I didn’t expect to have to explain signs and symptoms of menopause to my 11-year-old son. Yet, I feel like I owe it to him - the opportunity to educate and share this experience with him. Maybe he’ll remember menopause and midlife as an adventure and not a struggle. And maybe he’ll remember me and be grateful I gave him this survival guide.

My daughter is taking stock - even if only from a subconscious level - of my how I’m handling midlife and menopause. Here, I’ve compiled a survival guide to remind her that she’s not alone when she hits this stage. While no one comes out unscathed, most survive and hopefully, she’ll be ready for whatever is coming, or at the very least, get a chuckle at her mother’s attempt to impart these nuggets of wisdom…