yet. Plus they have all these little purse/backpack clipons. Be warned though once she starts carrying one she may have ot have one for each outfit or to match the shoes or blouse. It never ends. :o)

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B.R.

answers from Philadelphia on

well i in my school i am in middle school and a ton of girls carry purses andf most are desighner brand like guess ,kathy,xo,even coach.or the most popular purses from claires i carry a nine west bag so i dont feel funny when girls tell me they like my bag because almost all the girls carry a nice bag that is desighner,from target,or claires.no girld carry them plain material grama bags now.LOL but also certain schools have rules but it depends on the teachers too like some teachers are not okay with carrying purses class to class or in the room.they make yu eep it in your locker.or tell you too limit the size but kids get curious if they notice a girl does something different or more mature.like me one boy asked why i carry one so also tell her what to say if other children grow curious and ask.like i need tissues a lot or it doesnt fit in my locker or i dont know or i need personal items.so you know what find out the school rules in the hand book or website or contact the princaple or ask her after the first two weeks if any girls carry any.but the first couple weeks when they found out purses were allowed to be carried very girl did because in elementry school we couldnt take out side the class to an assembly or speacial(Ex.gym art music library computer)so it was like a running trend and plus a lot of us found out my bringing them in school and carrying them everywhere but seeing older kids carrying them.in the handbook it said no book bags in classrooms til 9th period.which is the last class of the day.and gym bags have too be meshed or clear which is kinda uncomfortable espeacially for girs who need make up and personal femine products but a lot of girls prefer meshed because it conceals it .so thats my school.i love my school i am in it is great :)oh and another thing some little girls like when i was in first grade purses came with dresses and shoes so even i and now my cousin who is six who had a purse since she was 4 (but doesnt carry it all the time just wants to be a big girl) and i got her a purse foe christmas one year and she loved it. it all has to do with pychological factors of enviorment like if a little girl sees all her aunts or mom or older sister and cousins carrying purses she will tend to copy behavior like me when i was young i drank coffe on the weekend mornings because my mom always did it while taking me to school or on her way to work.i recently read up on that.so some little kids do that so it is not like the old days where you didnt start carrying one until you were in like high school or eighth grade because for one thing girls are getting their periods younger now and back then moms couldnt afford purses for their girls my grama told me.but in first grade for a while i carried one then got tired of it.then stopped then started back up when i got a cell phone and a ipod which was in 3rd grade but didnt carry one too school til middle school .and they were small in3rd grade my purses then middle school i statred buying bigger ourses because i started needing glasses for far away only and i was taking them on and off and plus started buying lunch and started wearing make up.also because i really wanted to carry one for a long time but middle school i loved it because in my town thats when the schools started letting you carry a purse. but not allowed to chew gum not even at lunch! or write i pen . but middle school is an exciting time for both girls and may be boys but it is also a time where your behavior and body and mind change like i started wearing make up too school.so it was hard adjustinbg to it the first coupe days because it started early and was an hour longer and you had more teachers. you had a locker you switched classes lunch was earlier ten thirty in the morning .and in elementry school your last year is a short afternoon so it is kinda like going back too first grade or kindergarten because of the anxiteyts but ver y forunatly i was able to meet my homeroom teachers and get assighned my locker and see the physical homeroom and gym and cafeteria and nurses office befor orientation because it was so cool but plus in elementrey school we heard tons of rumors and it turned out to be nothing like we heard the teachers were a lot nicer then i expected and we had an auditorium with chairs not like elemntry school where the auditorium was like a lunch room audutoruim and another gym so yeah i love school oh and glitzy gkam sells pad and tampon holders in many different desighns so she could keep thar away in her locker if she gets one

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