Monday, May 21, 2012

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.

 IMG_0400_0338
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.

IMG_5049_4717april, 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)

001
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!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
thanks to all who entered!!

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!
Rules:
No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/21 - 6/30.

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!
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65 comments:

  1. Lovely post - the first time I shaved was on a morning when the family was rushing to get out the door and I took my sweet time in the bath!

    Had to laugh at the "scratch and sniff blog" :) hehehehe

    ReplyDelete
  2. I remember when my daughter asked me the first time to shave her legs. I know I was very supportive, and I showed her to do it the right way.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Twitt
    https://twitter.com/#!/rosorior/status/204611711490211840
    roso1946@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. tweet:

    https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/204614323392360448

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  5. This is a nice special bonding time. You are such a good mom! I didn't do these these things with my mom. I had an older sister. I remember my older sister let me practice on her legs before I did my own (thinking back, wow that was brave of her)!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember my Mom helped me a lot when I just started shaving. She got me my first Venus razor and showed how to use it

    elena150980@yahoo.com

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  7. https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/204618926854914048

    elena150980@yahoo.com

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  8. my daughter is only 4 mos old but when gets older im going to teach her to be honest and to be happy !

    freebiel0ve@yahoo.com

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  9. https://twitter.com/#!/akronugurl/status/204645996712570880

    freebiel0ve@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. OMG thank you so much for this post! My daughter turns 11 in July and she's already been dogging me to start shaving. She has arabic background and has very hairy (albeit blonde) hair on her legs. But she's anxious to shave and "be like the other girls" at school. I do remember when I was first shaving that I wondered (quietly) why my mother's arms were so smooth, so one day, I tested the shaver on my arm - wrong idea! That hair of course came back darker and coarser! Never again did I take the razor to my arms..... Thanks again! Jennifer
    purpleheartorijennals@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. just be straight-forward, honest, and keep a sense of humor when talking with your kids
    thepryfamily@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. https://twitter.com/#!/thepryfamily2/status/204730840440246272

    thepryfamily@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. My daughter is only 4, but I keep my explanations simple and always remind her how pretty and smart she is!

    kellywcuATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  14. tweeted
    https://twitter.com/kellydsaver/status/204735896443031553

    kellywcuATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  15. My oldest is not yet five, but I completely botched our first "stranger danger" conversation because he caught me off guard. ("If a bad person takes me to their house, how would I get away?" he asked, and I was too busy thinking, "Where the heck did he even get that idea?!" to respond appropriately.) So my advice is to be prepared for those tricky conversations, they may come up sooner than you think, or in a totally unexpected context!

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  16. as in most life scenarios, finally coming out and saying it usually shows that you were overthinking the situation all along :P

    kristina.rivero23 at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. It is certainly not easy to be a parent, especially tackling those tough “first” conversations with my kids. But the best way I prefer is openness and be honest and straight forward. That’s the way I preferred to be treated, so, I’ll do the same with my kids.

    Amy [at] utry [dot] it

    ReplyDelete
  18. tweeted: https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/205939649028423680

    Amy [at] utry [dot] it

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think it's just plain best to be honest.

    --Brandy
    fosterbrandy(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think if you have a good relationship with your kids as they're growing up, all important conversations will come much more naturally.
    thismomwins@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I tweeted: https://twitter.com/thismomwins2/status/206470132313227265
    thismomwins@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Being honest and being a good listener helps.

    rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Be honest and realistic are best tips from my experience.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/206964047667662849

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  25. You did a good job helping her ease into shaving....All that stuff is no fun to figure out on your own.

    ReplyDelete
  26. my tip is to go slow and answer questions! Thanks for a super giveaway!
    My email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Tweeted:
    https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/208177157871112192
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  28. be patient and understanding. Share with them a personal childhood/teenage memory of your own!

    pokergrl8 at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  29. https://twitter.com/aes529/status/208959828092133376

    pokergrl8 at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. My daughter is too young. I'm going to teach her just be herself and honest
    merleandtina@Yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/210038025328144385
    merleandtina@Yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. tweet
    http://twitter.com/tnshadylady/status/211819618019454977

    ReplyDelete
  33. blog post
    http://tnshadylady.blogspot.com/2012/06/more-great-bloghercom-giveaways.html

    ReplyDelete
  34. talking over a meal so we both have time to process! scg00387 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  35. https://twitter.com/DesMoinesDealin/status/211883410707333120 scg00387 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. My tip is to be calm and treat your child with respect; treating them like an adult will allow them the choice of starting to act like an adult.

    ReplyDelete
  37. My daughter is only (almost) two, so we haven't had those big conversations yet, but when we do, I hope to be honest and listen well.

    chambanachik@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. just try to be open and honest about everything so it doesn't feel awkward or embarassing....instead it is just part of life.
    cgies25 at hotmail

    ReplyDelete
  39. My mom starts with sharing her own experience, it's always fun to hear her stories. Regarding shaving though we never had the conversation, my mom still doesn't shave o_o Thanks for the review and giveaway.
    songyueyu at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  40. tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/214282767805071360
    songyueyu at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  41. things like shaving are simply a fact of life - just be open and honest - sharing a mother -daughter day helps too!

    debbiebellows (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  42. my daughter is still a baby so I haven't had to have any "talks" with her yet
    karinaroselee at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  43. https://twitter.com/karinaroselee/status/215196227329982465

    karinaroselee at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  44. Tackling tough “firsts” conversations with my kids is not easy, be honest and have the conversation with him/her personally and share my past experience, he/she would be interested to listen and learn.

    ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  45. I tweeted about this promotion: https://twitter.com/ctong2/status/215715156112572417

    ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  46. I don't have kids, but as a child I appreciated Mom being honest and available
    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Tweet! https://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/216270579513303040
    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  48. My daughter was pretty easy - just try not to be uptight (I was on occasion) and it's much easier :)
    bingomamanorma(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  49. I think being open with your kids is my best advice. Thanks for the chance to win!
    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  50. tweet-https://twitter.com/CrazyItalian0/status/217310535719469056

    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  51. Yes, shaving is one of the easier conversations. My girls had been watching me and knew the basics when they finally got around to asking. They weren't in any rush being quite blonde and the hair wasn't at all noticeable. Now conversations about sex and periods were much more difficult but I tried to keep them part of ordinary conversation instead of making the extra important.

    willitara [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  52. I love your post. I remember when my youngest was around 9 or 10 she came home one day and very seriously told me we had to "talk". She made her older sister leave the room and sat down and said. "Mom I need a room of my own and I need it now!" Well we lived in a 3 rm apt(Single mom here) and I told her that before I called for lumber and nails to build her a room I needed to know why it was suddenly so important. She told me , "Well its like this, my teacher says I am going through "POOBERTY" (puberty) and I need a room to do it in." I had to leave the room and collect myself before we could sit down and have that talk. Once we had our talk she looked at me and said Geez mom I thought it was some kind of big deal. Since that day and even now we talk about EVERYTHING and she is in her 30's.

    ReplyDelete
  53. When we have one of those 'firsts conversations', I just make sure my kids know that they can ask me any questions.
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  54. tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/218492535310520320
    nuthouse(at)centurytel(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  55. I'd have to say that honesty is the best policy in any 'first' moment. Be honest and be comfortable and your kids will trust you!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
  56. Tweet: http://twitter.com/coriwestphal/statuses/218546238453317635

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
  57. Tweet - https://twitter.com/willitara/status/218726307066937344

    willitara [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  58. Don’t be afraid to tell them you don’t know something, but be prepared to find the correct answer
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  59. tweet
    https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/218731175164907520
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  60. Be open and honest, this was a number one key in our family. sweepmorey at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  61. tweeted https://twitter.com/mommysdizzy/status/218830836039032833

    ReplyDelete
  62. My best tip is to approach the conversation and answer only the questions your child has at the time - don't overwhelm them with information they may not be ready to deal with.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Skip the judgement and the fear talks and just be honest and open. If your kids come to you with questions, be thankful and ANSWER THEM FULLY!! They could be going to another kid and getting all sorts of misinformation! Don't treat them like they are too young to know...they are asking you...they are old enough to know!
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  64. I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/219064125534371843
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  65. My daughter is a teenager...quite honestly I was "nervous" about tough
    first conversation...took the plunge and found she wanted to know things..this helped ..I believe being honest is helpful
    thanks
    aunteegem@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

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