How Young is Too Young to Shave Your Legs?

I don’t exactly remember how old I was when I first started shaving my legs, I’m guessing around 9 to ten.  I don’t remember ever being embarrassed or “couldn’t wait” to shave.  My hair was blonde and so I probably could have cared less. But I’m sure I thought I was the coolest when I finally started doing it.

Kayla was 9 when I allowed her to start shaving her legs.  She was thrilled to death.  Her legs had always been fairly hairy, with her dark hair and all, but nothing outrageous.  She was a cheerleader and was just self conscience about it.  I had a couple of the other mothers asking me about it.  I guess they thought that 9 was too young.  I don’t know.  There was one that actually said that her daughter wasn’t allowed to shave until she had her first period.  Yikes!  What happens if she’s a late bloomer?! 

I would have never thought of allowing a daughter younger than 9 to shave.  That was until last year when Kelsie was in first grade she started asking about shaving.  I knew that her legs were very hairy and I was worried about her feelings being hurt because of mean kids.  Kids are meaner and meaner these days. 

When we were shopping for her back to school clothing she told me that she wasn’t wearing anything but jeans.  I told her it was too hot to go back to school wearing jeans.  She told me there was no way that she would wear anything that showed her legs unless she was allowed to shave.  Shocked.  I ask her why.  She said that it's embarrassing having such hairy legs.  I told her it was no big deal and that all little girls that are 7 have hairy legs.  She said something that changed my mind.  She said that he was made fun of last year by a couple of different girls in first grade and she didn’t want to be made fun of this year.

I caved.  I caved because I know how mean kids can be.  And I know the less you can give them to make fun of, the better your life will be.  Since she’s already shorter than everybody else in her grade and gets picked on about that.  And she has a gap in her front teeth and gets ask all the time if she lost a tooth there, I couldn’t give them anything else this year to pick on her about.

I chose to go with a shave free way of getting rid of the hair.  I didn’t buy Nair because I am allergic to it and since she seems to have sensitive skin and allergies like me, I didn’t want to take any chances.  So I chose Veet. I sat her on the kitchen counter yesterday and sprayed the foam on my hands and smoothed it onto her legs. {kneecap to ankle bone}  I sat the timer for 5 minutes and when the timer went off I used the little spatula thingie that it came with and “shaved” the hair off. 

She is so happy.  She keeps telling me that she can’t wait to wear her skirts, jumpers, and shorts to school this year without any worry.  I’m happy that she’s happy.  When she doesn’t have to feel self conscience in class she can focus on everything else!