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parent talk we ask, local parents answer
How do you feel about your 8-year-old wanting to shave her legs? SARAH MARIE CHAREST Far too young, I think, to be starting to shave. Somewhere around the ages of 11 to 13 is the right age to teach your daughter to start shaving. HEATHER MARIE TROMBLEY In my opinion, 8 is too young to start shaving. Personally, I started shaving at 9, “secretly.” The first time I tried, I cut myself pretty bad and had to tell my Mama. She then took the time to teach me how to shave properly and explain to me why women shave. Mothers know when their child is ready for such a big step; maturity levels differ at this age, I was a little wise for only 9 years old. But ultimately it all comes down to what Mama thinks is the right time or not. KELLY LEE I don’t really think it’s a big deal. If my daughter wanted to I’d probably do it for her do she didn’t cut herself. NADRA PARKER HARRIS I allowed my daughter to begin shaving to her knee at 10. Yes, I was nervous, but it’s not about me and my legs, it’s about hers. Girls have much more pressure on them today than I did when I was that age, and if shaving her legs makes her feel less self-conscious and helps me get her in a pair of shorts when it’s 90 degrees outside, then go for it. While I would like to say “No” a lot, there has to be some “Yes” in there, too. KATIE MASDEN LONG There are ethnicities where girls start having dark hair on their legs at a young age. Or, you have really dark-haired, fair-skinned girls like me where the leg hair shows up sooner and more obvious than on a fairhaired, tan girl. Ideally, they shouldn’t be teased about it and should be able to wait until they’re older to start shaving, but if it helps her self-esteem, I say teach her the right way to do it when she wants to. — compiled by Kiera Ashford (for more “Parent Talk,” please turn the page)
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