logo
WATCH: A South African dad's heartfelt gesture for his daughter's first period

WATCH: A South African dad's heartfelt gesture for his daughter's first period

IOL News21-05-2025

TikTok dad calls on other dads to support their daughters.
Image: Hawkii / Pexels
For many young girls, their first period arrives unexpectedly and often without the proper supplies on hand.
That's exactly what happened to one South African dad's daughter while she was playing a game of netball.
TikToker @Jolinkomo shared that he was away in Johannesburg when he received a call with the news that his daughter had just started her period for the first time.
With no sanitary products available, she had to make do with toilet paper.
The moment hit him hard because he knew how difficult it can be for young girls to manage their periods, especially without support or access to proper menstrual products.
Determined to be there for his daughter in any way he could, he decided to take action.
He recorded a heartfelt TikTok where he called on other fathers to step up and support their daughters during this important phase of their lives.
He proudly showed viewers the period kit he put together for his daughter, his first time ever buying sanitary pads.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
He chose a small pink bag and carefully packed it with essentials, which include a pack of pads, pantyliners, a bar of soap, painkillers, deodorant, and a small towel.
'This is for my beautiful princess,' he said, explaining that love and presence matter deeply, even if dads can't fully understand the experience of menstruation themselves.
As a sweet surprise, he also bought her flowers and some of her favourite treats to welcome her home from school and remind her how loved she is.
The response online was overwhelmingly positive.
TikTok users flooded the comments with praise for his thoughtful gesture.
'I'm so proud of you. You are the best dad ever,' one person wrote.
Another added, 'This is so beautiful. Creating a safe space with your daughter. This is big. I hope other fathers are taking notes.'
Women also chimed in with helpful suggestions for improving the kit, recommending unscented wipes and advising him to use Brufen instead of Disprin, since the latter is a blood thinner.
This dad's simple but powerful act of love is more than just a kind gesture.
It's a reminder to all fathers that being involved, informed, and supportive during their daughters' life changes can make a lasting impact.
IOL Lifestyle Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gauteng foot-and-mouth outbreak at world's largest feedlot is a red meat flag
Gauteng foot-and-mouth outbreak at world's largest feedlot is a red meat flag

Daily Maverick

time5 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Gauteng foot-and-mouth outbreak at world's largest feedlot is a red meat flag

Karan Beef said this week that a case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) had been confirmed at its gigantic feedlot facility at Heidelberg in southeastern Gauteng, the latest outbreak of the highly contagious viral infection to hit South Africa's cattle and beef industry. At 2,330 hectares, Karan Beef's Heidelberg feedlot is the largest in the world. They say everything is bigger in Texas, but this facility outstrips the massive feedlots that are a defining feature of the grassy landscape along Interstate Highway 40 of the Texas Panhandle, the heart of the global beef industry. Outbreaks elsewhere have already curbed South African beef exports, but concerns raised on social media about local price increases are misplaced, as domestic supplies are expected to increase as a result. It's still very concerning because Karan Beef is widely regarded as South Africa's top beef brand, supplying most of the country's recognised retailers and premier butchers and restaurants. That reputation has been built in part on its strict biosecurity measures. In 2007, Karan Beef was South Africa's first beef producer to achieve the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food standards accreditation. This is the gold standard on this front, described by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization as '… a globally recognised, systematic and science-based approach to food safety that addresses biological, chemical and physical hazards throughout the food chain.' The bottom line is that if an outbreak can occur at this operation, no South African cattle farm or feedlot is safe from the disease. This follows in the wake of recent outbreaks of FMD that spread to Mpumalanga and Gauteng. 'As a result of the spread of the KZN outbreaks to Mpumalanga and Gauteng, the People's Republic of China has suspended imports of cloven-hoofed animals and related products,' the Department of Agriculture said last month. 'The department urges all livestock farmers in the whole country to limit animal movement as far as possible … No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under restriction for FMD in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga,' it said. This is a setback for South Africa's blossoming agricultural sector, which grew almost 16% in the first quarter of this year, making it the standout performer on a dismal stage that saw the total economy expand by only 0.1% – and which saw exports rise 10% in the same period. 'The one area that remains a concern (for agriculture) is the livestock industry, primarily due to the recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. We have already seen various trading partners temporarily banning South Africa's beef exports due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak,' said Wandile Silhobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber. What this means for you: While it is a blow for exports, what are the stakes for steak-lovers in South Africa? If you are a beef lover, you don't have to panic buy to fill your freezer – this ain't toilet paper during the pandemic. Beef prices may actually decline as the domestic market becomes flooded with product destined for export. But animal disease is worrying on a range of fronts and is a setback to South Africa's agricultural sector. According to Sihlobo, the curbing of exports will increase the domestic supply, and as a result, South African beef prices should 'decrease a bit.' Cattle destined for exports in feedlots still need to be slaughtered at the usual pace because of the feed costs, and FMD is not generally fatal for adult animals, so there will be no mass die-off even if the disease spreads like a Highveld wildfire in winter. Several factors are fanning the flames of animal disease worldwide, including climate change. But it is South African cattle farmers and producers who will bear the brunt of export curbs and potentially falling domestic prices. DM

Love in a time of Wi-Fi: How couples cultivate connection online
Love in a time of Wi-Fi: How couples cultivate connection online

Daily Maverick

time6 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Love in a time of Wi-Fi: How couples cultivate connection online

For most, WhatsApp was the go-to. It was the easiest, most intimate platform — rich with voice notes, real-time messaging, and video calls. But the communication wasn't just about logistics or surface-level check-ins. We've all heard the horror stories: WhatsApp blow-ups, Instagram posts that notch up the jealousy factor, and an emoji that accidentally ruined a perfectly good weekend. Social media doesn't always have the best rep when it comes to relationships. But maybe that's not the full story. That's what Lauren Maytham, a newly qualified clinical psychologist, set out to explore in her Master's thesis at Nelson Mandela University. Maytham's research, completed at the end of last year under the supervision of cyber-relationships expert Dr Tania Lambert, focused on how South African young adults use social media to maintain intimacy and passion in committed romantic relationships. 'I wanted to find out how young people were staying emotionally close in an era in which we're often physically apart,' said Maytham. 'And I wanted to focus on relationships that already existed — not dating apps or how people meet, but how they stay connected.' The real work of staying close The study interviewed eight young adults — aged 22 to 29 — who were in stable, exclusive relationships. They weren't living together, weren't married, and spent regular time apart. These were the kind of relationships where future plans were being made, but daily routines were still separate. The question Maytham posed was simple: How do you keep romance alive on social media? For most, WhatsApp was the go-to. It was the easiest, most intimate platform — thanks to the voice notes, real-time messaging, and video calls. But the communication wasn't just about surface-level check-ins. 'Participants talked about small gestures that made them feel emotionally close,' Maytham said. 'Even something like a partner asking 'How's your day going?' helped them feel seen and secure.' In several cases, couples created entire digital rituals to bridge the gap. Virtual date nights. Shared streaming. Midweek memes sent just to make each other laugh. 'One participant described how watching a movie together over the phone, with pauses to laugh or comment, created a shared moment that felt especially meaningful,' said Maytham. Intimacy, passion — and a love app called LoveWick While many past studies have focused on the risks of oversharing or online infidelity, Maytham's participants revealed a quiet creativity to their digital intimacy. One of the discoveries that interested her most involved an app called LoveWick — designed to help couples log important dates, preferences, even favourite snacks or clothing sizes. 'The app has a feature called Forget Me Not,' Maytham said. 'One participant used it to remember what flowers his girlfriend liked and would order them when she wasn't feeling well. It was one of the most emotionally thoughtful uses of tech I came across.' Passion, too, wasn't absent — it was just reimagined. Some participants were open about sending flirtatious photos, texts, or wearing a partner's favourite outfit in shared content. Others preferred more private exchanges. Boundaries mattered, and couples navigated them with care. And then there was TikTok. One participant described how she and her partner shared cheeky TikToks and relationship memes as inside jokes. Another said the TikTok algorithm kept serving up videos that mirrored their relationship quirks — and bonding over those little moments became a daily ritual. 'There was a wide range of what people felt comfortable with,' said Maytham. 'But the key was mutual understanding — and respecting that one partner might be more private than the other.' What the men had to say One of the more surprising themes to emerge said Maytham was how frequently male participants brought up love languages — often unprompted. 'I didn't expect that,' said Maytham. 'They not only recognised their partners' emotional needs, but actively used digital tools to meet them. Whether it was sending encouraging messages or sharing content that spoke to their partner's personality, they were intentional.' While popular discourse often paints men as emotionally distant in digital spaces, Maytham's findings pushed back against the stereotype. 'They may not have been as verbally expressive as the women, but the care and thought were there.' Culture, boundaries and public declarations The study also touched on cultural and personal beliefs that shaped how participants engaged with social media. Two women, both of Indian descent, raised concerns about the evil eye — the belief that too much public sharing of love and happiness can attract jealousy or harm. 'They grew up being told to protect what's sacred,' Maytham explained. 'For them, keeping their romantic lives off the timeline wasn't a lack of affection — it was about preserving something private and safe.' This sentiment was echoed by others who simply preferred direct messages to public declarations. 'Some felt that real intimacy didn't need to be posted,' said Maytham. 'Others enjoyed sharing light-hearted moments but kept deeper emotional exchanges within private platforms like WhatsApp.' From TikTok to therapy rooms Maytham sees a future for this kind of research beyond academia. She believes it has practical relevance for couples therapy — especially when it comes to helping people navigate relationships in an age where escaping social media is virtually impossible. 'Social media can be repetitive, even shallow,' she said. 'But it can also be a powerful tool for emotional connection — if it's used with intention and awareness.' DM

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store