My 9 yr old wants to shave - advice please!

[mjkacmom]

IMy sister had a hard time with my neice, except it was her eyebrows. The child has her father's unbelieveable eyelashes....I mean crazy thick and they curl back onto themselves. Unfortunately, they came with her father's eyebrows My sister called me when she was about 10, freaked out because her little girl wanted to have her eyebrows waxed. I convinced my sis that if my neice was conscious about it, she should absolutely do it.

LOL - sounds like my dd8, who has thick, long, dark eyelashes, and light big blue eyes - stunning! However, the bushy brows - not so much. I told her that for her 6th grade graduation gift, we're going to get our eyebrows waxed!

 

[Buckalew11]

I bought DD a venus razor when she was about 9 or 10 (I can't rem.--she is 16 today!!) and she started shaving. my mom made a big "hairy" (pardon the pun) out of me shaving and I was the last of 3 girls. My middle sister took me aside and told me to do it and I'm forever grateful. I promised myself right then that it would never be a big deal if I was ever blessed with a daughter of my own.

let her shave. A Venus razor is VERY easy to shave wit. I never nick myself with that thing and I shave daily and not too careful these days.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I have one daughter who turned 9 last month. She is very self conscious about the hair on her legs. She is fair and the hair is brown. It is not that noticeable to me but then again, I am "mom". She says that people at school remark about it, some call her "hairy" or ask her "why do you have so much hair on your legs?"

She wants to start shaving her legs. I think she is too young. It is so bad that in the summer (which is very hot here) she doesnt even want to wear shorts to school, she wants to wear long pants.

On one hand I think we should not give in and do something just because bullies at school are making her feel like she should. On the other hand, if it bothers her, I feel like maybe I should try whatever I can to make the school day as painless as possible. (she is an excellent student but cannot stand going to school. She has hated it ever since she got out of kindergarten)

Anyone have any advice for me? When is the right age to let a girl start shaving? Is there any harm to allowing her to shave or do Nair or the Smooth Away pads now?

DD (10) is VERY hairy and I really felt her pain. When she turned 10, I bought her a bottle of Nair. I thought it would be better if she never shaved and just Nair'ed about 1x a month. So far it's worked. The hair grows in just a little slower now. I don't think that hair removal at 9 or 10 is taboo. A few of the "hairier" girls on her soccer team also use Nair.

 

[PaulaSue]

My 9 year has been very hairy since birth with dark brown hair. I have been doing her eyebrows and lower legs for a LONG time.

My 11 year I have been doing her legs for quite a while too. IT is blond but OMG too much hair.

Thanks to Dh....

PS I use the intution (with the creme all around the blade, $ but worth it)

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Let's just say bangs on your knees is not a good look.

Is the tag fairy around??

 

[SnowWhite607]

I love the bangs on knees comment.......

Okay now what about arms? She has hairy arms (like me and my mom) but do people shave their arms? The arm hair is not as thick or dark as the leg hair but she still said people tease her, not teasing quite so much as questioning her about it and it makes her feel bad (she is ULTRA sensitive). Do people even shave their arms?

Thank you for all the comments so far! I am glad to see that DD is not the only kid with leg hair. She thinks she is and feels like the Yeti sometimes. LOL!

 

[LuvOrlando]

In my family puberty just comes early. I don't think there is anything wrong with hair removal... in fact, I think it lengthens childhood because evidence of otherwise obvious hormonal changes are erased.

For the legs I bought my DD an electric shaver so she can do it herself with dry skin in the dry tub and then just rinse stuff down the drain.

 

[SnowWhite607]

If it is bothering her, then it is time. Why do parents have such a hard time giving in when it comes to shaving? I am not being snarky, I just don't understand because I am not a parent. I think I started at around 10. I never had any help or advice from my parents nor did they have anything against it. I came home from school and told them my legs were too hairy and I felt bad about it and my mom handed me a razor and a can of shaving cream. It wasn't a big embarrassing production and I have been shaving ever since. I guess I just don't understand why it is such a big deal Again not trying to be mean or snarky...I just don't get it.

I think because it is sort of a rite of passage in a way. No one wants to see their baby gorw up (she is an only child as well). It signals that *I* am getting older and also that she is getting older and there will be more milestones right around the corner....bras, dates, driving, college, etc.

Its just that time has gone so fast for me and I feel as though this is just one more step away from me that she is taking. I know thats kind of the goal when you have a child, to raise them to the best of your ability and then feel confident as they leave the "nest" but I'm not there yet......

I am almost embarassed to say this but she has always slept with me since she was born, never would sleep in her own room. This weekend, she told me she wanted her own room and didnt want to sleep with me anymore. I know she had to grow up and get her own room one day and stop sleeping with Mommy, but I felt like

 

[Jennasis]

Those smooth away pads are junk.

 

[PatsMom]

Add me to the list of those who think that you should let your daughter shave when she asks to shave. I can't remember how old my daughter was but I think it was around 9 or 10. I gave her a razor and showed her what to do. She figured it out from there.

 

[Pooh93]

Let her shave them. She may also realize after a couple times shaving that it's more "work" than first thought and she may lose interest and not want to do it that much. I am speaking from experience here and my dd really needs to shave her legs because her hair is dark and I have to tell her it's time to do it!! She is now 12 and could have started shaving when she was 10.


Started w/the underarms which she really needed when she was 10 and realized how much work it is as she needs to do it a couple times a week. So, when it came to the legs, she wasn't as interested!!

The woman's Intuition razor by Schick is a good one because it has the soap in the head of the blade and dd was more comfortable (as was I ) because it seemed to reduce nicks/scrapes.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

re: arm hair

My friend's daughter had big self conscious issues over her arm hair. My friend paid to get laser hair removal. I thought it was a bit extreme at the time but I also know how kids are and how girls make fun of other girls etc. It's a nasty world out there.
My DD11 started shaving last year. I bought a good razor and shaving cream and she is happy with that. It was bothering her so it was time.

 

[DVCLiz]

I think because it is sort of a rite of passage in a way. No one wants to see their baby gorw up (she is an only child as well). It signals that *I* am getting older and also that she is getting older and there will be more milestones right around the corner....bras, dates, driving, college, etc.

Its just that time has gone so fast for me and I feel as though this is just one more step away from me that she is taking. I know thats kind of the goal when you have a child, to raise them to the best of your ability and then feel confident as they leave the "nest" but I'm not there yet......

I am almost embarassed to say this but she has always slept with me since she was born, never would sleep in her own room. This weekend, she told me she wanted her own room and didnt want to sleep with me anymore. I know she had to grow up and get her own room one day and stop sleeping with Mommy, but I felt like

I'm not going to rag on you about the sleeping, because I had a daughter who took a very long time to get over some sleep issues, but I will say this -

You have a very long time to have a baby, toddler, young child - and then a very short time to adjust to the fact that you have a preteen and then a teenager. Keeping your daughter from doing these things as they come up on her radar screen is NOT doing the best you could as a parent. You know this is coming and it is up to YOU to adjust, not up to your daughter to dial back her natural inclinations based on what her peer group is doing. In the next 3 years or so, you are going to be dealing with puberty, cell phones, makeup, hair straightening, different fashion choices - a million new issues. You can make your choices based on your own values, of course, but you can't stop any of these issues from affecting your daughter, and if you want to raise a solid girl you won't stand in the way of them.

And you are wrong that "no one wants to see their baby grow up." I can't wait until my DD16 is grown - I am tired of some of the parenting I still have to do and will gladly trade it for a nice mature girl who is settled away somewhere in a nice college!!!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

This whole thread is giving me an anxiety attack!! My dd is 10 1/2 and I'm feeling like an anvil is about to drop on me!! I would like to pretend that puberty isn't lurking around every corner for a little bit longer....please!! No signs yet.....I'm praying for a late bloomer!!

I'm putting my fingers in my ears and singing the la-la song now!

 

[DVCLiz]

This whole thread is giving me an anxiety attack!! My dd is 10 1/2 and I'm feeling like an anvil is about to drop on me!! I would like to pretend that puberty isn't lurking around every corner for a little bit longer....please!! No signs yet.....I'm praying for a late bloomer!!

I'm putting my fingers in my ears and singing the la-la song now!

...meanwhile your daughter's endocrine system is gearing up as we speak and someone in her class at school is or will shortly be getting a cell phone and someone else has already started her period and that click, click, click sound you hear is you almost at the top of the roller coaster called raising a teenager...

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Whatever you do, do not let her shave her arms. My sis did this and it just made it so much worse. Her arms look like my DH's now and DH is HAIRY!! I also think it looks weird not to have hair on your arms. The hair will lighten during the warmer months so tell her not to stress over it.

 

[DVCLiz]

Whatever you do, do not let her shave her arms. My sis did this and it just made it so much worse. Her arms look like my DH's now and DH is HAIRY!! I also think it looks weird not to have hair on your arms. The hair will lighten during the warmer months so tell her not to stress over it.

Shaving a hair with a razor doesn't change anything about the way the hair grows back - it would have looked like that even if it hadn't been shaved. It's hard to make a girl look like Sasquatch so I'd investigate other methods but I wouldn't let her go around looking hairy.

 

[RachelEllen]

For arm air, I suggest bleaching. A youngster might need help, as it can irritate your skin if you leave it on too long. But, it looks much better than shaving when it grows in.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

Shaving a hair with a razor doesn't change anything about the way the hair grows back - it would have looked like that even if it hadn't been shaved. It's hard to make a girl look like Sasquatch so I'd investigate other methods but I wouldn't let her go around looking hairy.

No, shaving does make the hair thicker. If my legs looked the way they did when I was 12, I'd stop shaving today. The fact that I've shaved for the past 23 years (holy crap I'm getting old!) keeps me shaving!

 

[stashbin]

Both of my DD's are hairy....unibrows, long black hairs on their legs, mustaches....My oldest is 8 1/2 and I have been plucking/waxing her eyebrows for over a year. Her legs will be naired/shaved this spring (or whenever shorts are worn).
My DD5 still has her unibrow, but she is still a baby. I will wax hers soon though(even though I think she is beautiful) because kids are cruel.

Oh...and I feel the same about armpit hair...if it's there...shave it!