Parents Awkwardly Explain Periods to Their Kids

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It's the conversation most parents and all kids really don't want to have. Except, this time, the conversation is on-camera allowing you to relive all the awkwardness of when you learned about periods and babies.

Cut Video has a new video in their "Parents Explain" series and this time parents explain periods, why they happen, and how women deal with them. Parents and kids look mighty awkward in this one, but there's something great about having it filmed this way. You're laughing because of the pained grimaces, the confusion, the dad unsure if this thing is called a tampon. You're also laughing because you don't know what to do with that awkward feeling building inside.

But the video is also a good reminder that this shouldn't be weird. Talking to kids (or adults) about sex and the human body shouldn't be taboo or awkward. It's one of the reasons everyone loved the Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was open about how her period impacted her performance. It wasn't excuses or trying to make a statement, she was simply talking about her run as an Olympic athlete in a straightforward manner.

So, enjoy all the awkwardness of this video and appreciate the efforts of the parents here to be open about it, even if they're a little goofy and occasionally baffled by the human body.

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Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record but has never met the fingernail lady. He’s written for Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Men’s Journal, The Rumpus, and other digital wonderlands. Follow him @dlukenelson.