the pre teen girl talk

[Cruisit]

I'll start first by saying I am not a mom, but a sixteen year old girl.

Now, I'll launch into a story about my 10 year old sister. She is in competitive gymnastics, and has been for nearly five years now. She is very advanced (in levels) for her age. So, other girls/her friends from gymnastics are considerably older then her (maybe 13 or 14?). They all shave, obviously, and in leotards my sister grew to become self conscious next to the girls who shaved. Granted, her legs were a bit hairy, but she had blond leg hair, like it seems your daughter does. So, at the age of eight and a half, she started to shave. Did she really need to? No. But she felt bad about herself and her appearance.

 

Ultimately, if your daughter wants to shave ‘just because’, let her wait a bit. No harm in that. But if she honestly feels self-conscious about her body image, then, in my opinion, you will only be hurting her by not letting her shave. She will grow too self-conscious, as it sounds like she already cares about her appearance a lot. Honestly, something like this could carry over for her, and as she grows to the teen years she may be totally self-conscious all the time, and something like this can be very, very harmful in girls.

 

Now, as for a product, I suggest those new razors with the soap bars around the blades. They make shaving easier for starters, and I think it will cut down any possible razor cuts that a regular razor could cause.

[graceinmelbourne]

I'll start first by saying I am not a mom, but a sixteen year old girl.

Now, I'll launch into a story about my 10 year old sister. She is in competitive gymnastics, and has been for nearly five years now. She is very advanced (in levels) for her age. So, other girls/her friends from gymnastics are considerably older then her (maybe 13 or 14?). They all shave, obviously, and in leotards my sister grew to become self conscious next to the girls who shaved. Granted, her legs were a bit hairy, but she had blond leg hair, like it seems your daughter does. So, at the age of eight and a half, she started to shave. Did she really need to? No. But she felt bad about herself and her appearance.

 

Ultimately, if your daughter wants to shave ‘just because’, let her wait a bit. No harm in that. But if she honestly feels self-conscious about her body image, then, in my opinion, you will only be hurting her by not letting her shave. She will grow too self-conscious, as it sounds like she already cares about her appearance a lot. Honestly, something like this could carry over for her, and as she grows to the teen years she may be totally self-conscious all the time, and something like this can be very, very harmful in girls.

 

Now, as for a product, I suggest those new razors with the soap bars around the blades. They make shaving easier for starters, and I think it will cut down any possible razor cuts that a regular razor could cause.

 

 

Great advice :) You are a wise 16 year old and I agree with everything you have said.

[Cruisit]

Thank you :)

My parents continuously tell me I am 16 going on 60 ;)

[graceinmelbourne]

Thank you :)

My parents continuously tell me I am 16 going on 60 ;)

 

There's nothing wrong with that. My almost 16 year old daughter is a bit like you too. Sometimes I think she is too sensible but better to be a wise teenager than a clueless one.

[Onessa]

There's nothing wrong with that. My almost 16 year old daughter is a bit like you too. Sometimes I think she is too sensible but better to be a wise teenager than a clueless one.

I have a 16YO DD as well -- I hear the stories about bad behavoir among teens an wonder where these kids are, because my teen doesn't have an attitude and her friends are all great.

 

When she was 14YO and going on a week-long band trip, I got her a VISA. Well her 8th grade Social Studies class was doing a unit on consumer credit and the teacher was going into credit cards. He starts with a "raise of hands" if anyone already has a credit card. DD is the only one who raises her hand -- teacher says "wow, your parents must really trust you!" he pauses and thinks and smiles and then says "yup, and I can understand that too"

[kitty9]

If I hadn't started shaving at 11.5, I would have looked like Bigfoot's girlfriend. If a girl is hirsute to the point of embarrassment, then she should shave. If its just a "well all my friends do it" thing, then maybe I'd wait.