Parenting is a lot of trial and error. When it comes to raising kids, we’re never sure if we are doing the “right things” at the “right times.” Sure, there are thousands of parenting books on the market, but they never truly cater to our children and our needs all of the time.
Many times, we question our decision-making and need the advice of other parents who may be in the thick of it alongside us.
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Thankfully, there are millions of other parents on the Internet with whom we can confide and ask our burning questions.
One thing that many parents are unsure of is anything having to do with puberty
As both girls and boys grow up and reach the stages of puberty, we’re never too sure if it’s “too soon” to start doing anything — such as shaving. Shaving can be a double-edged sword for many girls and boys. For girls, shaving too soon can cause a lot of thick hair to grow in before it is even time for hair to get there in the first place.
Many girl moms are unsure what age is “too young” for girls to begin shaving. However, we want to do right by our kids, too.
A mom recently asked online if her daughter was too young to shave
GettingThingsDone02 asked in the Reddit parenting thread if her 10-year-old daughter was too young to shave her legs and armpits. She said that her daughter stopped wearing shorts and tank tops recently, and when she asked why, her daughter said it was because she had hairy legs and armpits that she didn’t want others to see.
She was unsure if now would be an appropriate time to discuss shaving and if she should “teach her.’
The mom further explained that her own mother died when she was young
Due to this, she didn’t have the same experience as her daughter.
“My mom passed when I was 6 so no one talked to me about it or showed me how to do it. I started when I was about 13/14 cause my older sister was making fun of me. I asked her if people were making fun of her about her hair and she said no that she just doesn’t wanna wear clothes that will show it,” she wrote.
She is also unsure how to approach it with her daughter
Her daughter hasn’t asked to shave, so she’s unsure what the “right way” would be to approach her about it. She did ask her once and her daughter replied that she didn’t want to learn how to shave.
However, the mom is concerned that her daughter’s constant wearing of sweatpants and a hoodie will cause her to overheat in hot weather.
Many people said it depends on the person
Parents online said that the right age really depends on the person individually. Some girls who hit puberty earlier, such as this young girl who already got her period at age 10, may start to get hair sooner. This can impact their body image and the way in which they view themselves, as their hormones are changing, as are their bodies.
Some moms said that their daughters are in the same boat
That tween stage can be pretty challenging for many girls.
“My daughter also turned 10 at the start of May and has been growing hair under her arms for a few months now. I’d told her it’s her body so she can choose what to do with it, but if she wants to remove it she absolutely needs to come to me and I will help. She began to lose confidence at school because of it, so asked me to do it a couple of weeks ago. Now once a week I’ll just go over it with a couple of strokes of my razor,” shared ChelseaMourning.
And some said that their young girls also shave
One Reddit mom said that her daughter is the same age and asked to shave.
“My 10 year old shaves her legs. She approached me and asked me if I’d mind, the next day I went out and purchased her everything she needed and we sat in the bathroom and I just showed her how I shave mine and we did them together. She doesn’t need to do it anywhere near as often as I do, but every now and then we make a night of it,” explained mrssalacia.
Others agreed that their moms never showed them
Even those whose moms were regularly in their lives still didn’t have their mom show them how to shave.
“Literally no one ever told me that I was suppose to shave. I look back and honestly wonder where my mother was during my pubescent years. Anyhoo all my classmates were making fun of this girl who was unshaven. In that moment I was like omg I’m suppose to be shaving. And that’s when I started. It would have been a lot nicer if I had a heads up and had someone show me,” confessed CafeteriaPizza33.
Some gave some good steps
Because this Reddit user’s mother didn’t teach her, some people online thought it would be good to help her give her daughter “pointers.”
“I would give her some basic pointers – shave with the grain of the hair and make sure the skin in moist and has soap or shaving cream first. That should limit the chance of a bad first experience. Help her if she wants, but respect her privacy if she’d prefer to try alone once she is given a basic how-to,” wrote NoAside5523.
What age do you feel that girls should start shaving?
H/T Reddit
