one down, three to go.

when i was 11 years old my best friend asked me if i shaved my legs yet. she was already shaving regularly, she said. but she had something i didn’t—an older sister. a sister who showed her the ropes of all things feminine and girly.

gasp! i was shamed. i felt so childish and naive compared to her. hey, at 11 years old it doesn’t take much to make a budding tween feel self-conscious and awkward. (okay, it doesn’t take much to make me feel self-conscious and awkward even now)

anyway, i spent the next few months sneaking my dad’s cheap, orange, single blade razor. i used bar soap to shave the soft, blond hairs off my legs, never asking my mom or telling her anything.
and one night when we were laying on the couch watching a movie she felt the smoothness (ha!) of my legs and asked—”are you shaving?”

i was caught.

 
april, 2010. still a baby 

only now i think back and i can’t help but wonder why? why was i so nervous to bring it up to her? did i think she would be mad? or laugh at me? i’m not really sure what i thought. but i know my mom would have done neither of those things.

and the 32 year old me looks back at that 11 year old me and giggles.

truth is the growing up process is a tough one. (an understatement to be sure). it’s fraught with embarrassment and awkwardness and gawky bodies and bad smells and emotions and hormones…
and now i’ve come full circle—i’m the mom, and i have the 11 year old. and i realize that, while there’s a lot of parts of growing up that are all of the above, there are a lot of parts that don’t have to be--and i am determined to make shaving one of them.

april, 2011. the clock is ticking… 


no sneaking dad’s razor and a bar of soap for my oldest.

shaving is a rite of passage, and should be treated that way.

so when i was given the opportunity to try out Venus Embrace and Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel with guinevere i jumped on it.
but i was unsure how to get into it…rehearsing what i would say to her like i was calling a boy for the first time. finally i just jumped in with both feet. i asked her if anyone in her class was shaving, and did she want to?

she’s so nonchalant this daughter of mine. “sure.” but that was all it took.

it was mommy-daughter time--sitting on the edge of the tub, teaching my oldest daughter how to shave her legs… and let’s face it—of all the “talks” we need to have with our daughters—”do you want to shave?” is by far not the most difficult. but it was important to me that i was the one to share that moment with her.

with three younger sisters behind her, i feel like guinevere and i are testing the waters and setting precedents for future “growing up” experiences. having fun products to use just makes it that much more special.
the Venus Embrace razor has ribbons of moisture surrounding the actual blades (all five of them), so it feels very, very safe for a new shaver. it gives a close, smooth shave with very little chance of nicks or cuts.
the Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel smells divine. it’s fun and fruity and leaves your legs smooth and smelling wonderful. and both guinevere and i have sensitive skin, but we were fine with this product. (seriously—i can’t even tell you how good it smells. i wish i had a scratch and sniff blog so you could get a whiff)


april, 2012. i can see the woman she’s becoming

so in the end i find myself back where i started. except this time instead of sneaking dad’s razors, i’m sneaking my daughter’s Venus Embrace and Satin Care Passionista Fruit shave gel.

i just love that this stuff helped me make at least this one rite of passage not a painful one!
now if only Venus could come up with something to help the first time she gets her heart broken?

what about you? from first bath to first day of school to first time behind the wheel it seems we go from one “first” to another with our little ones from the day they’re born—some easier than others!

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share a tip for tackling tough "firsts" conversations with your kids to be entered for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card, courtesy of BlogHer and Venus!
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Be sure to visit the Venus Brand feature page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!  If you have a first-time shaver in your home, you should check out some of these great tips from Venus Embrace!