Does puberty talk require you to be a certain age? When it comes to one of Disney’s films, introducing this concept brings parents to believe so. The 2022 animated film Turning Red is about a 13 year old girl named Mei, who has the ability to turn into a red panda whenever she expresses a strong emotion like anger, embarrassment, and many more. In ancient times, the red panda’s power was a divine blessing from the gods, granted to Mei’s ancestor who used the power for the good of protecting her daughters and village. Once it was passed on to other generations, the red panda became more dangerous to obtain. It wasn’t for long when the women in Mei’s family experienced an outbreak with the red panda caused by Mei’s mother. From that day forward, the family never spoke about the outbreak and claimed the red panda to be a curse. Fortunately, there is a ritual they can perform to remove this so-called curse. It requires the red moon and an item to conceal the red panda in order to keep it under control. When Mei discovers the red panda, she isn’t aware of its ability, causing her to feel frantic when trying to process the sudden changes as it all occurs abruptly. Her mother, on the other hand, wasn’t aware of it so seemingly she thought Mei was experiencing her first period at her age, in response she quickly brought out pads and started “the talk“ so Mei can be assured the changes she is facing are normal and so on.
Observations you can indicate from the scene, is the red panda symbolizes puberty. When Mei reacts to the transformation it implies how she is starting to recognize the changes in her own body, portraying the authenticity of a child transitioning into their teenage years. In the public’s eye, it doesn’t seem to please them with that factor. As it goes to show, the scene created a whole stigma due to lady products being shown to children as it’s viewed to be “too mature” for them when it’s only showing the normality of puberty.
In an article, some parents claim they find it very uncomfortable for their child to see something they don’t understand in regards to it being a sensible topic for them. They feel it’s not the right time for them to find out about such a topic, especially now that they are already asking questions about it. Regardless of age, a concept such as periods, shouldn’t be kept secret from little ones who are truly curious about it. Even if they can’t seem to understand, they still should be given the talk at some point in their lives, so they are self aware of the unexpected changes they will experience in their own bodies when they grow older. It’s recommended by experts that informing a child at an early age will help children recognize it ahead of time. It’s important for both genders to be informed about this topic, with the acknowledgement of the necessary care for these changes, as well as recognizing the important use of pad for periods.
Pads are essential to all women’s care, a well-established fact. However, viewing products like pads to be inappropriate for children because it signifies that a period is coming is unnecessary. As you know in the scene, where Mei’s mom brought out the pads was an indication of Mei having her first period, whereas the parents were seen as mortifying. Even though pads are one of the common uses for periods, it doesn’t mean they should be indicated as inappropriate items for children to see and know about. Pads aren’t based on maturity, they are based on its use. It’s not like they are hidden away from children’s sight. They are seen everywhere like in stores and other locations. Parents should recognize the importance of informing their child of a pad’s use. Learning what essentials to use when puberty happens will help prepare the child. A movie showing the realism of teenagers isn’t inappropriate nor too mature for a child as it’s only showing and demonstrating the changes they can go through once they come of age.
Turning Red is a movie that will not only give the child a view of what puberty is but also give them the opportunity to acknowledge what questions they have about it. Parents shouldn’t mistake the movie as something inappropriate for their child. They should take it as a learning experience for their children so they have some insight of what changes they can experience when they come of age. Especially, when it can help them have an open conversation with their child if they were to have questions about the topic. To normalize puberty, parents should inform their children as early as possible as it will not only give them the awareness and idea of what they will experience later on but also the acknowledgement of the necessary care for these changes. Normalizing puberty will not only help spread awareness and grow others’ understanding about it but also be able to talk about it without it being too much or embarrassing.