Parenting teenagers can be very rewarding, but there’s no doubt that it’s hard, too. When it comes to hormones and things like periods and feminine products, a lot of men feel like they’re out of their depth.

OP is worried she forever made her relationship with her father awkward over an incident to do with her period.

She wears pads because she wants to (she doesn’t need another reason) and has had no trouble disposing of them or managing her cycle with the help of her mom and sister.

I (16f) have made it really awkward to be around my dad (46m) and have probably ruined my relationship with him. I know I’m kind of young to be on Reddit but I need help.

I’m currently on my period and only use pads because tampons make me uncomfortable.

Now, the family has a dog, though, that likes dragging her used pads out of the trash. It hasn’t been a huge deal, as OP cleans them up herself and tries to remember to shut the bathroom door.

In January my family got a dog. I’m not really a fan of dogs but I tolerate her. When I replace a pad, I wrap it up in toilet paper or wrap it in the wrapper of the new pad and seal it closed with the little tape still on the wrapper.

This has never been a problem until we got a dog. She likes going into the bathroom and taking my used pads out of the trash and ripping them apart.

For the last couple months, I’ve had to chase her around the house and clean up ripped apart pads, but it’s never really bothered the rest of my family as long as I’m the one cleaning them up.

This most recent incident, though, resulted in her father yelling at her that it had to stop and that she should just use tampons like a grown up.

Today, the dog got to a pad I had thrown away earlier this morning. I caught her and threw the pad back in the trash and closed the bathroom door so she couldn’t get to the trash again. While I was in my bedroom, my dad confronted me about it.

He told me that the dog kept getting my pads out of the trash and that it was a problem. I was confused and asked him what he wanted me to do about it since the only way to dispose of a pad is to throw it away.

He told me that he wanted me to “grow up and start using tampons.”

OP was shaken, told him he can’t talk to her like that, and reached out to her mom.

I was horrified. I told him that I wasn’t comfortable with tampons and that he didn’t get to talk to me about my period. He asked why not. I was speechless and had no idea what to say and just started crying from the embarrassment and shock and shut my bedroom door.

My mom (47f) is currently in Florida visiting family but she was my last resort. I’ll copy and paste the exact message I sent her.

“Tell Dad to stay in his own lane and leave me alone because he just told me I “had to grow up and start using tampons” so that the dog would stop eating my pads. He doesn’t get to say that to me, it’s not fair. I can’t help that my uterus sheds every month and I go through almost unbearable pain and his only remark is that I have to grow up and use something I’m not comfortable with.”

Her mom was on her side and told her she’d take care of it, but OP is wondering whether or not she could have handled things better.

I know it sounds a bit bratty, but I was crying my eyes out and had no idea what to say. She’s furious with him. She texted back saying it was inappropriate that he said that to me and that it was a total bad move on his part and it wouldn’t happen again.

I have no idea what she texted him but I haven’t seen or talked to him since.

I think he’s probably mad at me for bringing my mom into this and I don’t know how to confront him.

AITAH?

I wonder what Reddit has to say about it?

The top commenter says plenty of adult women use pads, and suggested OP get a trash can with a lid on it.

And dad really doesn’t understand how tampons work.

They say there are lots of options.

This comment is full of harsh words for the father.

It’s the smell, man.

This guy, man.

Do better, dad.